blah blah updates

Alright, so I haven't updated in ages here, so I better sum up October...

#17 Another surprise house cleaning! In this case, I knew John's mom was coming into town and I thought it'd be nice particularly so she wouldn't feel like doing it herself!! ;)

#30 Milwaukee restaurant number nine is mi•key's...we were all going to do Cubanita's for Monica's pre-bachelorette dinner Friday night, but the wait was an hour and a half! So mi•key's it was and what a pleasant surprise! They never look like they're all that busy and I kinda wonder why because the food is actually way above par. I saw they had Mushroom Risotto as a side, so I just ordered that plus the House Salad which totally blew me away! A HUGE helping of greens plus craisins, Fontina cheese and a cran-rasp vinaigrette for your basic $4.50 House? Yes please! The rest of the group split a bunch of starters which I sampled as well: fancy Sliders (the one I tried was veal...mmm), to-die-for Steak Quesadillas, and Sausage/Mozz/GOUDA pizza that couldn't have been more perfect. I can't wait to go back to try one of their entrees...well, when I have an extra $30 lying around :\

#35 A couple symphony outings are in the works: in addition to the MSO Does Zeppelin in two weeks, my sis, mom and I are going to MSO does Hitchcock on Halloween next week. Good stuff!

#45 Recipes aplenty! Although I'm kinda going to combine a couple of "half" recipes together...it's like I make new stuff but it's my own recipe, so I'll only semi-count them...bah.

1/2 - Blackbean Soup: mashed up some blackbeans, sauteed some onions and garlic, simmered up some chicken broth, and whipped up a roux...it was quite delicious!

1/2 - Steak with Sauteed Baby Bella Mushrooms in Wine: I'm half-counting this because I've never pan fried steaks before and they turned out nearly PERFECT. One could say the cow was still mooing, but they're unbelievably tasty that way ;)

2 - Porkchops and Homemade Apricot (#50) Barbecue Sauce: my pride recipe of the month of October! It took me about three hours to make the BBQ sauce (well two of those hours was simmering)...but it turned out fingerlickin fab!! And I was just so amazed that the chunkiness of apricots and tomatoes actually turned into sauce without the use of any kind of ketchup or anything! I'm such a nerd. Also I've never baked porkchops before and they turned out really nice too! Of course anything tastes great with BBQ sauce!

3 - Drunken Apples: I coupled the chops with your basic sauteed apples in a thick brown sugar sauce...simply scrumptious

4 - Barbecue Chicken Casserole: I used the remaining sauce (wish I had had more though!) and combined it with pulled rotisserie chicken, corn, and sauteed onions and red peppers...spread that mixture into a baking dish and topped it with corn bread mix. Bake for about 20-25 minutes and you've got yourself a delicious sweet and savory casserole!

#69 - Two punctured and bruised arms later, I failed miserably at donating blood Oct 10th...we reconvened on Oct 16 and it was literally a race against time: I almost failed once again, but they got all the blood they needed under 15 minutes with literally only three seconds to spare or something ridiculous. I donate again on Dec 12 which means two donations in fall...now that week I also have off on Monday to Christmas shop, and have my lady doc appt on Thursday. That means I'm driving to the burbs three times in one week? Not so much. So I think I'm going to postpone my next donation to post Christmas (and post first day of winter), like the 27th. We have that entire week off of work, so that'll be nice. Man why am I thinking in words right now? I DIGRESS!

#87 - Technically I didn't do this, but I'm going to cheat slightly and describe how post the unbelievably ridiculous wonder that was the Aussie Floyd concert on Wednesday, I looked up contemporary bands that have the Floyd (or Floydian?) sound: aside from the obvious Radiohead/Muse/Flaming Lips type progressive rock bands, I checked out The Mars Volta, Porcupine Tree, and Comets on Fire...but the progrock band that definitely fit the bill the best is RPWL. I like the "vast landscapes of sound" they've got going on. So they'll be my Pick 'o the Month!

***

That's what I got! In the month to come, you will see me eating pasta again in one of the eight, count 'em EIGHT, recipes I have to create to make up for the summer. But I will be giving up the obsession that is Eating Out (#51). Sort of. I know it won't be completely impossible, but if I do HAVE to eat out, I can only get a baked fish or HEALTHY salad (none of that Bee's crap right?!). Dressing must be on the side and I have to use it sparingly!! Anyway, this will force me to make all eight recipes and really go above and beyond there. I mean hey, Fall is theeeee most perfect time to cook! Eating out is one of my big vices, so this will be a tough one... But speaking of, my atypical veggie for November will appropriately be pumpkin! And I'm actually going to buy a pie pumpkin and make the puree myself! Could be quite an endeavor!

