I'm cranking this post out quickly before class starts for the night. The day kind of got away from me.
Chelsea took a couple weeks off, for good reason. But the questions are back this week, brought to us by Kara's Chatter. Enjoy hearing all about my eating habits. As a disclaimer, though my answers might make it sound otherwise, I do love sugar. Just not with my veggies.
1. What's your variety of apple?
Crisp and not too sweet. I don't do soft, overripe apples.
2. Do you prefer Long-English or Field cucumbers?
English. I'm very proper.
3. Tomatoes - delicious or disgusting?
Depends. I'm not a tomato lover, but they are absolutely necessary in some dishes. Also, tomatoes homegrown and freshly picked in the summer can't be beat.
4. What's one fruit or vegetable that you can't stand and why is that?
I don't like cooked carrots. They get too sweet and mushy (see first answer). Oh, and peas are yucky. There aren't many things I won't eat though.
5. What's your favorite way to prepare veggies?
Roasted, for sure, with olive oil and some good spices. Or grilled in the summer. Yum!
6. Sweet potato pie: love it or hate it?
Ambivalent. I prefer my sweet potatoes offset by some savory, not with more sugar added.
7. What's your favorite "style" of french fry? Wedges, shoelace, curly, crinkle-cut other?
Sweet potato, actually. Or fries from Wendy's dipped in a frosty. Otherwise, I'm pretty open to any french fry.
8. What's your favorite fruit pie filling?
I'm not really a pie person. I like raw pie crust, but it loses it's appeal to me once it's baked. I prefer pies with cookie crusts. However, my favorite pies are apple, fresh out of the oven.
9. When you were a kid did your parents make you sit at the table until all your veggies were eaten off your plate?
We had no thank you helpings when we went to other people's houses, so we at least had to try things. At home, we always ended up having to take as many bites as we were years old.
10. Do you drink veggie and fruit juice blends (such as V8) or make them yourself?
I rarely drink them or make them. Occasionally I'll have a pre-made blended juice when I'm desperate for fruits and veggies.
1.31.2012
1.30.2012
Find Me at Elle Sees
Just wanted to let you all know that I'm blogging over at Elle Sees today about some of my favorite eye makeup choices. Head on over and say hi!
I may or may not be back later with a real post. No promises here.
I may or may not be back later with a real post. No promises here.
1.29.2012
Food Fun: Sweet and Savory
Even though I haven't posted about it recently, I promise I have actually been cookie (and eatting, which this weekend took the form of many spoonfuls of cookie dough).
I thought I'd share a few pictures and links to recipes of recent creations. A simple post.
I don't know how much I really need to say about this treat. Puppy Chow, Muddie Buddies, or whatever you call it...it doesn't matter. Basically this is cereal transformed into candy crack.
I love it. This batch was spiced up with chocolate chex. Because there's no such thing as too much.
Now that we got the important recipe out of the way....
I give you Shepherd's Pie. I roughly followed a recipe from Epicurious, meaning I used the gravy and basic steps.
However, I did not use the same veggies (mine had carrots, onions, leeks, green beans, mushrooms, and maybe something I forgot) and ended up adding italian sausage because I liked the extra spice.
It was really, really good. Though, as a warning, it is a little labor intensive. But it makes a lot and the taste is worth the time.
What have you made lately?
I thought I'd share a few pictures and links to recipes of recent creations. A simple post.
I love it. This batch was spiced up with chocolate chex. Because there's no such thing as too much.
Now that we got the important recipe out of the way....
However, I did not use the same veggies (mine had carrots, onions, leeks, green beans, mushrooms, and maybe something I forgot) and ended up adding italian sausage because I liked the extra spice.
It was really, really good. Though, as a warning, it is a little labor intensive. But it makes a lot and the taste is worth the time.
What have you made lately?
1.26.2012
Awkward and Awesome: Yep.
No fancy intro tonight. I don't have the energy or the ideas to make it happen. The good news, it's probably Friday when you're reading this, which means it's basically the weekend.
So happy weekending!
Awkward:
- My ability to blog regularly. I don't know what my problem is, but inspiration is lacking.
- Money/life related stress. Being in school with a lot of people working full time and with life plans is making the fact that I don't know what I'm doing a little more stressful than it would be otherwise.
- The food I consumed today. Let's just say there was a bowl of cookie dough (though that is awesome) on my parent's kitchen counter.
