I've got a few updates on the agenda here with the closing of January and beginning of February approaching FINALLY thank all that is holy. I can't begin to describe how achingly long this month has been. Whether it was the fact that every weekend was "cram packed" as mom would say, or that certain someones aren't going to be friends with Chris Klein anymore quite soon, yet they're torturing me evermore before their farewell...I just don't know. 2008 is still pretty awesome, but it's going to be way more awesome starting at 5:01 real soon...
45. My last January recipe was Balsamic Rosemary Chicken and Ravioli for John because his refrigerator has been broken for the last two weeks (two weeks??!) It was aight...I can't make chicken NOT semi-dry for the life of me. I'm all freaking out trying to make sure it's not pink in the middle, but then I cook it TOO long. I don't think it helped that I had to cook it in a pot rather than a skillet. Whatever, it was still really good with the Balsamic rosemary coating mmmm. Speaking of food, check your local market for transOcean Crab Classic! It's imitation crab in a variety of styles (leg, chunk, flake...) and it's made specifically to get your precious omega 3's! It's the best imitation crab I've ever had (and I've had my fair share)...I highly recommend!! I made a cold pasta salad with it: garlic/miracle whip/parsley/green onions and the like. Magnifique!
50. My February atypical produce item will be Tomatillos! I'm going to try making my own tomatillo salsa verde ahhhhhh so delicious....
51. Days shy of eating fried foods again! This time I didn't miss it as much as last February, maybe this 'giving up stuff' is getting a lot easier. I AM looking forward to fried sweet potato chips though or pretty much fries in general. I could go for some McDonald's fries and a couple Double Stuf Oreos (thanks Monica), except starting Feb 1st no more sweet bakery for me for the month! I went sweet bakery CRAZY in January though so it's a good thing. Then starting Feb 6th through March 23rd...no coffee. NO COFFEE??? Tea instead, and in EMERGENCY cases, a Diet Mt Dew like the old days...we'll see how this works.
54. Well I got my seasonal haircut and boy did I get it cut! Instead of long and blonde, it's chin length and dark brown!! Wha??? It was a very welcome change, however. I was walking home from Chris Klein's house like back in October and really pissed off at a couple of his friends and I had this vision of myself as a short brunette. Very strange yeah? Well, I was so sick of the SAME bullshit going on day after day, and this image struck me as something new and exciting. After having pretty much the same length and shade of hair for the last 28 years, I couldn't wait. Well I did have to wait, wait until after Monica's wedding, wait for Christmas to come and go so I could get the cash, etc. The whole thing set me back like $150 if you can believe it!! Between the two appointments and tips, the $17 color shampoo and $19 volumizing spray...haha! I'm such a girl ;) It was way worth it though. Interestingly enough, I'm just going to get tired of this haircut after awhile too...it's not like this style was going to change my life or anything, but I guess it was more than just a change...it was letting go of this image of myself to which I had grown so accustomed. Now every time I look in the mirror I do a double take and that's very refreshing! Something so simple gives me a new outlook. Ok enough rambling about my damn hair jeeeeez!
75. I should bring in celebratory treats this coming Monday.....
80. & 81. I can't even begin to apologize to myself for being so behind on my budgeting and saving. I even have two checks burning a hole in my wallet waiting to go to the bank since the beginning of January. Ugh. It's just that my bank is like THEE most inconvenient bank of all time...I gotta walk there, it's not open on weekends, and it's out of the way and any time I walk at lunch, it's to go home to exercise. Soon soon! But not today as it's 4 outside :(
86. May clean cube tomorrow because I can't take it anymore
87. A suggestion from Monica: Eric Johnson (as she is obsessed with his "Cliffs of Dover") and I'm also stupid and have never heard of Camouflage: Depeche Mode's Doppelgänger?? In a good way though!
96. As of this last Sunday I saw all five Oscar Best Picture Nominees: Atonement, No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton, There Will Be Blood, and Juno. All undeniably different films! But I really loved them all in their own ways. I'm almost positive No Country will win it though, but the Academy has surprised us before! Let's just hope we get to SEE the Oscars in all their majestic glory this year!
And that's it? I think everyone who knows me is WELL aware that Lost FINALLY starts tomorrow and I couldn't be MORE excited about it. February 1st is a red letter day for many reasons, one of which is my one year anniversary of my 101 Things in 1001 Days list!! One year down, yikes! I can't even believe it's BEEN a year for that matter. But I've got enough to show for it I think. If I have time on Friday, I'd love to do a little recap blog on the past year and my plan for the next. Good stuff...
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Works
First of all: the next time you're in the Way of Sub, order the Veggie Delite on Honey Oat with Pepper Jack cheese, Sweet Onion dressing and The Works, except Spinach instead of Lettuce (The Works is like tomatoes, carrots, olives, green peppers, banana peppers, jalapeños, pickles, red onions, legos, loose leaf paper, AA batteries, a grand piano...) You will not be disappointed! I'm serious, you don't need meat, just try it.
Next stop: My aimless and unsystematic musings about music.
I really like music...I mean aside from the printing press, I think the concept of music is the best invention of all time. This is the reason why, if forced, I would choose blindness of deafness. They should do a study (probably already done, google it) of cases of depression in blind people vs deaf people. Obviously it's much easier to be deaf in terms of getting around, earning a living, etc. You'd still be able to read and write in a typical fashion, and even speak a little if you lost your hearing later in life. If you're blind, you undoubtedly need a lot more help. Obviously we see blind people getting along on their own just fine with the aid of a seeing eye dog, walking stick, the kindness of strangers, but let's face it, there's no way I could be a graphic designer without my vision. If I were deaf though, I could get along just fine. With that said, however, I'd still choose to be blind over being deaf. There's no way I could survive properly without music I don't think. Now I'm no music expert; from knowing every indie band to the Italian names of arias and to which operas they belong...I'm not your lady. But I do have a pretty eclectic taste and it undoubtedly has to do with the vast numbers of music genres I either grew up with or learned about in college.
When I was a wee lass, my parents listened to Simon & Garfunkel, Abba, Cat Stevens, and musicals, to graze the surface. But I was also brought up on classic 80s Radio Top 40. I did the New Kids, Boyz II Men, En Vogue, TLC days too...I admit it. And those were carefree fun times...SIMPLER times! In high school I went through my Complicated Times Pearl Jam Obsession Phase like a majority of teens did in the early/mid 90s...but I also found myself listening to stuff like Great White, Boston, Tesla and Skid Row of all things. Now when my mom remarried, I really loved my step dad's taste in TRUE "Alternative" music of the 80s/90s: your Echo & the Bunnymen, Oingo Boingo, Psychadelic Furs, the Cure... Couple that with my gay father's love of early pop electronica: Erasure, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Alphaville, and continued love for musicals like Evita, Phantom, and JC Superstar, and that's a vast array of genres goin' on.
Once I got to college, music just exploded for me...a now defunct website called cdnow.com answered my prayers and allowed me to search for artists/bands via the "sounds like" feature. SO since I was a fan of Blur (from my stepdad), I found bands like Gene and Ash and Pulp. I also discovered other great lesser known bands like Mono, Air, Portishead, and Morcheeba. Then enter the college classes, from Opera and Symphony to Big Band and Afro-American music throughout the last century: I added Verdi, Wagner, Woody Herman, Glenn Miller, Sam Cooke, Al Green, and Thelonious Monk to the long list of faves.
Right around the time senior year and graduation rolled around, I embarked on probably my longest love of a specific genre to date: Classic Rock. Pink Floyd and Zeppelin is music tailor made for high school and college kids hitting the MJ and eating pizza by the slice at 3am, but I guess I was busy with Morrissey, Otis Redding, and Haydn's Symphony No. 94 in those days?? In any case, my love for all things "Oldies" reminded me of the coziness of childhood. There's something about classic rock that is wrapping yourself in a warm blanket of pea green, ruddy orange, and wood paneling. I didn't even live in that era, but I totally feel its good times.