Also, as of November 18th, I will finish up my duties as Maid of Honor (#101)...what a ride! But there's no feeling like being the Ultimate Friend to someone. I absolutely love it!! Being indispensable and truly making their experience that much better! Lovely :)

And finally....Holiday duties: I purchased almost all the supplies for Christmas cards (#77). I'm going to try and work the "20 Soundtracks" task into Christmas somehow (#79). But I'm not sure if THIS will be Bell Ringer year (#71)? I might already have too much going on...we'll see!

Ok I gotta stop writing...this post has gotten completely out of control. Until November!

looking in the liquor cabinet...

I think I once referred to that blessed recipe to whip up when life hands you lemons? Well, life hit me with a sack full of pennies, is there an alcoholic solution to that?

No no, I'm too dramatic. It's just that I can't even count how many times being nice to people backfires so easily. I recall a time when I put together a bunch of little baskets of treats/homemade ornaments for Christmas and passed them out to my fellow Roundys employees anonymously. I think there were 35 of them or so? In any case, that morning I felt so good and Christmassy about it. Well a few minutes later, strange comments went around our room...people saying they were "weirded out" by the gift and such. It was heartbreaking. I don't think I even ever admitted I was the one who created the gifts except to a few select friends who asked why I was so sad that day.

Well, something very similar happened today in regards to my 'going all out' for Monica's bachelorette party. I won't go into the idiotic details, but it hurt my feelings like nobody's business. And maybe this particular person's feelings were hurt as well...but they decided to spread the love and make sure I knew it. Whether or not this person's qualms are valid doesn't matter...it's just the way it was handled and the nonacceptance of the fact that I really tried hard with this party (..."and this is the thanks I get" comes to mind).

In any case, when this happens it's easy to lose sight of one's purpose regarding altruism and general unabashed kindness. Honestly we really aren't supposed to expect good in return...it should be kindness for the sake of kindness, MAYBE hoping that at the very least it will be contagious. We are human, however, and it's hard not to be hurt when a bad apple spoils the bunch. In this case, 99 percent of the ladies who attended this soiree were incredibly helpful, sweet, and most importantly, appreciative. So why let the one who wasn't spoil it for me? I can lift up my head, rise above it, and move right along with my mantra that kindness is always the best answer. (And when you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?? Or rather cut what you are saying short and stop before your hands get any dirtier! haha!)

And like clockwork, just now I got the sweetest email from one of the moms who attended the event... "Monica is sure lucky to have you by her side" pretty much makes everything all sunny and fuzzy bunnies again :)

Let's get serious

First up, I made it through September tasks. I have yet to wrap my lips (uh?) around a fancy coffee drink, but soon, soon. This month I gave up pasta which I know will be hard now that it's all cozy fall everywhere. Or wait, is it? Near 80 in October? Not a fan. My atypical food of the month is apricots...not all that atypical right?...well they are when you make a barbecue sauce with them!! Thanks Emeril?

I made a few last minute recipes last week: a chili chicken and pesto pasta dish that worked out alright, jicama slaw that was to die for, and a creamy chicken and rice bake with baby bella mushrooms and artichoke hearts...now THIS was good!!! I even f'ed up the roux and it turned out fab!

This past Monday night I installed Creative Suite 2 and Studio 8 with MUCH success!!! I now have Illustrator, Photoshop, Go Live, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, etc etc etc at my PERSONAL disposal! Now all I need is a project? HA! Never thought I'd say that! I'm actually almost finished with my secret TBA creative project...just a few tiny details, and then I'm set!

In any case, moving on from the updates...I'm trying to determine if I take life too seriously. I mean I know fun and good times, but I can be pretty judgmental about which "good times" are and are not a waste of life. Ouch! What does THAT mean? What is a waste and what isn't? My other question is: Is there a point to living if you're just going to go about it all careless and haphazard? I don't want to ask people to live the same way I do...what kind of boring world would THAT be?! It's just hard to let go of my stubborn principles sometimes.