- Misunderstanding someone's question but not realizing it until you are halfway through an answer. Or is this one just me? But gosh, it's awkward.
- That feeling that you've forgotten something and not having a clue what it is.
- My attention span in class last night. I'm just going to leave it at that.
Awesome:
- Seeing my grandpa tonight. I'm up at my parents for a couple days, so I made a visit to Grampie. He's really the best.
- Actually using the calendar on my phone. I mean, I have a smartphone for a reason, so I should probably get all the use out of it that I can.
- Actually feeling productive sometimes. Now if only I had written out a to do list, so I could check those items off. Mostly, I just have lots of lists running around in my head.
- Free food. It's the best. Also, I got a $25 Restaurant.com gift certificate for $3 on my phone, which is pretty much like free food.
- Getting amped up for the Superbowl, though I have to say neither of the teams are ones I wanted to see here, but I love the festivities anyways. Fingers crossed that there are some good commercials.
- Being able to scrounge up pajamas from my sister's abandoned clothes at my parents. I pretty much just brought dirty laundry and a couple pairs of shoes with me.
- Being completely addicted to Downton Abbey. My sister and I are cruising through it. We just started season 2 this week.
To end, a serious question. Blogger now has embedded replies to comments (which I love), but would anyone actually come to read them? Because otherwise it's just silly.
So happy weekending!
Awkward:
- My ability to blog regularly. I don't know what my problem is, but inspiration is lacking.
- Money/life related stress. Being in school with a lot of people working full time and with life plans is making the fact that I don't know what I'm doing a little more stressful than it would be otherwise.
- The food I consumed today. Let's just say there was a bowl of cookie dough (though that is awesome) on my parent's kitchen counter.
- Misunderstanding someone's question but not realizing it until you are halfway through an answer. Or is this one just me? But gosh, it's awkward.
- That feeling that you've forgotten something and not having a clue what it is.
- My attention span in class last night. I'm just going to leave it at that.
Awesome:
- Seeing my grandpa tonight. I'm up at my parents for a couple days, so I made a visit to Grampie. He's really the best.
- Actually using the calendar on my phone. I mean, I have a smartphone for a reason, so I should probably get all the use out of it that I can.
- Actually feeling productive sometimes. Now if only I had written out a to do list, so I could check those items off. Mostly, I just have lots of lists running around in my head.
- Free food. It's the best. Also, I got a $25 Restaurant.com gift certificate for $3 on my phone, which is pretty much like free food.
- Getting amped up for the Superbowl, though I have to say neither of the teams are ones I wanted to see here, but I love the festivities anyways. Fingers crossed that there are some good commercials.
- Being able to scrounge up pajamas from my sister's abandoned clothes at my parents. I pretty much just brought dirty laundry and a couple pairs of shoes with me.
- Being completely addicted to Downton Abbey. My sister and I are cruising through it. We just started season 2 this week.
To end, a serious question. Blogger now has embedded replies to comments (which I love), but would anyone actually come to read them? Because otherwise it's just silly.
1.25.2012
Crockpot Cooking (Also: How I came to be drinking beer at 1pm on a Wednesday)
I've mentioned this before, but I'm not much of a measurer or recipe follower when it comes to cooking. It's a problem I have.
I should clarify that this does not make me a professional. I just get lucky sometimes.
Although I did have a conversation analyzing the spices used on some potatoes at brunch this weekend. I felt faux-chef like and ridiculous.
I'm getting away from the point though.
The crockpot is a great kitchen tool for many reasons. First, you don't have to pay any attention to it once the ingredients are in. Second, measuring really isn't necessary (it's obvious now why I like it, right?). Third, food is delicious.
I had picked up some BBQ sauce at the store last week with the intention of BBQ chicken, crockpot style. There was no recipe I'd found or other guiding suggestions. I just felt like it.
So this morning I threw in chicken, onions, BBQ sauce, and decided to add a little honey and beer for kicks. Of course, a whole bottle of beer wasn't necessary, which is how I found myself drinking Shocktop while working on school work on a Wednesday.
I'll let you know how it all turns out (and by it, I mean the food. The school work will be fine, I'm sure.).
Happy Wednesday!
I should clarify that this does not make me a professional. I just get lucky sometimes.
Although I did have a conversation analyzing the spices used on some potatoes at brunch this weekend. I felt faux-chef like and ridiculous.
