The Friday Five Faves - vol. 9 -

It's finally Friday? All week I've had the same thought when I heard the alarm go off. "Thank the good Lord it's Friday."

I've been saying that since Tuesday. That just makes the week all caddywhampus.

I thought I would post about the little joys of this week. Since apparently it's been Friday for 5 days.

1) Starbucks Breakfast Blend. In an effort to cut our spending, I'm making coffee at home. I've actually never done this. We have a fancy pot that has a brewing timer. I can set it for 10 minutes before I go out to the kitchen in the morning and I've got a fresh pot of coffee. I love modern wonders.

This blend is mild and smooth. I quite enjoy it with a little cream and sugar. While it ain't a grande, peppermint mocha, it does fill the void.

2. Tanning goggles. I started tanning in 1995. My sister was getting married and we decided to do some bonding. By becoming a bigger risk for skin cancer. Can you get any closer than that?

After high school I started to go 2-3 times a week in preparation for summer. I'm a pasty person, so it takes me a good 6 months to even look like I have a tan. This is why I was engaged for exactly 6 months! I have to start out at 4 minutes in the bed. For you non-tanners, most people can start at 10-12 minutes.

Once I became pregnant and heard about that skin condition you can get from the sun while your body is surging with pregnancy hormones, my tanning days were over.

Zoe found some of my goggles while we were unpacking. As she was on her changing table getting jammies on, she laid down, put them over her eyes and had that perfect tanning bed pose. I have no idea where she gets it from.

3. Husbands who aren't afraid of animals. Sunday night we experienced a visitor. I went to lock the back door and something jumped off the door. Because we're in new construction, it hasn't been uncommon to see a spider once and awhile. However this was huge in comparison. It was the size of a quarter. It wasn't a spider at all, but a frog. To say I'm not an animal person is an understatement. I especially don't like things that squeak, slither or jump. In my opinion, they're unpredictable. That is not something I can handle from the animal kingdom.

As N went to capture it, the little guy jumped into the couch. Yes into the couch. We had to tip it over and get a flashlight. Fortunately N saw him in the arm and was able to coax him onto his hand.

While I stood in another room. Freaking out.

4. Explanation of odor. Yesterday morning I went into the garage. Not only to take a picture of how much it's been emptied, but to also put something in our pantry. Once I opened the door I knew. The smell hit my throat and I could almost taste it. Skunk.

You have to understand, about a year ago our office experienced this smell for about a month. In the dead of summer. Apparently there was a dead skunk in the duct system. This smell affects me in the same way Jose Cuervo does.

I immediately started looking for the animal assuming, like the frog, that he snuck into the garage as the door was shutting. I found nothing. I was talking to N last night. He ran over an already dead skunk on the way home. It's not real skunk in our garage, but remnant skunk smell. I feel much better.

5. The Neely's BBQ ribs. We are having N's family over to celebrate D's and his mom's birthday. I decided we were going to BBQ up some chicken and ribs. I've never done ribs before, so I consulted my personal cooking mentor - Food Network. The channel has a show called Down Home with the Neely's. They own some BBQ establishments in Tennessee. In all the previews for their show, they're preparing ribs. I figured they were my best bet.

Worst case scenario, I'll buy some pre-prepared Longhorn BBQ ribs at Costco and pass them off as my own. I'm not proud, but I have this need to WOW anyone I cook for.

The Neely's came through for me! I found this recipe on the site. While I haven't cooked the ribs yet, I've made the rub and the BBQ sauce. Yes, I made homemade BBQ sauce. I was feeling ambitious. It's delish. I can't wait to slather it on some ribs and enjoy some down home cookin'.

Hope your Labor Day is full of good food, great company and no unpredictable visitors from the animal kingdom.