Then again...what's with all the shrinks and self help books and advice columnists? Surely people need others to tell them what they are doing wrong. I don't have a degree in psych...is that why I shouldn't? And you know what? No one even listens to advice anyhow! I think everyone secretly hopes the adviser feels the same way they do in order to get that reassurance. Then there is the role of the adviser: an addicting, yet simultaneously frustrating position. Telling people what to do and not do is like crack. With the sobering withdrawal symptoms echoing the frustration that is said person ignoring everything you advised. Yet the same people who sober you up, DEAL the drug, so how are you supposed to break the cycle?? It can be infuriating. I suppose if you're honest, and more importantly, vocal about your frustration, they'll stop coming to you altogether!

Am I referencing myself in all of this? Well, I think I'm speaking for anyone who has ever been on this side of the fence. I've also NEEDED plenty of advice in my day. But I've tried desperately not to ignore it either, as I know the frustration involved. My John issues several months ago required more advice than I've ever received in my life! Self help books included! And I want to say I handled it ok? Perhaps at times I felt a bit sloppy, but then I'd catch my balance and try to look at things objectively. And it seems to have worked out for the best in the end! I did NOT get stuck in a dead-end relationship like so many of the couples in the help books. Then again, I think I also swallowed the bitter pill of responsibility in venturing down a road I knew had the CHANCE of going nowhere. If things hadn't worked out, I knew my friends and family would be there for me, but I also knew that THIS time around I wouldn't be blindsided. I knew what I was getting myself into and had to be prepared for the consequences. Did I luck out? Or did my passion for personal responsibility, and taking life so seriously, work to my advantage?

Life is serious business. Whether or not you believe in an afterlife or not, the seriousness is still very important. Either we get one life, and we have to make the most of it. OR we must intensely prepare for whatever is next for us: a heaven, a next level supported by our karma, whatever! Either way I take pride in trying to build something here that's important. It doesn't matter if it's important to anyone else either. However, I can't help but take offense to those who don't hold a similar point of view. You know, that feeling like you want to shake someone by the shoulders a bit? But his or her life isn't mine. I'm here to walk along side everyone, not lead the way. I'm obviously not a messiah, nor should I act like one. The best I can do is be an example I suppose. Examples aren't the rules; they are merely illustrations providing a possibility.

So I shall continue to work on all that stuff up there. I'm trying to be honest with myself. I mean whenever you point your finger, you've got three pointing back at you, right? Like I said, I know how to have fun. I know that life is full of mistakes and that they are our teachers. With that said, I also know how precious life is and how fast it can get taken away. Perhaps someone's gravely ill family member and my deceased father's 'would-be' 52nd birthday today got me on the existential thinking track this morning, I don't know. I'm not wallowing...just thinky.

Anyway, this weekend I've got some mad fun to be had in Chicago...I leave Thinky Katie at home and let loose a tad.

wishing I had several brains and more time

Currently I'm dealing with an explosion of creativity and no time (and money??) to work with it! It's like the opposite of writer's block. Which is fun and exciting, but definitely frustrating when you can't do anything about it. Kinda like artistic sexual tension....wha??? Anyway, I'm too busy with the bachelorette party to really work on my own projects. But once Christmas arrives, not only will I have tons more time (the dead of winter is perfect for craft projects!) and more money via JoAnn gift card(s!) and such. Excellent. Meanwhile I fear that because I have this craving to go nuts with creativity, I'm going to get all crazy with the bachelorette party creative crafty shenanigans. And 'getting all crazy' is just another word for spending all my moneys. STOP ME OH-HO-HO STOP ME!!!!

The other day I suggested to a couple coworkers who are on the Culture Committee that our company should do some sort of art/craft fair. Even to raise money for charity or something. So my brain's been in that mode this past week and I've thought of so many cool ideas. Even if we don't have a fair, I do have to gather up a selection of items in case I were to be in one anyway (#14).

In the meantime I'll try and be as conservative as I possibly can for this batch party. And keeping writing down all my little ideas. PS My fave ideas always come to me when I'm falling asleep. It reminds me of college days :) There's nothing like creative brainstorming to lift the spirits, I think!

It's bloggin time

...while our servers are down. As if Monday's aren't hard enough...now we're just sitting around waiting to work. Ugh, that's the worst.

You know what else is the worst? Wasting talent. Today's topic of conversation is how I'm living in this naive world with my fingers in my ears going lalalalalalalalala in regards to the fact that I am undoubtedly wasting my talents at my current place of employment. And who isn't? We've got a lot of talented people here and all we do is type addresses and phone numbers into white and black boxes full of mundane text. The worst part is that we do this in Adobe Illustrator of all programs. Suddenly the irony is suffocating.

