The "S" Squad Chronicles

Singleton's Buy Their First Casa!

WE DID IT!!!!  Todd and I bought our first house today!  As you read from our last post, we flew out to Houston, rented a car and headed to New Orleans, LA.  We hit up Slidell, LA first.  I had it in my head that Slidell was the place that we were going to live.  We searched for houses online before heading out to NOLA, and got to check them out on Friday.  Well, the pictures were better than the real thing.  There were some weak houses.  We did narrow it down to one, but the kitchen was horrible!!!  We decided we would have to gut it and redo it totally. So we decided to check out Mandeville, LA also on Sunday.  Once we got out there and checked out the area, I was really feeling it.  Mandeville had all the new stores and the over all feeling just felt nicer (if that makes any sense).  Todd and I both decided, we like Mandeville better than Slidell.  The overall vibe was just better.  We met with a different Realtor we've been in touch with and looked at about 8 or 9 houses.  We narrowed it down to 3.  One, needing lots of work, but it was in an awesome area called Greenleaves.  This subdivision has a trail and ponds and it's super close to all the new shopping plazas (more on that later).  The second, was in a nice subdivision as well, just a little further from the shopping, but it backs up to a busy road in the backyard that Todd hates.  He also didn't like the color of the brick and the small kitchen. The last was the furthest out, but it was new construction.  This one was the nicest but it also cost the most.  The subdivision seemed "sterile" compared to the other two subdivisions where there were tons of kids and families outside.  The new construction subdivision had no one outside.  We decided on the Greenleaves house but a few things were brought up during the property disclosures.  Things like "settling water in the backyard" and the idea of the seller not wanting to negotiate.  We decided to relook at the second house.  After a second look and some discussion on what we could do to hide the busy road, we decided to go for it.  It needed little work (the kitchen has granite counters, new tile floors, and kitchen cabinets.) so we wouldn't need to put tons of money in it and it was 15k less than the new construction house.  Plus it was closer to the shopping.  We put an offer in on Monday.  The sellers countered on Tuesday.  We came back yet again and they accepted! We finished up the paperwork today via fax and are heading back to Hawaii tomorrow.  Ahhh.... what a busy week!  We plan on painting and changing the ugly green tiles in the front of the entry way.  We also have some other plans for little things like changing the ceiling fans, door knobs, adding some glass tiles to the backsplash of the kitchen, etc.  But all in all, I think I'm alright.  NONE of the houses were as great as I wanted and I was quite disappointed at what I had to choose from, but I guess I had to make the best of it.  We did buy the house from a Navy officer who is rotating out as well, so I'm sure he kept up on the house pretty well.  I can't wait to start working on it!  Check out more pics here. 

Bro Trip 2010

Jerry, my brother, finally brought his butt out to visit me!  We started off slow.  He flew in on Friday and we had to take Little Todd to lacrosse practice and attend a mandatory parents meeting.  We dropped Todd off and headed out to Waikiki to eat.  Jerry wanted to eat at some place called Coco Curry House….yeah…whatever.  I never heard of it.  He swears up and down that it exists.  So we look it up on his IPhone.  It gives us some directions within walking distance.  We walk down to the location with no success.  Hmmmm….we call the number the IPhone provided.  Nope.  Some guy answers.  By now we are starving and there is no stupid Coco Curry House around!!!!  Some guy is standing outside of Big Kahunas is yelling “break away from the chains!”  So we decided to try it.  Yeah, it was just like a chain just with different names.  It was LAME!  Booooo!  So we head back, attend the meeting and head home.  The next day we planned on hitting up the Swap Meet.

Saturday:  I awake with the sirens of a tsunami blaring.  Todd asks me “What’s that noise?” I say “It’s a hurricane warning.”  I forgot Hawaii doesn’t have hurricanes!  Well, come to find out, Hawaii is supposed to be hit with a tsunami because of the earthquake in Chile.  UHGGGG.  Now our whole day is shot.  The whole island shuts down.  No cars allowed on the road.  We sit in front of the tv all day and watch stupid water “surges” on Hilo.  WEAK.  It was so pathetic!  Not that I am complaining but what a waste of a day!!!  After they realize that the tsunami is actually the “Boo”name, Jerry and I head out to Hickam AFB to check out the old stomping grounds.  Other than that, that was our boring day.

Sunday:  We finally hit up the Swap Meet and it’s raining!  Boooooo again!  It was off and on so we pushed through it anyways.  We got all our touristy gifts and headed out to Bellows AFB.  I was thinking the weather was going to be horrible because usually if it’s crappy on my side of the island it’s way crappier on the Bellows side.  We got there and it wasn’t too bad but it was so windy and kinda chilly for Hawaii.  We took some pics and headed out.  We toured that side of the island and stopped at the touristy spots, ending up back at Waikiki where we checked out a supposed local favorite, The Rainbow Drive In.  It was just as weak as the “Boo”nami.  Typical plate lunches.  Boring.  Then we moved on to Leonard’s Malasadas.  Heaven!!!  For those of you, who don’t know the greatness of malasadas, let me explain:  Yummy, fresh fried dough that’s sugar coated.  Sometimes I get it with custard.  Oh my goodness they are so awesome!  After we pigged out we headed back to the homestead.