And now I'm into rap. What? I think being 28 has caused this sudden urge to go back to the "simpler times" of 6th/7th grade when I liked boys and makeup and dressing like a thug. Rap and R&B these days isn't too bad though, I gotta admit. It's fresh and fun and silly and is a good compliment to the ultra seriousness that is Neil Young's "Old Man", Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky", and S&G's "Only Living Boy in NY".
My itunes "only" contains 7.5 days of music, and my repertoire doesn't contain as much of the new fangled music kids are listening to these days. But my love for Jeff Buckley, The Police, Timbaland, Pavarotti, ELO, Seal, Aimee Mann, Bowie, U2, The Jam, Fleetwood, Mark Ronson, Guster, Keane, CSNY, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Band, Dan Fogelberg, The Killers, Jilly Boel, Frank Sinatra, Sam & Dave, Todd Rundgren, My Morning Jacket, Nick Drake, Justin Timberlake, Postal Service, America, Puccini, the Dandy Warhols, Radiohead, Pete Yorn, and the band that inspired this post, Röyksopp, won't fade away with passing fads. Like the music that came out of my childhood or out of my experimental college years, each and every one of these artists came out of something inspirational whether it be a film I liked, a good day on the radio, a sad day when I wanted to make myself cry, or loud coworkers causing me to put on my headphones.
Ahhhh music.
PS, if you're a parent, I don't know if you should let your kid Radio Disney their impressionable childhood years away. Even if you feel like busting out the Dr. Dre while she's sitting in the back seat...I say go for it!
Next stop: My aimless and unsystematic musings about music.
I really like music...I mean aside from the printing press, I think the concept of music is the best invention of all time. This is the reason why, if forced, I would choose blindness of deafness. They should do a study (probably already done, google it) of cases of depression in blind people vs deaf people. Obviously it's much easier to be deaf in terms of getting around, earning a living, etc. You'd still be able to read and write in a typical fashion, and even speak a little if you lost your hearing later in life. If you're blind, you undoubtedly need a lot more help. Obviously we see blind people getting along on their own just fine with the aid of a seeing eye dog, walking stick, the kindness of strangers, but let's face it, there's no way I could be a graphic designer without my vision. If I were deaf though, I could get along just fine. With that said, however, I'd still choose to be blind over being deaf. There's no way I could survive properly without music I don't think. Now I'm no music expert; from knowing every indie band to the Italian names of arias and to which operas they belong...I'm not your lady. But I do have a pretty eclectic taste and it undoubtedly has to do with the vast numbers of music genres I either grew up with or learned about in college.
When I was a wee lass, my parents listened to Simon & Garfunkel, Abba, Cat Stevens, and musicals, to graze the surface. But I was also brought up on classic 80s Radio Top 40. I did the New Kids, Boyz II Men, En Vogue, TLC days too...I admit it. And those were carefree fun times...SIMPLER times! In high school I went through my Complicated Times Pearl Jam Obsession Phase like a majority of teens did in the early/mid 90s...but I also found myself listening to stuff like Great White, Boston, Tesla and Skid Row of all things. Now when my mom remarried, I really loved my step dad's taste in TRUE "Alternative" music of the 80s/90s: your Echo & the Bunnymen, Oingo Boingo, Psychadelic Furs, the Cure... Couple that with my gay father's love of early pop electronica: Erasure, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Alphaville, and continued love for musicals like Evita, Phantom, and JC Superstar, and that's a vast array of genres goin' on.
Once I got to college, music just exploded for me...a now defunct website called cdnow.com answered my prayers and allowed me to search for artists/bands via the "sounds like" feature. SO since I was a fan of Blur (from my stepdad), I found bands like Gene and Ash and Pulp. I also discovered other great lesser known bands like Mono, Air, Portishead, and Morcheeba. Then enter the college classes, from Opera and Symphony to Big Band and Afro-American music throughout the last century: I added Verdi, Wagner, Woody Herman, Glenn Miller, Sam Cooke, Al Green, and Thelonious Monk to the long list of faves.
Right around the time senior year and graduation rolled around, I embarked on probably my longest love of a specific genre to date: Classic Rock. Pink Floyd and Zeppelin is music tailor made for high school and college kids hitting the MJ and eating pizza by the slice at 3am, but I guess I was busy with Morrissey, Otis Redding, and Haydn's Symphony No. 94 in those days?? In any case, my love for all things "Oldies" reminded me of the coziness of childhood. There's something about classic rock that is wrapping yourself in a warm blanket of pea green, ruddy orange, and wood paneling. I didn't even live in that era, but I totally feel its good times.
And now I'm into rap. What? I think being 28 has caused this sudden urge to go back to the "simpler times" of 6th/7th grade when I liked boys and makeup and dressing like a thug. Rap and R&B these days isn't too bad though, I gotta admit. It's fresh and fun and silly and is a good compliment to the ultra seriousness that is Neil Young's "Old Man", Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky", and S&G's "Only Living Boy in NY".
My itunes "only" contains 7.5 days of music, and my repertoire doesn't contain as much of the new fangled music kids are listening to these days. But my love for Jeff Buckley, The Police, Timbaland, Pavarotti, ELO, Seal, Aimee Mann, Bowie, U2, The Jam, Fleetwood, Mark Ronson, Guster, Keane, CSNY, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Band, Dan Fogelberg, The Killers, Jilly Boel, Frank Sinatra, Sam & Dave, Todd Rundgren, My Morning Jacket, Nick Drake, Justin Timberlake, Postal Service, America, Puccini, the Dandy Warhols, Radiohead, Pete Yorn, and the band that inspired this post, Röyksopp, won't fade away with passing fads. Like the music that came out of my childhood or out of my experimental college years, each and every one of these artists came out of something inspirational whether it be a film I liked, a good day on the radio, a sad day when I wanted to make myself cry, or loud coworkers causing me to put on my headphones.
Ahhhh music.
PS, if you're a parent, I don't know if you should let your kid Radio Disney their impressionable childhood years away. Even if you feel like busting out the Dr. Dre while she's sitting in the back seat...I say go for it!
Monday, January 14, 2008
tiniest update ever
#45 - I made some turkey meatloaf patties with gravy for John and I the other night...nothing fancy, but it's hard to cook turkey meat in patty form and hope that the meat cooked through. Haha!
#53 - At Boston Store this weekend, I got a $90 pair black heels for $27. A lady's gotta blog about that, right? And hey, for something so seemingly simple as the black heel...Hardest shoe to shop for EVER. It's really annoying actually.
That's really all I got today. It's Monday and I just can't get myself to open a file this morning. It's awful. But it's Zeetlebug's birthday, and she's off today, so I'll just live vicariously through her...
#53 - At Boston Store this weekend, I got a $90 pair black heels for $27. A lady's gotta blog about that, right? And hey, for something so seemingly simple as the black heel...Hardest shoe to shop for EVER. It's really annoying actually.
That's really all I got today. It's Monday and I just can't get myself to open a file this morning. It's awful. But it's Zeetlebug's birthday, and she's off today, so I'll just live vicariously through her...
Thursday, January 10, 2008
AAAAAND venting.
The "so-and-so is being promoted after just over a year" and "so-and-so just became Vice Prez after two and a half years" emails this morning are really getting to me. And yet it's only 10am. My boyfriend who doesn't love me any more is rubbing his "better lovers" in my face while I scrape old dried up food gunk off of other people's dishes every morning.
On a brighter note, a couple updates:
#17 (and #45): Recall the cookies my friend made me for my birthday, two batches: chocolate and lemon. Well the lemon cookies are completely out of control. "They taste like little cakes" according to my boyfriend (the nice one, not the cold hearted other one). John reeeeeeally wanted me to make some for him, so last night I pulled the wool over his eyes by buying garlic at the store. I really did need garlic, but a box of lemon cake mix stumbled into my arms on my way out. Lemon cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 c veggie oil, lemon juice and zest is all you need! Easiest recipe ever for something that tastes like a bundle of heaven in your mouth!