And why are my fingers in my ears in this scenario? Because every once in a while, I'll hear about former colleagues of mine who are doing MUCH bigger and better things. The worst part is that I was the first to get out of the hellhole that was my prior job. I thought I was the cats pj's because I was moving on to the agency world while they were stuck in a world of grocery circulars that everyone throws away. Well, now they've all moved on too and I'M the one who's stuck in the receptacle.

So with all this said, I'm going to play devil's advocate a tad. First of all, I don't ONLY type addresses and phone numbers into white and black boxes full of mundane text. I've had several creative opportunities here of which I've taken advantage in their fullest capacity. I wish there were MORE opportunities, but at least there have been a few. Secondly, my mom is my hero. Like me, she works for a fantastic company that treats its employees very well. I too have tons of perks, benefits, and stability here. With that said, however, like me, it isn't as if my mom gets to express her most wondrous talents at work. No, let me restate that...she expresses her wondrous managerial and organizational talents at work ;) but the creative opportunities are few and far between. So how has she solved this problem? By becoming a published author in her spare time! While authors all over the world are struggling to get noticed and simultaneously trying to earn a living by doing so, my mom writes and publishes her own novels (AND does most of her own PR/marketing!) MEANWHILE earning her regular paycheck! My mom is someone to which I aspire.

Now I know there are the rare people out there who do both: creative, fulfilling career WITH creative, fulfilling hobby/moneymaker on the side. What? Yeah I don't know. It seems impossible, but I'm sure these people exist. But I don't think I'm one of those people. I mean just sanity-wise. With all that creativity 24/7, my brain would most assuredly melt into my spinal cord. And at this point in life, I don't see myself getting, or even WANTING, the crazy 60-70 hour agency art director position. Therefore, it only makes sense to put all of my creative energy into a spare time freelance hobby of some kind. And, like my mom, the added bonus would be making a tad of extra money :)

So while my peers and colleagues move along the advertising and graphic design career path, I'm going to keep my fingers in my ears, lalala-ing MY way down a path where I watch my humble paycheck automatically deposit into my checking account, and yet I am satisfied with the logos, business cards, brochures, greeting cards, and invitations I design for friends and family. Besides, the world needs lowly production artists just like cities need garbagemen right?



[ed. note: Halfway through this blog, my mom emailed me to let me know my beloved CS2 from eBay arrived. SAVE ME HOME COMPUTER COMPLETE WITH GRAPHICS SOFTWARE! SAVE ME!]

it's really happening....

Yesterday I tried looking up the link my mom sent to a company that sells Adobe CS2 and I was saddened to see that the software was no longer available. So I quick hop on over to eBay, and sure enough, some fabulous fellow is selling it for $300 cheaper. HOLY HOTDOGS BUY IT NOW! That's what my brain AND mother exclaimed anyway. And so I did. Oh man. It better install. It better work. I better not lose $1100? But the joy and wonder to finally have it...I can just imagine :)

In other news, we all know how often I use quotes right? I even sheepishly mentioned it in a past blog. Well, speaking of talking about quotes in a blog, check this out: everyone hates quotes. Siiiggggh. It's like the word random. Did I go off on that once too? I don't remember. But ya know? Sometimes people have ticks. Why not talk about how bad it is that people shoot other people in the face instead? Because it isn't funny. And the chick's site is pretty hilarious actually. People are pretty dumb sometimes. But who cares? I'm going to continue to use the word random superfluously, say awesome constantly, and use QUOTES, as well as Quotes' dirty annoying cousin Air Quotes, as much as I damn well please! Until next time............. "

major project completed!!!

Omgomgomg the invitations I made for Monica's bachelorette party are in the mail!!! Let's see, I started this project July 28? It's funny because I created the design in a couple hours. Seriously. But all the planning in order to write out all the details inside the thing, and then all the paper buying (and more paper buying), and then the printing (and more printing, and more printing), it's crazy how much time I put in. But total, the project wasn't even that expensive! I'm impressed and proud! Especially once they were all coming together...totally stoked. Hopefully everyone likes them...especially the bride-to-be! ;)

I've still got a lot to do bachelorette planning wise, however. I mean the core plans are made, but all the little details have yet to be worked out. It should be fun planning though :)

weeee!

when life takes a turn toward the meh

Ugh, what a day yesterday...not fun at all. I don't like arguing and yelling, but I don't like not being able to stand up for my principles either. At the end of the day, however, not everyone is going to be a grownup and follow the rules. And I have to learn to accept that. I'm not sporting my rose tinted shades by any means, but with so much crap going on in the world that is beyond our control, I feel that much stronger about injustices that we CAN control. But that's what happens sometimes and hopefully things will carry on for the better the rest of the week. N-N-Now th-th-that don't kill me can only make me stronger??