I'm getting away from the point though.
The crockpot is a great kitchen tool for many reasons. First, you don't have to pay any attention to it once the ingredients are in. Second, measuring really isn't necessary (it's obvious now why I like it, right?). Third, food is delicious.
I had picked up some BBQ sauce at the store last week with the intention of BBQ chicken, crockpot style. There was no recipe I'd found or other guiding suggestions. I just felt like it.
So this morning I threw in chicken, onions, BBQ sauce, and decided to add a little honey and beer for kicks. Of course, a whole bottle of beer wasn't necessary, which is how I found myself drinking Shocktop while working on school work on a Wednesday.
I'll let you know how it all turns out (and by it, I mean the food. The school work will be fine, I'm sure.).
Happy Wednesday!
1.22.2012
A Deep Sigh
It's the end of the weekend, and I could use a nap. The apartment has been full of house guests and the schedule has been full of to-do stuff.
Thursday night's surprise for my sister was as awesome as expected. We had to kill some time as the snow storm had the entire mall shut down by 6pm, so we ended up going to see Sherlock Holmes (as fun as expected). Then I forced my sister to wear a blindfold.
Her former roommate opened the door at the airport and asked for a ride. Tears, laughter and screaming followed. Perfection. We ended dinner at Jimmy Mac's, a restaurant with delicious rolls and peanut shells on the floor.
Friday was cleaning, cooking, dining, cupcakes, and drinks with the girls. And none of us fell on the slippery snow and water covered sidewalks (no small feat).
Saturday I woke up early to get coffee and donuts, had brunch to celebrate my roommate's birthday with some of her closest friends, cleaned and cooked, worked on some schoolwork, and had the parents over for a birthday dinner. I chose to stay home and finish up some schoolwork, while my sister and her friends went out on the town. (Look at me all responsible!)
Today was chock full of school, morning to night. I had a group meeting, a town hall with the director of my program and other students, a career workshop, and my class group ran a focus group. I only got to watch a quarter and a half of football, though we *might* have had the Patriots-Ravens game streaming at school. Since my program is in digital media it seemed fitting.
I've been relaxing this evening, even though I really have things to be working on (such as a 5-page research paper on a digital media law issue of my choice, ideas anyone?). But that's what tomorrow is for, right?
There's a lot of other stuff going on in life, but I think this little wrap up is about all I have time and energy for right now. So I'll have to get back to you.
What were you up to this weekend? Did someone get a nap in for me?
Thursday night's surprise for my sister was as awesome as expected. We had to kill some time as the snow storm had the entire mall shut down by 6pm, so we ended up going to see Sherlock Holmes (as fun as expected). Then I forced my sister to wear a blindfold.
Her former roommate opened the door at the airport and asked for a ride. Tears, laughter and screaming followed. Perfection. We ended dinner at Jimmy Mac's, a restaurant with delicious rolls and peanut shells on the floor.
Friday was cleaning, cooking, dining, cupcakes, and drinks with the girls. And none of us fell on the slippery snow and water covered sidewalks (no small feat).
Saturday I woke up early to get coffee and donuts, had brunch to celebrate my roommate's birthday with some of her closest friends, cleaned and cooked, worked on some schoolwork, and had the parents over for a birthday dinner. I chose to stay home and finish up some schoolwork, while my sister and her friends went out on the town. (Look at me all responsible!)
Today was chock full of school, morning to night. I had a group meeting, a town hall with the director of my program and other students, a career workshop, and my class group ran a focus group. I only got to watch a quarter and a half of football, though we *might* have had the Patriots-Ravens game streaming at school. Since my program is in digital media it seemed fitting.
I've been relaxing this evening, even though I really have things to be working on (such as a 5-page research paper on a digital media law issue of my choice, ideas anyone?). But that's what tomorrow is for, right?
There's a lot of other stuff going on in life, but I think this little wrap up is about all I have time and energy for right now. So I'll have to get back to you.
What were you up to this weekend? Did someone get a nap in for me?
1.19.2012
Awkward and Awesome: Surprise!
I just got back from an adventure, which will become much clearer (I hope) through my awkward and awesomes today.
Also, in case you don't know, we are in the midst of a snowstorm, soon to be flood.
Awkward:
- Going to grad school for digital media. Even though school was shut down I still had class Wednesday night, via the internet.