#45: And speaking of recipes, I made the tato parsnip hash the other night...I really love parsnips!! They're kinda sweet. I wonder if there are any recipes that involve parsnips and sweet tatos. Unfortunately I put the leftovers in a tupperware that I left on the stove, completely open, overnight. No parnsip yum yums for me the next day :(
Well, back to "work" over here...
On a brighter note, a couple updates:
#17 (and #45): Recall the cookies my friend made me for my birthday, two batches: chocolate and lemon. Well the lemon cookies are completely out of control. "They taste like little cakes" according to my boyfriend (the nice one, not the cold hearted other one). John reeeeeeally wanted me to make some for him, so last night I pulled the wool over his eyes by buying garlic at the store. I really did need garlic, but a box of lemon cake mix stumbled into my arms on my way out. Lemon cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 c veggie oil, lemon juice and zest is all you need! Easiest recipe ever for something that tastes like a bundle of heaven in your mouth!
#45: And speaking of recipes, I made the tato parsnip hash the other night...I really love parsnips!! They're kinda sweet. I wonder if there are any recipes that involve parsnips and sweet tatos. Unfortunately I put the leftovers in a tupperware that I left on the stove, completely open, overnight. No parnsip yum yums for me the next day :(
Well, back to "work" over here...
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Ramona Quimby Age Twenty-Eight?
To begin, a la Niki in the Window, I wanted to post my screencap from yesterday's weather widget:
...TRIPOD!!!!! And notice the inclusion of January 2008. PS I took this screencap at 5pm!!! 58 degrees at 5pm on January 7th?!?! (That was my 'wicker basket with spring flowers and a bamboo handle' voice) And there might have been tripods disguised as tornadoes in Kenosha last night because that place is trashed today :(
So needless to say, we got some freaky weather this week! I think we either tied or broke the temp high both Sunday and Monday, and "The only other tornado to hit Wisconsin in January since 1844 was in 1967, according to the National Weather Service." And yeah, here's another quote: "The temperature in Milwaukee soared to a record for the date of 63 degrees, far above the previous high of 47 in 1965 and again in 2003." I'm not one for jumping onto the global warming bandwagon, but the strange weather phenomena are vaguely reminiscent of The Day After Tomorrow ;)
Moving right along here, I'm officially 28 as of Sunday the 6th, so that's fun! And a great birthday weekend it was!! My friends are fabulous, I gotta say...every one of them made the weekend absolutely perfect.
[side bar#1: I completed #30 on my list when I ate at Zim's this weekend. Zim's is just a sports bar, thus I wasn't going to include it, but they honestly make a mean veggie melt and their sweet tato fries with marshmallow/maple syrup dipping sauce are to die for...THEREFORE I just had to include Zim's as my final restaurant. DELISH!]
[Side bar #2: my good friend Katie made me a bunch of scrumptious cookies for my birthday. SWEET BAKERY NOOOO!!!! Recalling the five tons of fried food I had this weekend, I'm switching over to omitting that bad food from my diet for the remainder of the month. Once Feb hits, it's back off the sweet bakery.]
Anyway, I think 28 is going to be a good year. I think I might've mistakenly said that about 27, which wasn't awful per se...actually, wait a minute. 27 as an age was good...let's not confuse 27 with 2007 here. I truly did learn crazy oodles about myself. I became a more independent person, I learned some new skills, I honed my craftiness craft, I chipped away at my 101 List like a champ, and I trimmed the fat in terms of the crap in my life that no longer needed to be there. So with that said, I'm hoping age 28 will be the age where I get to reap the benefits of all of my hard work during age 27. Although I've got a seriously difficult year ahead of me. My mental to-do list gets longer by the moment and I've really gotta find a way to get everything done.
And with THAT said, come February 1st (one year anniversary of 101 List), I will revamp said 101 List (not too many changes per se, but maybe more streamlined and appropriate to my current skills and position in life). I will also try to come up with a definitive schedule for the next year in terms of things I know I need to at the very least start, and perhaps even finish. If I really try and make this Productive Attitude a natural habit of mine, once I hit 30, I honestly think I'll be able to sit back, relax, and reap the bennies of my late twenties. Rhyming rocks...true story!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
blogcap
Alright this will be your typical update, nothing fancy!
8. I got a sweet Photography book for Christmas (The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography by Jim Moitke) and I'm like a quarter way through it. He's absolutely perfect at explaining all the ins and outs...I mean some of it is more basic and obvious, but sometimes relearning the most general stuff is really important! And so to celebrate (even though I'm technically supposed to reward myself AFTER I finish the book)...
9. I bought my camera!!!
(copying Z with her lovely camera photo as well!)
It's a nice transition from my more simple point-and-shoot compact Pentax from 2004...yet not AS complex as an SLR. I can futz with the aperture and shutter speed but I'm not completely out on my own. There are even a few accessories available for the S5...lenswise and such, so that's nice too! Some day down the line, especially if photography truly does become a more serious hobby for me, I can drop a grand on a DSLR ;) Anyway, I'm going to try and find a camera bag tomorrow and get me some sweet Eneloop rechargeable batteries from Amazon!
14. I can't even describe to you the epic amounts of paper craft stuff I got this Christmas...it's INSANE. I could seriously open up my own card shop at this point...just gotta create the product! So on that note...I can seriously go to town on at LEAST coming up with some general ideas for packs of cards that I'd be able to sell at this imaginary craft show. I like the idea of funky monogrammed notes (like a cross between a card and stationary). And I don't know if it's because I know like six pregnant women right now, but I'm drawn to making some fun baby announcement packs. Anyway, I have more than enough paper to do this...it's just a matter of finding the time!
17. While Christmas gifts shouldn't count for my "John surprise" I did put together an entire photo album (200 pix) of Grace pictures for one of his presents! (AND one for his parents too!) I think he really liked it and it'll be nice to keep building Grace centric photo albums in the coming years.
32. OK there's no way we're EVER going to play boardgame at Monica's...I made that one of my tasks back when Monica's was totally still our bar...which was subsequently replaced by Bad Genie, which will undoubtedly be replaced by some other bar when we're sick of it. But anyway, John, Nicole, Z and I did GO to Monica's the night after Christmas and it was a great time until John and I ruined it with our love quarrel *gag* ;) Another reason we'll probably never go back. Sigh. So I completed half of this task...blah blah blah.
43. Z got me a subscription to Women's Health for Christmas! Thanks Zeetlebug!! It will pair nicely with my new twist step machine from Johnny :)
45./50. Kale is really good! I was expecting a more bitter taste I think...but Kale is more savory. I liked it a lot! It's hearty too, so it does make a good winter veggie as they all say! As for the last recipe of the month: I made the kale with some brie and bacon. Ok that was super easy, but December's been busy! ;)
Veggie for January: The Parsnip! I was inspired by some parsnip potato hash dish Rachael Ray made the other day. Oh Rache!
51. And my give-up for January is sweet bakery (but not bagels!) once again. Yeah I think I'm going to have to recycle a few now that it's been about a year. Although I'm not sure I'll ever be able to recycle "No Alcohol except Miller Lite" ever again!
87. Just in the nick of time, Mandsi gave me her annual compilation cd for Christmas on which are three great new-to-me bands: Camera Obscura, Rogue Wave, and Sweet! I definitely need to look into these in more depth...
And that's all she wrote. New Year's Eve was a blast and I think I rang in the new year just right! It might have just been my imagination, but the second the clock struck midnight, I really did feel a weight lifted from my life. Haha! Yeah, just that mind trickery again...but I hope it keeps working. Coming back to work today hasn't been amazing, but it hasn't been awful either. I'll go with boring over awful any day ;)
So to 2008! Mildly entertaining instead of insanely stupid!
8. I got a sweet Photography book for Christmas (The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography by Jim Moitke) and I'm like a quarter way through it. He's absolutely perfect at explaining all the ins and outs...I mean some of it is more basic and obvious, but sometimes relearning the most general stuff is really important! And so to celebrate (even though I'm technically supposed to reward myself AFTER I finish the book)...