Monday:  Today we decided to check out the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean.  The ship is here in Hawaii because they are starting to film the 4^th installment of the Pirates series in May.  The ship is actually in dry dock, but it still looks awesome!  Then we went to the North Shore (again it’s cold and rainy and windy, off and on).  We hit up Turtle Beach and this time there was turtles!  Remember the last time we went here with Jessica and my Mom and there was nothing.  Just some in water, but none on the beach.  That was pretty cool too. 

Tuesday: Todd had lacrosse practice again so we just hung out and ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise.  It was a pretty chill day.  Weather was still windy and sucky though.

Wednesday:  The last day.  This day all of us (Jerry, Todd and I) are heading out to Houston.  Jerry will continue on to Arizona and us off to NOLA (New Orleans)!  So we decide this is our last day to enjoy the  beach and darn it we will!  We headed out to Waikiki and lounged all day.  We got all super tan and ate snow cones from Happy’s.  Oh and we indulged once again in Leonard’s…mmmmmm.  So good.  That night we packed our stuff and was outta there!  To check out our pictures from the Bro Trip 2010, click here.  Sorry that you had to deal with the “Boo”nami and sucky weather, Jerry, but it was fun and I missed you!!!

Small Calorie Breakfast, Big Taste!

You may have noticed that I've added a new link to the S Squad Comrades section, the My Fitness Pal link.  I have been using this site for about a year now to help log my calories consumed and the exercise I've done.  I love how easy it is to find and log any type of food I eat and if it's not in the database, I just add to it!  Try it out, you'll love it!  One of the many topics of discussion on the forums there are what is good to eat that's ow calorie for breakfast.  I thought I'd share one of the many breakfasts that I eat regularly.  It's quick and easy to make, plus it's full of vitamins, nutrients, and taste!  The following information was found on various websites:

HealthMad.com
Vegetarian Nutrition
The World's Healthiest Foods

Asparagus ~

• It is high in vitamin K and Folate
• Eat asparagus when you are pregnant or thinking about conceiving – because of it being high in folic acid it helps prevent birth defects such as spina bifida
• Great for your heart
• Helps w*Helps menstrual cramps with fertility problems         
• Great for your gastrointestinal tract and your colon
• Helps menstrual cramps
• Great food to help treat depression
• Has been known to increase the success rate of chemo therapy
• Is considered a diuretic which means it is a good anti-inflammatory – best for arthritis, asthma rheumatism, and even water retention…PMS
• Help get rid of warts
• Helps detoxify your body
• Add more asparagus to your diet to lover cholesterol
• Great for nursing mothers stimulating milk production
• Has antioxidant agents – prevents the effects of aging
• Has antifungal and antiviral qualities
• Great for your kidneys – cleansing your body by stimulating urination and preventing kidney stones
• Helps prevent bladder and urinary tract infections
• Use to be used as an a aphrodisiac – increase sexual and comforting feelings
• Helps with treating HIV
• Helps prevent multiple sclerosis
• Helps prevent scurvy
• Asparagus has anti-cancer agents – especially lung cancer
• Helps fight chronic fatigue syndrome
• Helps fight off high blood pressure
• If you bruise easily – eat more asparagus
• Is considered a laxative – eat an asparagus if you have diarrhea and constipation
• Great for your capillaries – eat more asparagus to avoid varicose veins
• Great for your eyes preventing cataracts
• If you are experiencing hair loss- eat more asparagus
• Helps treat toothaches

Eggs ~

    Eggs contain lecithin, which in our body is converted into choline, and he in turn participates in the brain and is essential for good memory. In addition, eggs – very satisfying and simultaneously low-calorie food (in one chicken egg, only about 70-80 cal).  You can even get omega 3 engineered eggs!  Chickens are fed flaxseed, marine algae, and fish oil, with the intent to increase the egg content of omega 3 fatty acids.

Papaya ~

• Promotes digestive health
• Anti inflammatory effects
• Immune support
• Protection against Macular Degeneration: Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily. In this study, which involved over 110,000 women and men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARMD, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss.
• Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Promote lung health
• Papaya and Green tea team up to prevent Prostate Cancer: Choosing to regularly eat lycopene-rich fruits, such as papaya, and drink green tea may greatly reduce a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, suggests research published the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Jian L, Lee AH, et al.)

Chives ~

Population studies have shown that a higher intake of allium vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of several types of cancers. The organosulfur compounds they contain inhibit tumor growth and cell proliferation, and arrest the cell cycle in tumor cells. Allium vegetables, including chives, especially have a protective effect against both esophageal and stomach cancer as well as prostate cancer. The highest antioxidant activity in chives is observed in the leaves, which are also rich in flavonoids. 

Now that you know how healthy it is, here's the make up and nutritional information on my yummy breakfast:

1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 Laughing Cow light Swiss Cheese wedge
1 tbsp. fresh chives
6 spears of Asparagus
sea salt
pepper

Scramble egg and egg whites with Laughing cow mixed in.  Blanch asparagus for 2 minutes in boiling water, quickly removing them and dunking into ice water.  Add salt and pepper and DONE!  For papaya, just cut in half and scoop seeds out with a spoon.  ENJOY!

Calories: 266
Carbs: 26
Fat: 9
Protein: 26
Sodium: 763
Sugar: 14