On a more productive positive note, here are some updates!

#17 - I was proud of John for his hard work lately and so surprised him with some eggrolls and homemade Orange/Kung Pao Chicken. Yum!

#28 - John and I took Grace to the zoo a couple weekends ago so fun!! We did indeed pet some sharks (rough skin) and sting rays (soft skin!)...and collected five Mold•A•Ramas. Gotta love the zoo! It was probably the most perfect day too...clear blue skies, about 70 degrees...gorge. I love the zoo!

#30 - One more new restaurant to add to the bunch: Cafe Lulu! Now what a fantastic place THIS is...the decor is all funky and hipster (as is the clientèle!) and the food is absolutely delicious at the most perfect price. Ok "free" would be a perfect price, but a huge avocado/bacon/cheddar melt and ginormous helping of the best Asian slaw I've ever had for $7.50? You can't go wrong. Plus downtown you'll get a Jack and Coke and fancy drink for $6 and $9 respectively. At Cafe Lulu (in Bayview just outside downtown) you'll get a Jack and Coke and, in my case, an Oranjito (don't get me started) for $4.50 and $7 respectively. Amazing!!! Haha! We also got a side order of "Bleu Lulu" chips: those really thick, good quality, homemade chips with blue cheese dip! Mmmmmmm. Now I just need to go to their breakfast: toasted sourdough bread topped with boursin, garlicky spinach, roma'matoes, two poached eggs and hollandaise??? You gotta be kidding me.

#87 - New-to-me band/artist of THIS month is Mark Ronson: kickass producer/dj/musician of the year. Obsessed. So much talent.

The only other thing I've got in the works right now is the bachelorette party. I cannot WAIT to be done planning!!! Not that it's a pain in the ass or anything, but just a lot of little things to keep tabs on, cancellations, making sure everything is fair, splitting up costs, etc. Not to mention the invites which are almost finished thank the powers that be!!!

To conclude, when life hands you lemons, make a vodka tonic...with lemon...but when life hands you lemons and you're at work and can't find the key to the booze drawer, listen to some good music....

Quarter of the way there...

At the end of this month I will have officially closed in on the quarter marker of 1001 days. Do I have a quarter of my tasks completed?? Let's do a quick recap for those playing at home:

•Tasks officially crossed off: 17
•Tasks in progress, but will be completed in the near future: 4
•Tasks continuously in progress until the end of the 1001 days: 21
Total tasks completed/in progress: 42!
And we all know that 42/101 is almost half, so I think I'm making some good progress here. But that might be because most of the remaining items are all complex and difficult or require dropping a chunk of change.

There are a small handful of tasks I may have to adjust due to time restraints or financial status (here's lookin' at you trips to Vegas and NYC)...but for the most part everything else seems do-able. Once Monica's wedding is over, I'll be able to focus back on my own creative projects; bust out my pinking shears at least a couple times this coming winter. A Jo-Ann gift card is certainly in order this Christmas as that will alleviate the financial burden of creating a scrapbook so intricate and involved as the INKYTNMO book will be!

In other news, the monitor for my prize mac has been purchased, the site from where I will buy the memory has been marked, and I think, with my mom's help, I have located a place to buy Adobe CS2. What a pain in the ass that was. Adobe swallowed up all the remaining CS2s to pave the way for CS3 (which we're actually getting at work in the next couple weeks!). But I don't want to pay $1800 for a creative suite. I want to pay the original $120o price. Well the one my mom found is $1400, BUT comes with Flash which would be pretty awesome to have since I already know the basics of the program. Now it's simply a matter of taking that money out of my savings :( Why suddenly is it so hard??? Well, obviously I have a huge problem with parting with huge sums of money: a character trait that has haunted me since my poor college days and even poorer post-college days. But also, right now I just don't have enough Quality Time to spend with my dear Adobe and Apple products (See: Monica's Wedding). So buying it now feels like a waste. HOWEVER my opportunity to purchase CS2 is quickly waning and who cares if I don't use it right this very second? Right? Right? Right.