9. I bought my camera!!!
(copying Z with her lovely camera photo as well!)
It's a nice transition from my more simple point-and-shoot compact Pentax from 2004...yet not AS complex as an SLR. I can futz with the aperture and shutter speed but I'm not completely out on my own. There are even a few accessories available for the S5...lenswise and such, so that's nice too! Some day down the line, especially if photography truly does become a more serious hobby for me, I can drop a grand on a DSLR ;) Anyway, I'm going to try and find a camera bag tomorrow and get me some sweet Eneloop rechargeable batteries from Amazon!
14. I can't even describe to you the epic amounts of paper craft stuff I got this Christmas...it's INSANE. I could seriously open up my own card shop at this point...just gotta create the product! So on that note...I can seriously go to town on at LEAST coming up with some general ideas for packs of cards that I'd be able to sell at this imaginary craft show. I like the idea of funky monogrammed notes (like a cross between a card and stationary). And I don't know if it's because I know like six pregnant women right now, but I'm drawn to making some fun baby announcement packs. Anyway, I have more than enough paper to do this...it's just a matter of finding the time!
17. While Christmas gifts shouldn't count for my "John surprise" I did put together an entire photo album (200 pix) of Grace pictures for one of his presents! (AND one for his parents too!) I think he really liked it and it'll be nice to keep building Grace centric photo albums in the coming years.
32. OK there's no way we're EVER going to play boardgame at Monica's...I made that one of my tasks back when Monica's was totally still our bar...which was subsequently replaced by Bad Genie, which will undoubtedly be replaced by some other bar when we're sick of it. But anyway, John, Nicole, Z and I did GO to Monica's the night after Christmas and it was a great time until John and I ruined it with our love quarrel *gag* ;) Another reason we'll probably never go back. Sigh. So I completed half of this task...blah blah blah.
43. Z got me a subscription to Women's Health for Christmas! Thanks Zeetlebug!! It will pair nicely with my new twist step machine from Johnny :)
45./50. Kale is really good! I was expecting a more bitter taste I think...but Kale is more savory. I liked it a lot! It's hearty too, so it does make a good winter veggie as they all say! As for the last recipe of the month: I made the kale with some brie and bacon. Ok that was super easy, but December's been busy! ;)
Veggie for January: The Parsnip! I was inspired by some parsnip potato hash dish Rachael Ray made the other day. Oh Rache!
51. And my give-up for January is sweet bakery (but not bagels!) once again. Yeah I think I'm going to have to recycle a few now that it's been about a year. Although I'm not sure I'll ever be able to recycle "No Alcohol except Miller Lite" ever again!
87. Just in the nick of time, Mandsi gave me her annual compilation cd for Christmas on which are three great new-to-me bands: Camera Obscura, Rogue Wave, and Sweet! I definitely need to look into these in more depth...
And that's all she wrote. New Year's Eve was a blast and I think I rang in the new year just right! It might have just been my imagination, but the second the clock struck midnight, I really did feel a weight lifted from my life. Haha! Yeah, just that mind trickery again...but I hope it keeps working. Coming back to work today hasn't been amazing, but it hasn't been awful either. I'll go with boring over awful any day ;)
So to 2008! Mildly entertaining instead of insanely stupid!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Long time no post
What a crazy month, right? Well, T-minus nine days or so until 2008 and I haven't been this excited for a year to end since the horrid 2002. The year I was unemployed since May, got into two accidents and totaled my car, my cat and father died, and I had panic attacks aplenty. Granted this year was WAY better than that year, but this year reminded me how annoying life can be sometimes. I do have a feeling, however, that it's all about attitude and when you get wrapped up in the gloom, it's hard to shake it. In other words: slipping into that "soothing" bath of negativity has been far too easy lately. I think the only way I can turn it around is the milestone that is the new year. Not that I expect life to suddenly become amazing once the clock strikes midnight, but sometimes it takes that trickery of the mind to turn over a new leaf. I mean why do you think we have New Year's resolutions?
My resolutions in the new year are as follows:
-To complete more of my creative projects
-To build my brand and create an online portfolio
-To maintain my attitude about good health in a number of ways: good food/less restaurants, and exercise via a combo of more shoveling (ha!), pilates, and using my new twist step machine John got me for Christmas (are you calling me fat?? haha j/k)
-To continue to work at being a kind, supportive, understanding girlfriend which, in essence, means: work on the communication, aka arguing ;)
Number two on that list is in direct relation to current happenings at work. Without going into details, I'll relay the analogy I explained to my sis this morning: Working at this agency is like being with a boyfriend who I know doesn't love me anymore...yet I cannot leave him for fear of being alone, so I simply have to wait for someone better to hopefully come along. And in this analogy, the boyfriend is more like a pimp who pays me. Because obviously the real Katie would immediately leave someone who didn't love her. But 'immediately' isn't an option in this monetary scenario. It's just very frustrating, disappointing, and sad to know that I am in an environment where appreciation and loyalty are totally bunk. Yet I have to stay with this pimp who, ironically, could throw me out on the street at any second. Until, of course, something better comes along! Hence the second resolution ;)
Wow...so I was pretty honest up there...playing devil's advocate here: I am grateful I have a job, I am grateful John is in a good place, I am grateful I have the talent and wherewithal to find happiness outside of my profession...something I wrote about awhile back. In the new year I will NOT dwell on the pimp-whore analogy, I promise! I'll do my job and do it right because I don't really expect any less from myself. Not even when I have little to gain.
So moving on to quick updates...
45. I did indeed make two of Z's recipes this month: lazy salmon rolls and the Z burrito :) Last night I made a quick squash risotto. My fourth recipe of the month will be the kale dish.
68. I've been eating chocolate and candy like it's going out of style...so I guess I'm hoping for some more snow in '08?
77. I handmade 40 Christmas cards this year! Surpassing my previous years' numbers by a long shot! I took a few pix, so maybe I'll post them sometime. But I received several fab comments; I think my favorite was "you should really sell these badboys!" Nice.
82. I have to postpone my 401K increase :( This is the year I'm supposed to save for my proximate future and recent unexpected events are putting my more distant future on hold a bit.
To conclude! MERRRRRRY CHRISTMAS!!! Sorry this post wasn't very Christmassy...pimps up, ho ho ho's down??? Above all else, as long as we all have a safe and happy holiday, the rest is just icing on the cake!
My resolutions in the new year are as follows:
-To complete more of my creative projects
-To build my brand and create an online portfolio
-To maintain my attitude about good health in a number of ways: good food/less restaurants, and exercise via a combo of more shoveling (ha!), pilates, and using my new twist step machine John got me for Christmas (are you calling me fat?? haha j/k)
-To continue to work at being a kind, supportive, understanding girlfriend which, in essence, means: work on the communication, aka arguing ;)
Number two on that list is in direct relation to current happenings at work. Without going into details, I'll relay the analogy I explained to my sis this morning: Working at this agency is like being with a boyfriend who I know doesn't love me anymore...yet I cannot leave him for fear of being alone, so I simply have to wait for someone better to hopefully come along. And in this analogy, the boyfriend is more like a pimp who pays me. Because obviously the real Katie would immediately leave someone who didn't love her. But 'immediately' isn't an option in this monetary scenario. It's just very frustrating, disappointing, and sad to know that I am in an environment where appreciation and loyalty are totally bunk. Yet I have to stay with this pimp who, ironically, could throw me out on the street at any second. Until, of course, something better comes along! Hence the second resolution ;)
Wow...so I was pretty honest up there...playing devil's advocate here: I am grateful I have a job, I am grateful John is in a good place, I am grateful I have the talent and wherewithal to find happiness outside of my profession...something I wrote about awhile back. In the new year I will NOT dwell on the pimp-whore analogy, I promise! I'll do my job and do it right because I don't really expect any less from myself. Not even when I have little to gain.
So moving on to quick updates...
45. I did indeed make two of Z's recipes this month: lazy salmon rolls and the Z burrito :) Last night I made a quick squash risotto. My fourth recipe of the month will be the kale dish.