- Busting a dance move in response to my sister at the movie theatre tonight, and having some random guy think it was for him. It wasn't.
- A classmate asking me a question about an assignment, that I hadn't actually started. So, you know, I had an intelligent answer for it.
- Not putting a real bra on for a couple days. Or leaving the house. Snow days, ya'll.
- Sitting next to frat boys on the plane trip home and having them call the flight attendant Shebow. (We were flying into Denver.) Luckily she was a super good sport.
Awesome:
- Having one of my sister's friends fly in as a surprise for her birthday and picking her up tonight. We blindfolded my sister and everything. It was pretty much the best thing ever. Ever.
- We drove from one end of town to the other for a little shopping and every single store (except Nordstrom) was closed. At 4:30pm. Snow slows us down.
- School being closed for the third straight day. We did get an ice storm this morning and many people (not us!) are without power.
- Still haven't turned on our heat. Winning! Thanks to a basement apartment, I guess.
- Breakfast happy hour. Have you guys heard of such a thing? Have I mentioned this before? It's pretty much the best thing ever.
- Twitter during a snow storm. I know everything...how much snow is falling where, where the plows have been, what stores are open. It's not like I'm leaving the house to take advantage of it, but I know.
I'm calling it quits for the night. I may or may not be back tomorrow with more shenanigans. If not, have a fabulous weekend!
Also, in case you don't know, we are in the midst of a snowstorm, soon to be flood.
Awkward:
- Going to grad school for digital media. Even though school was shut down I still had class Wednesday night, via the internet.
- Busting a dance move in response to my sister at the movie theatre tonight, and having some random guy think it was for him. It wasn't.
- A classmate asking me a question about an assignment, that I hadn't actually started. So, you know, I had an intelligent answer for it.
- Not putting a real bra on for a couple days. Or leaving the house. Snow days, ya'll.
- Sitting next to frat boys on the plane trip home and having them call the flight attendant Shebow. (We were flying into Denver.) Luckily she was a super good sport.
Awesome:
- Having one of my sister's friends fly in as a surprise for her birthday and picking her up tonight. We blindfolded my sister and everything. It was pretty much the best thing ever. Ever.
- We drove from one end of town to the other for a little shopping and every single store (except Nordstrom) was closed. At 4:30pm. Snow slows us down.
- School being closed for the third straight day. We did get an ice storm this morning and many people (not us!) are without power.
- Still haven't turned on our heat. Winning! Thanks to a basement apartment, I guess.
- Breakfast happy hour. Have you guys heard of such a thing? Have I mentioned this before? It's pretty much the best thing ever.
- Twitter during a snow storm. I know everything...how much snow is falling where, where the plows have been, what stores are open. It's not like I'm leaving the house to take advantage of it, but I know.
I'm calling it quits for the night. I may or may not be back tomorrow with more shenanigans. If not, have a fabulous weekend!
1.18.2012
Weekend Finale
When I last left my rambling wrap up of the weekend I had arrived in Indy, where it was a balmy 20 degrees.
Bikini weather, if you will.
I was the third person to arrive, so I got to enjoy a little downtime back at my friend's place. I wouldn't have survived the evening otherwise, as I was running on just a couple hours of sleep (no exaggeration).
Once more of the crew got in, we decided to head out to dinner. Note to anyone who care, Texas Roadhouse apparently won't seat groups of more than 6. The rolls and butter were totally worth having to sit at two tables though. (Have you experienced those rolls? So deadly.)
When the rest of the crew rolled into town, all 13 of us headed out to enjoy a few adult beverages. I think Though I only really knew my friend and her boyfriend, by the end of the night we were all fast friends.
Saturday was all about sleeping in, being lazy, eating food, and resting up for the evening. There was NFL playoff games, first of all, college basketball games, and it was all fueled by pizza and Chipotle. So yummy.
After the necessary consulting by all the girls (you ladies know what I mean by this), we were able to get dolled up and head to the big 30th birthday celebration for my friend. There were friends who had driven and flown in, people from the area, even her parents.
She had reserved a VIP room at a club so we were able to have space to relax and chat, but still had access to the dance floor.
As a side note about the club, the bathroom doors were those crazy kind that had clear glass the frosted over when locked. Crazy!
Sunday was spent lazying around, watching a little more football, and catching a flight home. I made it to Seattle pre-snowstorm (that actually finally hit this morning) and even got to enjoy a meal out with the roomie to celebrate her birthday.