In still other updates, I made it through the entire month of August without sipping any alcohol other than Miller Lite (oh and the occasional sip of church wine...blood of Christ, come on). The funny thing is that I had three Miller Lites the night of August 31st...something I've done many a time...and for whatever reason, paid dearly the following morning. Undoubtedly because of the 6.5 hrs sleep I got, but I almost like to think it was Miller Lite bidding me a not-so-fond farewell. Well F you too ML! Anyway, what was my first alcoholic beverage of choice on Sept 1st? Point Beer. Ouch. Haha! But that's all they had at this drive in party I attended. Come Sept 2, my SECOND alcoholic beverage of choice? Some random sparkly berry wine cooler that was chilling out in John's sister's fridge. I never even drink wine coolers! But my THIRD alcoholic beverage of choice: A sweet, refreshing, ice-clamoring glass of Jack and Coke. Ahhhhhhhh. My first in over two months! Yum. In any case, this months "give up" is fancy coffee drinks (a la Starbucks)...much easier than August, and it'll also get me revved up for delicious pumpkin spice lattes at Barnes & Noble come October. I do so love to deprive myself of things in order to truly appreciate them. And I'm a masochist, what can I say?

whaaaa???

I DID change things up around here! With late summer/early fall, I thought some nice warm colors would do the trick. Plus I needed something to go with my new header? In any case, hope ya likes. Meanwhile I should be working on the back of my mom's bookcover right now instead of putzing around on blogger, am I right? Yiko's!!

Nothing all that new to update, but I'm in a MUCH better mood and excited about life because I HEART THE GRADIENT MESH TOOL!!! One of the artists here at work sent us a bunch of graphic design related links, one of which contained a link to various gradient mesh MASTERS! Oh man these people are crazy. Here's an example:



um, what? This is an ILLUSTRATION people. Not a photo...not even photoshop'ed. I know it's hard to understand the significance of this without actually working in Adobe Illustrator, but trust me, it's intense. For more of Yukio Miyamoto's work, please visit his site!

Anyway, I was so inspired (in addition to the fact that I've always wanted to be SO much better at shading in Illustrator), that I found a tutorial on how to do a pepper. The artist provides you with the pepper photo that you use as a base for the colors, as well as the step by step process to create the realistic looking pepper just in Illustrator. Well, HERE is my very first attempt at the gradient mesh tool!





SO! I mean it's no Yukio by any means, but I was pretty proud! Yay pepper!!!

And speaking of peppers, the other night I made my last recipe of the month, Orange Kung Pao Chicken! I followed Z's recipe and then added orange juice and zest to the sauce. SO GRAND! I loved it! Plus I satisfied my atypical produce item by adding some sugah snap peas. Yum!

Sooooooo this weekend will consist of more maid of honor duties, more Miller Lite, and possibly Coldstone Creamery???? ahhhh I can't resist!!!!!!!

karma?

Alright so #100 on The List totally exploded into my life. Last week we had a raffle for the old Macs and PCs here at the office. I put my name in for a Mac OOOOOOF COURSE...and in my mind I begged and pleaded that I would be so lucky to be one of the few chosen. That afternoon, I heard a rumbling amongst my fellow coworkers and my name was mentioned. Sure enough, I checked my email and there was my name under "Macs": one of six! I think my heart jumped out of my throat and slapped me across the face by the time I realized that I had actually won?? In any case, it isn't a laptop, but it's a start! It cuts out half of what I would've spent on the whole thing!! Now I just need a monitor (flatscreen: ~$200), some memory, and the Creative Suite. Turns out Creative Suite 3 just came out, so would that make CS2 cheaper?? Not yet really :\ It's still ~$1200. But maybe I'll luck out somehow. And speaking of luck...for the most part, I chalk this up to luck...but isn't it strange considering my last post here? About all the volunteering and good deeds?? I'm not saying every good deed should go rewarded, but it is quite a coincidence that this happened the same week! In any case, I'm stoked. Now I won't have to come into work on the weekends or stay late any more to do freelance/design projects for my peeps!

Speaking of, I finished my mom's book this weekend!!! I gotta add it to my book list (#95). So so so fabulous and I can't wait to REread it after it's published on paperback. And I'm totally buying copies for a ton of my friends! Currently I'm designing the cover...I really like it so far, so hopefully my moms will too ;)

Can I just tell you how hard it is to do the 26Things photo project? Not only is it so sporadic (they only have one 'hunt' every three months or so), but you only have a month to do it. Now that seems like a lot of time, but when you're trying to be creative with 26 objects, places, and concepts, man almighty! In any case, I think I'm going to have to accept the fact that 26Things will either have to wait until next year (if it still exists), or get replaced. Sigh.