68. I've been eating chocolate and candy like it's going out of style...so I guess I'm hoping for some more snow in '08?
77. I handmade 40 Christmas cards this year! Surpassing my previous years' numbers by a long shot! I took a few pix, so maybe I'll post them sometime. But I received several fab comments; I think my favorite was "you should really sell these badboys!" Nice.
82. I have to postpone my 401K increase :( This is the year I'm supposed to save for my proximate future and recent unexpected events are putting my more distant future on hold a bit.
To conclude! MERRRRRRY CHRISTMAS!!! Sorry this post wasn't very Christmassy...pimps up, ho ho ho's down??? Above all else, as long as we all have a safe and happy holiday, the rest is just icing on the cake!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Do you remember...blah something blah December
Happy Advent Times! It's a new month and here are some new pieces of listual information...I totally made up a new word! In other news I tagged all my posts...I know that's excitingly awesome right?
45. I know at least two recipes I will make this month...thanks to Z's weekend of fab food!
50. Atypical food: KALE because I googled "Good winter vegetable" and found this inspirational blog. Tasty stuff!
51. Guilty pleasure: Per my mom's suggestion, I'm taking a holiday dispensation this month. However, I have something a little unorthodox (and personal) in mind, so I'm going to see if that pans out. In any case, my first eating out experience since I gave it up in Nov was a Sourdough Boy Combo at George Webb's on Sunday night while the Bears were losing on the tiny tv above John's and my booth. Loverly.
64. I've been thinking about it and I think I'll kinda tack on "ORRR the Grand Canyon" onto the attempt at a Vegas Trip. I'm not sure how likely either of them are, but it's a step closer to crossing #64 off my list! Besides, I REALLY want to do that Grand Canyon Skywalk!
77. 8 more Christmas cards were constructed this weekend!
81. As of this past Friday, one of my incoming checks that provide the cash for the $250 that goes into my savings will no longer be available, SO I have to reshuffle my budget and see if I can still throw that money in there. WILL I GET A RAISE THIS YEAR??? Guhhhhhhh.
85. And speaking of work, two groups of concepts needed work these past couple weeks...nothing too exciting though.
To conclude, here's a short To-Do list:
-Finish up Christmas cards
-Collect all of the addresses I can (thanks Monica!)
-Bell ringer this year??? (not enough time, oh well...)
-All online Christmas shopping
-All brick 'n mortar shopping
-Analyze the ish out of my Bust Out Your Pinking Sheers list because I have AH item crossed off and, being a so-called artist, that doesn't fly with almost one year down on this list.
45. I know at least two recipes I will make this month...thanks to Z's weekend of fab food!
50. Atypical food: KALE because I googled "Good winter vegetable" and found this inspirational blog. Tasty stuff!
51. Guilty pleasure: Per my mom's suggestion, I'm taking a holiday dispensation this month. However, I have something a little unorthodox (and personal) in mind, so I'm going to see if that pans out. In any case, my first eating out experience since I gave it up in Nov was a Sourdough Boy Combo at George Webb's on Sunday night while the Bears were losing on the tiny tv above John's and my booth. Loverly.
64. I've been thinking about it and I think I'll kinda tack on "ORRR the Grand Canyon" onto the attempt at a Vegas Trip. I'm not sure how likely either of them are, but it's a step closer to crossing #64 off my list! Besides, I REALLY want to do that Grand Canyon Skywalk!
77. 8 more Christmas cards were constructed this weekend!
81. As of this past Friday, one of my incoming checks that provide the cash for the $250 that goes into my savings will no longer be available, SO I have to reshuffle my budget and see if I can still throw that money in there. WILL I GET A RAISE THIS YEAR??? Guhhhhhhh.
85. And speaking of work, two groups of concepts needed work these past couple weeks...nothing too exciting though.
To conclude, here's a short To-Do list:
-Bell ringer this year??? (not enough time, oh well...)
-Analyze the ish out of my Bust Out Your Pinking Sheers list because I have AH item crossed off and, being a so-called artist, that doesn't fly with almost one year down on this list.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
big blog part one
I have lots to update/discuss, so I split it up. November has been ACTION PACKED!!
#6 - The TBA project finished with time to spare! TBA project = This "Memory Lane" drawing I did for Monica and Tim's wedding gift! I had to get it framed and even though I brought it into Michael's two weeks before the wedding, they gave me a ready date of 11/21...NOOO!!!! So I practically begged them to have it done by Friday the 16th. Well, turns out it was really a day earlier than that! I picked it up the Thursday night before the wedding. More about this gift in big blog part two!
#17 - John caught a cold last weekend, so on Monday night I went to the store and bought all the Katie's Chicken Stewp ingredients to make Johnny healthy again!
#45 - Some of these recipes are crazy easy, but with Nov being as insane as it was, I'm surprised I had time to cook anything new, let alone make 8 recipes...
to continue:
3. Roast a pumpkin (to use the pulp for a later recipe)...this was SO easy and I'll have to do it again next year!
4. Pumpkin and sweet tato casserole mmmmmm! (fulfilling #50: eating real pumpkin!)
5. Roast pumpkin seeds with spices (nutmeg, all spice, cumin, cayenne, etc)
6. Black bean and pumpkin soup (notice the theme here?)
7. Warm green bean salad with toasted pinenuts (for Thanksgiving and also task #46)
8. Ranch Potato Casserole (also for T'gives)
#54 - Alright so I'm not going to be able to get my hair cut for the fall season, but I'm using the fact that I got it professionally styled for the wedding take the place of a haircut. I've never had my hair done before and it turned out really nice! Plus the stylist I had was so adorable and I've decided to go back and have her cut AND color my hair in January.
#77 - I've already started making my Christmas cards this year!!! They are turning out SO awesome too...every year I get better at this :) I've made like nine so far and have about 30 more to go?? haha! But I think if I ever get #14 going (build up a collection of crafty goods), Christmas cards are going to be on that list.
#87 - I listened to a few new-to-me artists on itunes because of the So You Think You Can Dance concert earlier this month: BT , Joshua Radin, James Morrison, Craig David, Devotchka, and The Presets to name a few! But I also must mention that while Duran Duran is by no means a new band, their recently released album Red Carpet Massacre is definitely a new sound and by new, I mean brilliant. LOVIE!
#51 - EATING OUT!! Man this has been hard, and I've even slightly cheated five times! Ok with one more day to go, here are the cheats:
1. Aforementioned German restaurant after John's grandma's funeral
2. Rehearsal Dinner at Maggiano's (and I went to town, let me tell you!)
3. Wedding Dinner (I had salmon, but I also tried Monica's chicken, ate TONS of garlic mashed tatos, as well as all of my delicious wedding cheesecake)
4. Every year after Thanksgiving, my fam shops the Black Friday sales starting at 7am. We ALSO eat lunch at some mall restaurant. We went to California Pizza Kitchen this year, but I was good and most definitely ordered a salad (Thai) with dressing on the side (of which I only used half)
5. About a month or more ago I emailed this local soup place (that makes my fave soup ever: spinach artichoke!) and asked if they were going to make a pumpkin soup this season. They emailed back and said that that was a really great request and they’d see what they could do! Well on Monday I got an email from them personally telling ME that they were going to have pumpkin soup on Wednesday (yesterday)...SO NICE! So I went over there and they even had “By request!” up on the dry erase board where the menu is! Once I got my soup, I told them “thanks for the requested pumpkin soup!” And the chick said “oh that was you?! Fun!” Awww!!! So even though I’m not supposed to eat out, I gave myself a dispensation because they were nice enough to make a whole pot of soup just because I requested it!
In any case, I've also turned down MAAAANY offers or ideas to eat out over the last month...I mean no breakfast at Denny's the morning after the wedding, no going out to Elkhorn with John to eat with him and Grace on Wednesdays, no adorable Bee's and a Movie with John after seeing the Mist this past weekend. So even with the cheats, it's been hard! And I feel like I'm counting down the hours until December 1st. Who knew that I rely on restaurants so heavily? And this is coming from a person who actually loves to cook at home!