Now I'm attempting to get some work done before class tonight. Even though the college is cancelled, my digital media program is still meeting--the downside of having technically advanced and knowledgeable classmates and professors.
The good news: I get to attend class in sweats and possibly on my bed (if the wifi signal is strong enough).
As a side note, though I'm not actively protesting SOPA/PIPA through my blog, I strongly encourage everyone to write their congressman in protest of the bill. It's not what needs to happen online. But don't take my word for it. Do your research about the issue!
Bikini weather, if you will.
I was the third person to arrive, so I got to enjoy a little downtime back at my friend's place. I wouldn't have survived the evening otherwise, as I was running on just a couple hours of sleep (no exaggeration).
Once more of the crew got in, we decided to head out to dinner. Note to anyone who care, Texas Roadhouse apparently won't seat groups of more than 6. The rolls and butter were totally worth having to sit at two tables though. (Have you experienced those rolls? So deadly.)
When the rest of the crew rolled into town, all 13 of us headed out to enjoy a few adult beverages. I think Though I only really knew my friend and her boyfriend, by the end of the night we were all fast friends.
Saturday was all about sleeping in, being lazy, eating food, and resting up for the evening. There was NFL playoff games, first of all, college basketball games, and it was all fueled by pizza and Chipotle. So yummy.
After the necessary consulting by all the girls (you ladies know what I mean by this), we were able to get dolled up and head to the big 30th birthday celebration for my friend. There were friends who had driven and flown in, people from the area, even her parents.
She had reserved a VIP room at a club so we were able to have space to relax and chat, but still had access to the dance floor.
As a side note about the club, the bathroom doors were those crazy kind that had clear glass the frosted over when locked. Crazy!
Sunday was spent lazying around, watching a little more football, and catching a flight home. I made it to Seattle pre-snowstorm (that actually finally hit this morning) and even got to enjoy a meal out with the roomie to celebrate her birthday.
Now I'm attempting to get some work done before class tonight. Even though the college is cancelled, my digital media program is still meeting--the downside of having technically advanced and knowledgeable classmates and professors.
The good news: I get to attend class in sweats and possibly on my bed (if the wifi signal is strong enough).
As a side note, though I'm not actively protesting SOPA/PIPA through my blog, I strongly encourage everyone to write their congressman in protest of the bill. It's not what needs to happen online. But don't take my word for it. Do your research about the issue!
1.17.2012
Last Friday Flashback
I actually wrote this post last Friday while sitting on a plane. I had hoped to post it on my layover, but there was no free internet and I was not paying money to post on my own blog. Uh uh.
But I still wanted to let you in on the excitement that was this weekend, so I'm posting it today. I'll finish up the second half of my trip later this week. Sometime.
- - - - -
The past few days have been a little on the crazy side. I was supposed to fly out yesterday (1/12) to Indy, but a mechanical problem with the incoming flight meant I was going to miss my connection. And I was worried about snow…
Instead, I stayed in Seattle another night and helped a friend do a little birthday celebrating. My flight this morning was at 6am, so I accepted Frontier’s offer of a free hotel room by the airport. I also got meal vouchers and money to put towards a future trip.
While the situation was frustrating, I was treated incredibly by Frontier. Seriously. Not only was the customer service at the airport great but they were very responsive over Twitter as well.
Two thumbs up from me.
I’m writing this mid air, headed to Texas, because that’s obviously the logical flight pattern. Who doesn’t love a good visit to DFW? Am I right?
I got to make some new friends in line at the airport yesterday. Stuck in line waiting for help for an hour, you get to know people pretty well. I even have a new Twitter friend. Shout out to Rachael. We definitely kept ourselves entertained yesterday while waiting in line. ☺
Now I’m going to take my not even four hours of sleep into a celebration weekend in Indy. A good friend is throwing a 30th bash and I don’t expect to catch up on my sleep until Sunday night. I do know I will have a blast.
It’s a good thing this weekend is so early in the quarter. My pile of work isn’t too large...yet.
For now, enjoy this collage of the sunrise I took out the airplane window. There are a few perks of flying so early in the morning. (Though the list is short.)
- - - - -
I ended up getting to Indy approximately 17 hours later than I was supposed to. The only real bummer was I didn't get a lot of quality time with my friend since I ended up arriving with everyone else. But I made some new friends, watched a lot of football, and generally enjoyed my time.