#45 - One more recipe to add to the repertoire! Creamy chicken and rice soup! It was my first home made (ok semi home made) soup ever and I'm really proud with how it turned out!! Especially today when it had a chance to sit overnight. I sautéed garlic/onions/mushrooms/carrots and added them to 4 cups hot broth and a few cups of shredded chicken [from those rotisseries you get in the deli]. I also added a pkg of Rice A Roni wild rice (which I had to simmer by itself for 15 minutes because it wasn't the quick cooking kind). For the roux, I took a suggestion from a recipe online and added the little 'flavor packet' from the Rice A Roni to the 2 TBs of butter and whisked that around...THEN added the 1/4 c flour, and then a cup of half/half. It's a little tricky because there are a lot of clumps, but you just keep stirring at it...when it's all combined, I added that to the broth and stirred it all up...simmered for another 10-15 minutes. Voila as they say! Later this week, I'll use more of the rotisserie chicken to make some Kung Pao chicken a la Z (with some orange zest added...we'll see how that turns out?)

#68 has been outrageous to figure out. So I go out to eat Sunday night at this diner...I have almost a whole cheeseburger (had to have been almost a half lb), half of my BATTERED fries, almost all of a crock of creamy soup loaded with fat I'm sure, and a small cup of coleslaw...ALSO fatty I don't doubt. How can't I NOT count that as a guilty pleasure meal??! Plus the fact that I haven't done pilates in over two weeks? Done! Consider it counted!!

Alright, well to conclude, I'm freaking snarky lately. I'm not even going to get into it, but it's like certain people in my life are redonkulous right now. People say things and the complete immaturity of it will seriously make me want to throw up. I feel like I'm fifty and surrounded by a bunch of fucking teenagers. And yet I'm 27. GROW UP PEOPLE. Ugh...so annoying. Anyway, hopefully the feeling will pass. Haha! I like this post...it's like one second I'm volunteering for good causes and Martha Stewart making a soup, and then the next second I'm psychotic and wanting to throw bottles of diseases at people? Ahhhhh me.

volunteer this

It's been volunteering central in these parts. Today I actually finished my 'pledge' of volunteering at Open Door Cafe (#78) four times...and I must have 'earned my stripes' because I actually got to serve food! wow!! ;) Actually, so much calmer back there...and you get a chance to actually stop and smile and say hello to people as opposed to running around with your head cut off making sure everyone gets something to drink in a non-orderly fashion. And today was extra crazy. People really want their damn milk. Ok, so then this weekend I had my first "Cup Duty" as a Eucharistic Minister!!! Oh man I was CRAZY nervous. Well, actually at first I wasn't. I had all this time knowing that the day was coming because I got my schedule like three weeks ago, and I was 'chosen' as a E.M. about two months ago. So I was plenty prepared for the event. Only maybe five minutes before the Agnus Dei, my stomach went all flippyflop! I just seriously thought I was going to either drop the cup (as it was all kindsa condensating), or say "Body of Christ" instead of "Blood"???? Haha! Too funny! But then I got up there and it was just amazing. It's always really nice to be able to do something very 'community-centric' I guess. Or at least that's what I'm learning. Lately the volunteering has been less about the 'feel good' quality and more connecting to the community...if that makes sense? Anyway, now this Wednesday, I'm giving blood again to take care of the summer 'once a season' donation. Yahoo! In any case, I gotta think about anything I have going on in the burbs to make the trip 'worth while'. Ok I'm seriously not trying to put everything in quotes, but it's totally working out that way. I'm Air Quotes Queen I'm sorry!!!!

Other updates:
#45 - I made two recipes last week. 1. My sister's FAMOUS eggplant dish...its temporary moniker is "Naked Eggplant a la Z" because it doesn't contain meat or noodles, so carb free and very healthy. Um except for the part where the eggplant slices are fried and it contains an entire package of shredded cheese??? oh well. It's the best Italian dish I have ever consumed though. Even better than any restaurant! I'm serious! 2. was a Rachael Ray recipe: Honey Lime Glazed Salmon with Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad. Pretty good although I'm sort of getting tired of Rachael Ray recipes. I gotta dress then up a little more. Anyway, that took care of #46 as well.

#50 - I don't think I ever came up with an atypical produce item this month! Well I choose sugar snap peas. Next week (or maybe later this week), I'll come up with some kind of Asian dish. Perhaps Mandsi's famous Kung Pao chicken recipe!