#6 - The TBA project finished with time to spare! TBA project = This "Memory Lane" drawing I did for Monica and Tim's wedding gift! I had to get it framed and even though I brought it into Michael's two weeks before the wedding, they gave me a ready date of 11/21...NOOO!!!! So I practically begged them to have it done by Friday the 16th. Well, turns out it was really a day earlier than that! I picked it up the Thursday night before the wedding. More about this gift in big blog part two!
#17 - John caught a cold last weekend, so on Monday night I went to the store and bought all the Katie's Chicken Stewp ingredients to make Johnny healthy again!
#45 - Some of these recipes are crazy easy, but with Nov being as insane as it was, I'm surprised I had time to cook anything new, let alone make 8 recipes...
to continue:
3. Roast a pumpkin (to use the pulp for a later recipe)...this was SO easy and I'll have to do it again next year!
4. Pumpkin and sweet tato casserole mmmmmm! (fulfilling #50: eating real pumpkin!)
5. Roast pumpkin seeds with spices (nutmeg, all spice, cumin, cayenne, etc)
6. Black bean and pumpkin soup (notice the theme here?)
7. Warm green bean salad with toasted pinenuts (for Thanksgiving and also task #46)
8. Ranch Potato Casserole (also for T'gives)
#54 - Alright so I'm not going to be able to get my hair cut for the fall season, but I'm using the fact that I got it professionally styled for the wedding take the place of a haircut. I've never had my hair done before and it turned out really nice! Plus the stylist I had was so adorable and I've decided to go back and have her cut AND color my hair in January.
#77 - I've already started making my Christmas cards this year!!! They are turning out SO awesome too...every year I get better at this :) I've made like nine so far and have about 30 more to go?? haha! But I think if I ever get #14 going (build up a collection of crafty goods), Christmas cards are going to be on that list.
#87 - I listened to a few new-to-me artists on itunes because of the So You Think You Can Dance concert earlier this month: BT , Joshua Radin, James Morrison, Craig David, Devotchka, and The Presets to name a few! But I also must mention that while Duran Duran is by no means a new band, their recently released album Red Carpet Massacre is definitely a new sound and by new, I mean brilliant. LOVIE!
#51 - EATING OUT!! Man this has been hard, and I've even slightly cheated five times! Ok with one more day to go, here are the cheats:
1. Aforementioned German restaurant after John's grandma's funeral
2. Rehearsal Dinner at Maggiano's (and I went to town, let me tell you!)
3. Wedding Dinner (I had salmon, but I also tried Monica's chicken, ate TONS of garlic mashed tatos, as well as all of my delicious wedding cheesecake)
4. Every year after Thanksgiving, my fam shops the Black Friday sales starting at 7am. We ALSO eat lunch at some mall restaurant. We went to California Pizza Kitchen this year, but I was good and most definitely ordered a salad (Thai) with dressing on the side (of which I only used half)
5. About a month or more ago I emailed this local soup place (that makes my fave soup ever: spinach artichoke!) and asked if they were going to make a pumpkin soup this season. They emailed back and said that that was a really great request and they’d see what they could do! Well on Monday I got an email from them personally telling ME that they were going to have pumpkin soup on Wednesday (yesterday)...SO NICE! So I went over there and they even had “By request!” up on the dry erase board where the menu is! Once I got my soup, I told them “thanks for the requested pumpkin soup!” And the chick said “oh that was you?! Fun!” Awww!!! So even though I’m not supposed to eat out, I gave myself a dispensation because they were nice enough to make a whole pot of soup just because I requested it!
In any case, I've also turned down MAAAANY offers or ideas to eat out over the last month...I mean no breakfast at Denny's the morning after the wedding, no going out to Elkhorn with John to eat with him and Grace on Wednesdays, no adorable Bee's and a Movie with John after seeing the Mist this past weekend. So even with the cheats, it's been hard! And I feel like I'm counting down the hours until December 1st. Who knew that I rely on restaurants so heavily? And this is coming from a person who actually loves to cook at home!
big blog part two
Ok part two will be devoted to artsty musings:
Today Nicole sent me this link to a guy, Nick Pitera, who I think (if it is the same guy) is this amazing artist...both audibly AND visually! Currently he seems to be gaining popularity on youtube for his VERY unique rendition of The Little Mermaid's "Part of Your World":
So strange, but so completely awesome if I do say so myself! In any case, if you check out this Nick Pitera's blogger page, you'll also find he can draw like a MF! Don't you love finding people who can do 23948392042 things really well?? Well, to be honest, it's more like a love-hate relationship because I'm tooooootally SUPER jealous ;) And you know what made me even MORE jealous? Looking at the work of all of his fellow blogger friends (who also attend Ringling College of Art & Design I believe). DIES!!! I wanna BE them! Why can't I be that talented?!! I reeeeally want to post some of their work below, but I should probably ask first. For now I'll just give a couple link0's to my faves:
Kelly Versaggi
Her "Patricia Portrait" "Kitties" are fab, but the "Monster Under a Lamp" (toward bottom) is unbelievable cool.
Kim Kuchenbecker
Her adorable "Small Tribute to Bill Watterson"...and the accompanying story made me a little teary!
Anyway, I want to be talented when I grows up!! I seriously need to work on some stuff. At least I finally got a chair from the rents so I can work on my mac at home jeez! For now I'll just post a sampling of item #6 on my 101 List...my Monica Tim Wedding Gift/TBA Project. It's sort of self-explanatory, but the street contains tons memories and inside jokes that Monica and Tim share. This thing is 3 feet by 1 foot in size...HUGE! Hopefully they find a place to put it? Yikes! Anyway, I really like how it turned out and I think they did too! :) So here is the badboy in its entirety with a smattering of closeups:
clickie here for larger version!
The manhole cover is a Dharma symbol!! LOST!
The kitty has an engagement ring around his collar: this is how Tim proposed to MoniCAT!
Today Nicole sent me this link to a guy, Nick Pitera, who I think (if it is the same guy) is this amazing artist...both audibly AND visually! Currently he seems to be gaining popularity on youtube for his VERY unique rendition of The Little Mermaid's "Part of Your World":
So strange, but so completely awesome if I do say so myself! In any case, if you check out this Nick Pitera's blogger page, you'll also find he can draw like a MF! Don't you love finding people who can do 23948392042 things really well?? Well, to be honest, it's more like a love-hate relationship because I'm tooooootally SUPER jealous ;) And you know what made me even MORE jealous? Looking at the work of all of his fellow blogger friends (who also attend Ringling College of Art & Design I believe). DIES!!! I wanna BE them! Why can't I be that talented?!! I reeeeally want to post some of their work below, but I should probably ask first. For now I'll just give a couple link0's to my faves:
Kelly Versaggi
Her "Patricia Portrait" "Kitties" are fab, but the "Monster Under a Lamp" (toward bottom) is unbelievable cool.
Kim Kuchenbecker
Her adorable "Small Tribute to Bill Watterson"...and the accompanying story made me a little teary!
Anyway, I want to be talented when I grows up!! I seriously need to work on some stuff. At least I finally got a chair from the rents so I can work on my mac at home jeez! For now I'll just post a sampling of item #6 on my 101 List...my Monica Tim Wedding Gift/TBA Project. It's sort of self-explanatory, but the street contains tons memories and inside jokes that Monica and Tim share. This thing is 3 feet by 1 foot in size...HUGE! Hopefully they find a place to put it? Yikes! Anyway, I really like how it turned out and I think they did too! :) So here is the badboy in its entirety with a smattering of closeups:
clickie here for larger version!
The manhole cover is a Dharma symbol!! LOST!
The kitty has an engagement ring around his collar: this is how Tim proposed to MoniCAT!
big blog part three...sheesh!
#101 - Ahhhhhh the wedding!! It's officially over :'( BUT SO MUCH FUN! I can't even tell you how nervous I was about my toast. I couldn't start eating until AFTER it was over because I honestly thought I was going to throw up.