I still feel like I'm in recovery. Seriously. I added it up and I think I got about 15 hours of sleep over the course of the weekend. That's how you know a birthday was well observed.
As much as I'd love to continue this essay indefinitely, I really need to go do some work. We're under threat of our biggest snowstorm in years, but I'm still supposed to have class tonight. If you've seen youtube videos of cars trying to drive our streets in snow, you'd understand why everyone freaks out so much.
But I still wanted to let you in on the excitement that was this weekend, so I'm posting it today. I'll finish up the second half of my trip later this week. Sometime.
- - - - -
The past few days have been a little on the crazy side. I was supposed to fly out yesterday (1/12) to Indy, but a mechanical problem with the incoming flight meant I was going to miss my connection. And I was worried about snow…
Instead, I stayed in Seattle another night and helped a friend do a little birthday celebrating. My flight this morning was at 6am, so I accepted Frontier’s offer of a free hotel room by the airport. I also got meal vouchers and money to put towards a future trip.
While the situation was frustrating, I was treated incredibly by Frontier. Seriously. Not only was the customer service at the airport great but they were very responsive over Twitter as well.
Two thumbs up from me.
I’m writing this mid air, headed to Texas, because that’s obviously the logical flight pattern. Who doesn’t love a good visit to DFW? Am I right?
I got to make some new friends in line at the airport yesterday. Stuck in line waiting for help for an hour, you get to know people pretty well. I even have a new Twitter friend. Shout out to Rachael. We definitely kept ourselves entertained yesterday while waiting in line. ☺
Now I’m going to take my not even four hours of sleep into a celebration weekend in Indy. A good friend is throwing a 30th bash and I don’t expect to catch up on my sleep until Sunday night. I do know I will have a blast.
It’s a good thing this weekend is so early in the quarter. My pile of work isn’t too large...yet.
For now, enjoy this collage of the sunrise I took out the airplane window. There are a few perks of flying so early in the morning. (Though the list is short.)
- - - - -
I ended up getting to Indy approximately 17 hours later than I was supposed to. The only real bummer was I didn't get a lot of quality time with my friend since I ended up arriving with everyone else. But I made some new friends, watched a lot of football, and generally enjoyed my time.
I still feel like I'm in recovery. Seriously. I added it up and I think I got about 15 hours of sleep over the course of the weekend. That's how you know a birthday was well observed.
As much as I'd love to continue this essay indefinitely, I really need to go do some work. We're under threat of our biggest snowstorm in years, but I'm still supposed to have class tonight. If you've seen youtube videos of cars trying to drive our streets in snow, you'd understand why everyone freaks out so much.
1.16.2012
Busy Living Life
Hi friends! Sorry for my disappearance. It wasn't planned, but it was enjoyed. Sometimes life just needs to be lived.
I was out of town all weekend for a good friend's 30th birthday celebration, and came back yesterday to snow and a little birthday celebration with my roommate. My sis's birthday is this week as well.
Basically, there's a lot of celebrating to do.
Also, we're in for a snowstorm. Winter has finally arrived.
I plan on doing a full recap from my adventures this past week, but for now I wanted to just say "hey". I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
Now excuse me, I have three days of blogs to catch up on. It's a daunting task.
I was out of town all weekend for a good friend's 30th birthday celebration, and came back yesterday to snow and a little birthday celebration with my roommate. My sis's birthday is this week as well.
Basically, there's a lot of celebrating to do.
Also, we're in for a snowstorm. Winter has finally arrived.
I plan on doing a full recap from my adventures this past week, but for now I wanted to just say "hey". I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
Now excuse me, I have three days of blogs to catch up on. It's a daunting task.
1.09.2012
Seven Random Things
To kick off a new week (which includes quite a bit of excitement) I thought I'd share a few facts about myself.
And yes, seven was an arbitrary choice.
And yes, seven was an arbitrary choice.
- I'm constantly trying to decide how to appropriately use exclamation points in blog comments so my enthusiasm is clear, but I don't seem like a psycho cheerleader. It's a pretty big dilemma.
- I love cooking. Seriously, guys, you need to put a ring on this so your tummy will be happy. (Just kidding, kind of.) Just know I will probably expect you to do dishes. (Not joking at all.)
- Math was my favorite subject in school. It was clear, solvable, and just plain made sense. Also, philosophical discussions drive me nuts.