#51 - The Miller Lite is getting old. Poor Miller Lite. He was always my favorite go-to cheap and light beer. Now I just cannot wait for August to end so I can have a Jack and Coke or glass of wine. And it's only the 13th :( Oh well. At least I'm drinking a LOT less. It's crazy to think about the days where I would go to my annual gyno appointment and have to remember how many drinks I consumed every week...and I'd "round down" to five or something when it was obviously more like ten?? And even that isn't a lot...well not compared to SOME people around here. Anyway, this past week I bought a six pack and drank four of them. I have one left...maybe for tonight. The other one I used forrrrrrrr........

#75 - Beer Bread! I made some beer bread and DELICIOUS garlic dip for work on Friday. No real reason although it was a silent thank you to everyone for keeping the fridge semi clean the past couple weeks.

#54 - I got my hair cut last week as well. Not my ultimate fave cut off all time, but it's 'growing' ??? on me. I just can't get it to flip right with my hairdryer. Annoying.

#87 - I haven't really mentioned the 'new band a month' thing lately. Well I'm sort of taking a liberty with that task because I can't buy music right now. I'm seriously trying to stick to my New Sparkly Budget. So I basically find a band or artist I like and then listen to the clips on itunes or myspace. I know...sorta cheating, but I'm making mental notes so when I DO spend some money, I will check into them a little further. Artist for last month was Mika and this month is Junior Boys. Both featured on the best reality television series to hit the tube: So You Think You Can Dance. And speaking of, THAT is what I shall do in burbs on Wednesday! Go to my parents to watch the second to last episode of the season. Boooooooo :'{

Ok! Well before I bore you to death any more than I already have, I will leave you with this:



you can never have enough Hugh Laurie in your life, I'm tellin' ya. AND I think he'd be proud that, after mentioning it, I totally toned down the quoting. Whew!

August 1

Nothing too crazy here, but a few things: I was *blessed with an unexpected $400 check from the state of Wisconsin the other day...turns out it's my tax return and I had completely forgotten about it! I know roll your eyes ;) In any case, I put it DI-rectly into my savings...no spendy spendy for Katesi! After paying my car bill and rent, I have roughly $180 left from my paycheck today. Meh right? No, I'm still going as planned with my budget for the month...the car bill will just be that extra sidebar. August is going to be an expensive month and I'm prepared :) But thus begins my first month of trying to stick to my budget (minus these extra expenses that are atypical).

In other news, I'm tossing an idea around about changing the "take a week vacay from this list once a season" (#68) TO "once a month splurge on something food related" haha! Because I don't exactly know HOW to take a vacay from the list...it's always on my mind! And b. I seriously want to be able to treat myself BIG time just once a month and not worry about it. This also means I have to tone down the times when I do go "a little crazy" and shove those cravings into one day. Ok this is hard to explain. I mean I'm sure I'll "go out to eat" more than once a month, but I'll try to dial it down when I go, except that one time. THEN I can get ANYTHING on a menu: like the fattiest thing. And not worry about starving myself all day or exercise way more in order to get rid of the calories. What inspired me to do this was craving the cake batter ice cream at Coldstone which is sooooooo bad for you. And I don't just want to get that tiny "like it" size either. Or sometimes I just want to pig out on the Big Mac extra value meal at McDonald's...big fries, non diet soda, the works! Or I want to eat 5-6 pieces of pizza AND have Doritos instead of just three pieces sans Doritos ;) Ok that last one would make my stummy s'plode, but you get the gist. So yeah, I like it! Oh and if I'm on vacation? This sort of goes out of effect. Because when you're on vacation, you're just going to eat like crap the whole time...so that time is exempt. THUS when I'm on my mini vacation camping this weekend at Point Beach, and want a fatty ice cream cone, it doesn't count ;)

Rock on! Let the feasting begin!!!

so productive!!

Saturday I came into work for seven hours and fulfilled several "Maid of Honor" duties: drew out the maps for Monica's wedding invites, made the hotel reservations for the bachelorette party, as WELL as designed a prototype for the invitations (which got rave reviews so far yay!!! I've never seen a reaction from John like I got last night...it really made me feel good at what I do!). Then on Sunday I completed two 101 Things tasks: #57 & #61: Finished cleaning/organizing the apartment including the dreaded linen closet :) Technically it isn't complete if I include the coat closet though, but eh, that thing is alright....and b. Finished cleaning/organizing my room including making it look like I live there!! I put up framed pictures and even moved everything around so I could fit a chair in the corner for reading! It looks pretty cozy! Maybe I'll try 'er out tonight and finish up the first 60 pages of my mom's book.

So yay! I'm seriously plugging away at this list! I've gotta come up with another batch of goals to make in the next few months.