Anyway, for my last maid of honor duty, Monica asked me to come up with a top ten list (our most favorite thing to do!), so I'll try to whip one up right here:
1. Day before the wedding (Rehearsal Day)...driving around the greater Milwaukee area running last minute wedding related errands and either listening to Seal or Duran Duran OR turning off the music and practicing my toast 39482930429 times. People driving next to me must have thought I was a nut with all my hand gesturing!
2. John playing with my friends Josh and Tina's son Ethan at the Rehearsal Dinner...totally adorable!!
3. Opening the door to the bridal room in the church and seeing Monica for the first time in her dress...I...freaking...died. She seriously looked like the most beautiful lady I had ever seen in my whole life.
4. Bawling like a baby for the first 20 minutes of the wedding ceremony. Monica walking down the aisle and bawling herself...Tim crying as he took her hand and walked her up to the steps, etc etc etc. I honestly had to tell myself to 'STOP IT!' three dozen times so I wouldn't look like a blubbering mess for the cameras. Ha!
5. "YOU'RE an Octopus Balloon!" and all the crazy shenanigans at the Domes, especially Guido and his Chuck Norris action figure posing for pix.
6. The limobus ride from the Domes to Whitnall high school to The Forum restaurant to the Radisson Hotel. We watched Anchorman and Old School, drank Miller Lites and took swigs from Happy Face Vodka, and drew naughty pictures on the steamed windows...my ultimate fave part of this experience was seeing Monica eat Wheat Thins in her wedding dress and tiara...hilarious.
7. Sitting up at the head table, next to my bestest friend and the most important lady of the day...and looking out to the sea of people who were all so excited this day was finally here! And then, of course, getting through my toast in one peice...whew!
8. Getting crazy choked up at the reception during "Bittersweet Symphony" part of the video montage and then later when Monica and Tim had their first dance to Chicago's "Will You Still Love Me".
9. Dancing related fun and adorableness: Tim doing his patented arm wave dance, Monica doing her patented arm pumping dance (in her wedding dress hilarious!!), Marne dragging John onto the dance floor at least three times, dancing with John to Climax Blues Band "I Love You," and seeing John ask Monica to dance at the very end of the reception :)
10. Getting Monica's txt message the morning after the wedding. I don't have my phone with me right now, but it said something along the lines of: "I got up this morning and saw the sunrise...I thought about everything, the toasts, and started to cry." Aaaaand of course that made ME start to cry!!
Man...and to think the planning only took seven months. It simultaneously feels like forever in the making and yet such a blur! But absolutely one of the best experiences of my short life. Not only did it make Monica and I even closer friends, but to be a part of something so beautiful and happy...I try not to be too big of a sap, but it truly was hard not to be emotional about the whole thing. Love.
Anyway, for my last maid of honor duty, Monica asked me to come up with a top ten list (our most favorite thing to do!), so I'll try to whip one up right here:
1. Day before the wedding (Rehearsal Day)...driving around the greater Milwaukee area running last minute wedding related errands and either listening to Seal or Duran Duran OR turning off the music and practicing my toast 39482930429 times. People driving next to me must have thought I was a nut with all my hand gesturing!
2. John playing with my friends Josh and Tina's son Ethan at the Rehearsal Dinner...totally adorable!!
3. Opening the door to the bridal room in the church and seeing Monica for the first time in her dress...I...freaking...died. She seriously looked like the most beautiful lady I had ever seen in my whole life.
4. Bawling like a baby for the first 20 minutes of the wedding ceremony. Monica walking down the aisle and bawling herself...Tim crying as he took her hand and walked her up to the steps, etc etc etc. I honestly had to tell myself to 'STOP IT!' three dozen times so I wouldn't look like a blubbering mess for the cameras. Ha!
5. "YOU'RE an Octopus Balloon!" and all the crazy shenanigans at the Domes, especially Guido and his Chuck Norris action figure posing for pix.
6. The limobus ride from the Domes to Whitnall high school to The Forum restaurant to the Radisson Hotel. We watched Anchorman and Old School, drank Miller Lites and took swigs from Happy Face Vodka, and drew naughty pictures on the steamed windows...my ultimate fave part of this experience was seeing Monica eat Wheat Thins in her wedding dress and tiara...hilarious.
7. Sitting up at the head table, next to my bestest friend and the most important lady of the day...and looking out to the sea of people who were all so excited this day was finally here! And then, of course, getting through my toast in one peice...whew!
8. Getting crazy choked up at the reception during "Bittersweet Symphony" part of the video montage and then later when Monica and Tim had their first dance to Chicago's "Will You Still Love Me".
9. Dancing related fun and adorableness: Tim doing his patented arm wave dance, Monica doing her patented arm pumping dance (in her wedding dress hilarious!!), Marne dragging John onto the dance floor at least three times, dancing with John to Climax Blues Band "I Love You," and seeing John ask Monica to dance at the very end of the reception :)
10. Getting Monica's txt message the morning after the wedding. I don't have my phone with me right now, but it said something along the lines of: "I got up this morning and saw the sunrise...I thought about everything, the toasts, and started to cry." Aaaaand of course that made ME start to cry!!
Man...and to think the planning only took seven months. It simultaneously feels like forever in the making and yet such a blur! But absolutely one of the best experiences of my short life. Not only did it make Monica and I even closer friends, but to be a part of something so beautiful and happy...I try not to be too big of a sap, but it truly was hard not to be emotional about the whole thing. Love.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
and this too shall pass
It sure is amazing how things happen...I mean crazy explosions of things...out of nowhere. Today at work, we're all mourning the loss...of our department? The scary thing is how close it was to being the entire department or rather the entire company! My little Zettlebug didn't escape the hatchet :( And my loyal commenter and dear friend Nicole is patiently (well, to the best of her ability) teetering on this odd concept of an edge...with no idea how she'll fall. So that's great. Things are awkward at best here at work, with employees who were fired sitting within feet, INCHES really, of employees that were not. I'm sure you can imagine how lovely that feels. It also feels pretty lovely to assume that I'm hated by a couple people here. For really no reason whatsoever. I had nothing to do with this...I'm a peon like everyone else. And actually, a few of the people in my dept are in the same boat I'm in...still here, but feeling massive guilt for being here. For some reason though, and it could just be the narcissist in me, but I feel like some people here think I'M the Big Bad. Well, if those people feel like making me, or anyone else that's innocent, the scapegoat...I guess that's their prerogative.
Well, like all insane turns of events, with time it'll all feel so insignificant. Hopefully people will move on and find better things (like I always say: sometimes you have to take a step back to go forward). But speaking of backs, hopefully I won't get SHOT in the back in some dark alley :( If I am, you may know whom to prosecute?? In the meantime, while we wait for wounds to heal...or wounds to get another job and get out of here...its going to be a loooong few months. 2007 wasn't such a good year afterall. People getting their hearts broken, grandparents dying, debts deepening, and this...while it doesn't hold a candle to 2002, it certainly is a shady cousin. 2008 couldn't come soon enough...
Well, like all insane turns of events, with time it'll all feel so insignificant. Hopefully people will move on and find better things (like I always say: sometimes you have to take a step back to go forward). But speaking of backs, hopefully I won't get SHOT in the back in some dark alley :( If I am, you may know whom to prosecute?? In the meantime, while we wait for wounds to heal...or wounds to get another job and get out of here...its going to be a loooong few months. 2007 wasn't such a good year afterall. People getting their hearts broken, grandparents dying, debts deepening, and this...while it doesn't hold a candle to 2002, it certainly is a shady cousin. 2008 couldn't come soon enough...
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
eating and stuff
A few food related updates:
#45 - I made a Turkey Pumpkin Chili recipe in late October, but was still eating it in November so whatever, I'm counting it! Then on Monday I actually made macaroni and cheese (RR recipe - #46) from scratch! Well I didn't hand make the noodles or anything, but I fulfilled my #48 task of doing the roux/béchamel sauce, adding cheese, etc. I used gruyère and smoked gouda...and the recipe is even better when you add the following: bacon, green onions, and Baby Ray's BBQ! It wasn't half bad for my first stab at macncheese! I'd love to try again sometime...maybe some different cheese combinations!
