Oats+Bacon= love :-)

You're probably thinking, whaaaaaat? I know there's about 25 million awesome fun oatmeal posts on everyone's blogs, but oats and bacon might actually be a first!

Well, I'm not talking about either food here... I'm talking about the super-awesome bloggers For the Love of Oats and Bacon's Blog, both of whom get shiny gold stickers in my book this week.

We'll start with the wonderful Ms. Bacon, who offered such kind and lovely words of support about my grandmother. I did talk to my aunt today, and was able to get a little more info about my grandmother. She's in the "mild to moderate" stages of Alzheimer's, and has started taking medication. The good news is that we're waiting to hear back if she qualifies for a particular study that my aunt had about on NPR recently for Alzheimer's. She's in very good spirits, even joking a bit (my aunt accidentally called a family member by the wrong name, and my grandmother apparently jokes, "Who's the one with the Alzheimer's here?", but there are times where she forgets she has it, forgets to eat or pay bills, etc. My sister and I are hoping to see her this weekend and spend some quality time with her, just the three of us. So that's where that is right now. Because my grandmother currently lives by herself, she's going to have to move to a retirement community soon. Luckily, my aunt lives within walking distance of her right now (my grandmother even lives across the street from my aunt and uncle's family business), so at least she's been able to go over there every day and help her out.

My second shout-out goes to the lovely Ms. Lindsay (have you SEEN the wedding pics she posted this weekend? Gorgeous!!!) for her recommendation to microwave cold cereal, now that it's quite chilly outside. I was bumming big-time about the idea of not being able to eat my favorite cereals for months, especially my Barbara's Multigrain Spoonfuls... a big bowl of that is my favorite way to start a weekend morning. And I'd never even HEARD of anyone microwaving cold cereal ever, and it certainly never occured to me to try it! So I gave it a shot on Saturday morning- I woke up and fixed my favorite cereal, multigrain shredded spoonfuls, with a sliced banana, lotsa cinnamon, and skim milk, and zapped it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Oh my God... it was SO good... warm and tasty and filling and comforting... I didn't get hungry for lunch until almost 5 hours later! That's crazy! So thank you, Lindsay, for saving my favorite weekend breakfast cereal... I was very depressed when I thought I wouldn't be eating my favorite cereal for months, but now I'm back in business!

I've been reading everyone's blogs and it looks like you all had great weekends! I had a good one myself. I took it easy, tried to relax and decompress (although I'm not sure I did a very good job of it), wrote in my journal, went to the gym and ran errands, etc. Since I still feel restless and unsettled from all the recent stress, I think I'm going to do yoga tomorrow. I haven't done yoga in about two weeks and I think it could help bring me some mental balance and rejuvenation. Can't hurt, you know?

Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention this. I went to Target yesterday and bought a space heater, and let me tell you, it might just be the best thing I've ever purchased. I got a pretty nice digital ceramic one for $40- it was supposed to be $50, but it was shelved in the wrong section, and they honored the incorrect price. Score. But more importantly, IT WORKS LIKE A DREAM. I was getting so cold in my room that I was sitting here, shivering, and I literally felt chilled to my bones, which was unnerving, since it's not even December yet. But no more with this space heater. I am so in love with this thing it's not even funny. I strongly recommend that anyone with a low tolerance for cold weather go out and buy one immediately- it's well worth the investment!!! And there were all different options for all different prices. But I'm happy with the one I got.

Oh, and in other exciting news... I FINALLY found the Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea you all have been taunting me with on your blogs. It FINALLY came in stock at my Wegmans today. I only bought one box because I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. I told myself if I sucked it up and braved the cold and went to the gym this afternoon, I'd treat myself to a cup when I came back. Definitely an incentive!!! So I tried it out when I got back, and it is absolutely delicious!!!! It was amazing, and tasted just like a sugar cookie- one of the best teas I think I've ever had. I'm very picky about teas. I'm definitely more of a vanilla chai or a black tea girl than a fruity/herbal tea girl. And white and green tea are growing on me, but more iced than warm. In any event, I have a tendency to buy a tea, like it for a few bags, and then be over it, and then I end up giving them away. Well, I'm not sharing this Sugar Cookie tea with anyone! (Maybe my roommate or my sister, if they ask really nicely) Not only are they limited edition, but they're on sale at Wegmans this week. This is a very dangerous combination for me. Trust me. I am buying at least three or four boxes on my next grocery trip and rationing them throughout the year, just like I am with the Clif Spooky Smores bars. I am a marketing exec's favorite kind of consumer- stamp "limited edition" on it and I will fall for it each and every time. LOL.

I did a yummy baked potato concoction for dinner tonight- grilled chicken, broccoli, and reduced-fat provolone on a sweet potato, with salsa:

I'm satisfied and full... but not too full for a little ice cream before bed later. I'm on a quest to get rid of the carton of ice cream I have in the freezer, so I can have more freezer space for more winter-appropriate foods and desserts. Now that I have this handy dandy little space heater warming me up, it'll be a lot easier to complete this task! :-)

All right, I'm going to try and relax and read in bed. I've been so preoccupied mentally that I haven't really been able to concentrate on reading, which is a shame because my book is really good, but I just can't mentally focus, you know? But maybe I'll unwind enough tonight to get in a few pages. ;-)

Goodnight all!