Meanwhile, I've been able to avoid eating out except for this past weekend. John's family reconvened at this German restaurant in Kenosha after his grandma's funeral service. It was sort of like a wedding or shower meal situation because they offered you the choice of pot roast or stuffed chicken...so no baked fish or salad with dressing on the side for me!! What was funny was that, prior to finding this out, everyone was ordering alcoholic beverages and eating these delicious-looking pumpkin mini muffins...but I refrained thinking that I was going to stick to my salad/fish rule and eat that ONLY! Well as soon as I discovered that I was going to have to go balls to the wall, I gave up! I ordered my stuffed chicken (with AMAZING red cabbage), bowl of chicken and spätzle soup, a glass of wine, had 2-3 muffins, AND a slice of Mindy Segal cake: chocolate/vanilla frosting with fresh strawberries! Yeah I went a little overboard :) But I'll count it towards my "guilty pleasure" meal! (#68) I'm going at it again when Monica has her rehearsal dinner at Maggiano's next Friday...and then of course the actual wedding meal on Saturday at the reception! But in that case, I'm actually having salmon :)
Anyway, speaking of eating, I've got six more recipes to go for November, but hopefully I'll be able to fulfill several of them at Thanksgiving...only two weeks away!!! Which means the wedding is only TEN days away, count 'em TEN! I'm totally crazy nervous already and I'm not even the bride!!!
And speaking of, um, projects...my TBA project is making me SUPER nervous. PLEEEEEEEASE be on time!!!!!!!!
#45 - I made a Turkey Pumpkin Chili recipe in late October, but was still eating it in November so whatever, I'm counting it! Then on Monday I actually made macaroni and cheese (RR recipe - #46) from scratch! Well I didn't hand make the noodles or anything, but I fulfilled my #48 task of doing the roux/béchamel sauce, adding cheese, etc. I used gruyère and smoked gouda...and the recipe is even better when you add the following: bacon, green onions, and Baby Ray's BBQ! It wasn't half bad for my first stab at macncheese! I'd love to try again sometime...maybe some different cheese combinations!
Meanwhile, I've been able to avoid eating out except for this past weekend. John's family reconvened at this German restaurant in Kenosha after his grandma's funeral service. It was sort of like a wedding or shower meal situation because they offered you the choice of pot roast or stuffed chicken...so no baked fish or salad with dressing on the side for me!! What was funny was that, prior to finding this out, everyone was ordering alcoholic beverages and eating these delicious-looking pumpkin mini muffins...but I refrained thinking that I was going to stick to my salad/fish rule and eat that ONLY! Well as soon as I discovered that I was going to have to go balls to the wall, I gave up! I ordered my stuffed chicken (with AMAZING red cabbage), bowl of chicken and spätzle soup, a glass of wine, had 2-3 muffins, AND a slice of Mindy Segal cake: chocolate/vanilla frosting with fresh strawberries! Yeah I went a little overboard :) But I'll count it towards my "guilty pleasure" meal! (#68) I'm going at it again when Monica has her rehearsal dinner at Maggiano's next Friday...and then of course the actual wedding meal on Saturday at the reception! But in that case, I'm actually having salmon :)
Anyway, speaking of eating, I've got six more recipes to go for November, but hopefully I'll be able to fulfill several of them at Thanksgiving...only two weeks away!!! Which means the wedding is only TEN days away, count 'em TEN! I'm totally crazy nervous already and I'm not even the bride!!!
And speaking of, um, projects...my TBA project is making me SUPER nervous. PLEEEEEEEASE be on time!!!!!!!!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
slipping into a warm bath of pumpkin spice latte
Over the last couple days, I've compared "having a negative attitude" to slipping into a bath. In the respect that it's really easy to slip into a bad attitude, and for some strange reason, it comforts you, it feels familiar and oh so inviting. But it only comforts you in a superficial way that wears off almost immediately and then leaves you a chattering, disheartened, miserable, shriveled mess. What kind of comforting bath is that?! Well the wide-eyed four year old in me coos: In heaven I think warm baths never get cold! They stay that nearly-too-hot temperature, the bubbles never pop, and your skin never wrinkles!
Lately work has thrown a few of us some frustrating curve balls and shakes our patience to its very core. The worst part is that it isn't even work-related! I mean in a way it is because our place of business is involved, but mostly it's just plain personal...which is the worst kind of work frustration. It's the kind that leaves the office with you and goo's all over your psyche, only to fester and rot all over your deepest inner workings until you seriously feel like even your mitochondria are screaming for relief. ......Sigh.
In any case, today I got back from a double dose of pilates at lunch and after reading a link from my sis re: Starbucks' delicious Gingerbread Lattes, I literally Googled Starbucks 'Pumpkin Spice Latte' Blog and continued to be dazzled...DAZZLED...by the amount of PSL fans out there. No, 'fans' is putting far too lightly. More like absolute grounds for idolatry pumpkin spice worshipers. And I loved every second of it!!! For the whole concept of being head over heels excited over a coffee drink...and a Corporate coffee drink at that...is just so frivolous it makes the complicated, emotional overload of life so much easier to take. Mandsi and my Serenity Now Mantra lately has been "....simpler times". Ahhhh simpler times, my dear pumpkin spice latte.
Now with it being November 1st, I'm a little sad that dear PSL will only be around another week or less...perhaps it's already gone! But yes, PSL's comforting cousin Gingerbread Latte will be a sufficient replacement, even if it does mean that autumn is quickly winding down and winter is right around the corner. But for now, I'm going to try desperately to focus on the more frivolous, almost child-like stuff that life has to offer (reconsider collecting scratch-n-sniff stickers perhaps?). I gotta quit taking everything so seriously (uhh, didn't I just write a blog about that?). Because while there will always be frustrating coworkers in the world, there will also always be warm, sugary, coffee drinks at my disposal. And no, I'm not going to bathe in said sugary beverage...but maybe on some level, my bruised psyche can?
Lately work has thrown a few of us some frustrating curve balls and shakes our patience to its very core. The worst part is that it isn't even work-related! I mean in a way it is because our place of business is involved, but mostly it's just plain personal...which is the worst kind of work frustration. It's the kind that leaves the office with you and goo's all over your psyche, only to fester and rot all over your deepest inner workings until you seriously feel like even your mitochondria are screaming for relief. ......Sigh.
In any case, today I got back from a double dose of pilates at lunch and after reading a link from my sis re: Starbucks' delicious Gingerbread Lattes, I literally Googled Starbucks 'Pumpkin Spice Latte' Blog and continued to be dazzled...DAZZLED...by the amount of PSL fans out there. No, 'fans' is putting far too lightly. More like absolute grounds for idolatry pumpkin spice worshipers. And I loved every second of it!!! For the whole concept of being head over heels excited over a coffee drink...and a Corporate coffee drink at that...is just so frivolous it makes the complicated, emotional overload of life so much easier to take. Mandsi and my Serenity Now Mantra lately has been "....simpler times". Ahhhh simpler times, my dear pumpkin spice latte.
Now with it being November 1st, I'm a little sad that dear PSL will only be around another week or less...perhaps it's already gone! But yes, PSL's comforting cousin Gingerbread Latte will be a sufficient replacement, even if it does mean that autumn is quickly winding down and winter is right around the corner. But for now, I'm going to try desperately to focus on the more frivolous, almost child-like stuff that life has to offer (reconsider collecting scratch-n-sniff stickers perhaps?). I gotta quit taking everything so seriously (uhh, didn't I just write a blog about that?). Because while there will always be frustrating coworkers in the world, there will also always be warm, sugary, coffee drinks at my disposal. And no, I'm not going to bathe in said sugary beverage...but maybe on some level, my bruised psyche can?
Friday, October 26, 2007
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!
#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!
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