- Even though I spend as much of my free time in sweats as possible, I follow an unseemly number of fashion blogs.
- My sister and I are sharing a room for the second time in our lives.
- I have driven a car in six different countries: U.S., Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Ireland, and Finland.
- I wear a size 10 shoe. My feet are just edging there way into "those are big" territory. And they've been that way since I was in sixth grade, one of my many awkward stages.
Okay, so not all of these things may be news to you. But you can pretend right?
Happy Monday!!
1.05.2012
Awkward and Awesome: From the Couch
Thanks for your comments on yesterday's post. I got a lot of sleep, drank a lot of water, and am feeling slightly improved. I'm definitely not worse.
And I'm back at my parent's for a couple days to do laundry, run a few errands, and snuggle with puppies (and really that last one is the most important).
Awkward:
- I haven't made any money since November. My last paycheck was December 10. That was quite a while ago, in case you weren't aware.
- A sore throat. I want to drink all the things!
- The inability to keep my eyes opened and focused on any one thing. Stupid sickness.
- Also, realizing I'm probably uninsured and hoping this really is just a cold.
- The number of cops cruising the roadway this afternoon. Luckily I wasn't partaking in illegal activity, but wow, were they swarming.
- Fitting our class into a room with 20 chairs on Tuesday night. There are 24 students enrolled in the class. We're going to each other really well this quarter.
- The intercom in our apartment is finally hooked up....to my cell phone. And I have no idea how I'm supposed to open the door. But, hey, at least it got done.
Awesome:
- Bowl game season in college football. Have you guys been watching this stuff? My roomie and I spent 4 hours at our local bar to catch Oregon and Stanford. We made some friends, got to know the staff, and I ate some sinful deep fried bacon burger sliders. They were serious business.
- Using sickness as an excuse to wear sweatpants for multiple days in a row.
- Homemade soup...tomato basil on Wednesday (with gourmet grilled cheese) and potato, ham, and cheese tonight.
- Let me just talk about that cheese again--Irish whiskey cheddar and goat milk gouda. And tonight we used Cougar Gold in our soup.
- Have you heard of Sporcle.com? I found out about it through Vanessa's post yesterday and am now prepared to spend half my life there.
- New TV shows starting back up. Parenthood and Modern Family are the best. (As an aside, are TV shows supposed to be italicized?)
This post basically says the same things as yesterday's: cheese and sickness.
(Plus, a little sports.)
And I'm back at my parent's for a couple days to do laundry, run a few errands, and snuggle with puppies (and really that last one is the most important).
Awkward:
- I haven't made any money since November. My last paycheck was December 10. That was quite a while ago, in case you weren't aware.
- A sore throat. I want to drink all the things!
- The inability to keep my eyes opened and focused on any one thing. Stupid sickness.
- Also, realizing I'm probably uninsured and hoping this really is just a cold.
- The number of cops cruising the roadway this afternoon. Luckily I wasn't partaking in illegal activity, but wow, were they swarming.
- Fitting our class into a room with 20 chairs on Tuesday night. There are 24 students enrolled in the class. We're going to each other really well this quarter.
- The intercom in our apartment is finally hooked up....to my cell phone. And I have no idea how I'm supposed to open the door. But, hey, at least it got done.
Awesome:
- Bowl game season in college football. Have you guys been watching this stuff? My roomie and I spent 4 hours at our local bar to catch Oregon and Stanford. We made some friends, got to know the staff, and I ate some sinful deep fried bacon burger sliders. They were serious business.
- Using sickness as an excuse to wear sweatpants for multiple days in a row.
- Homemade soup...tomato basil on Wednesday (with gourmet grilled cheese) and potato, ham, and cheese tonight.
- Let me just talk about that cheese again--Irish whiskey cheddar and goat milk gouda. And tonight we used Cougar Gold in our soup.
- Have you heard of Sporcle.com? I found out about it through Vanessa's post yesterday and am now prepared to spend half my life there.
- New TV shows starting back up. Parenthood and Modern Family are the best. (As an aside, are TV shows supposed to be italicized?)
This post basically says the same things as yesterday's: cheese and sickness.
(Plus, a little sports.)
1.04.2012
The Rambler
You know what happens when you have two blogs and contribute to another? You can't remember what exactly you were going to post where. That's what.
Also, I'm in the throes of a cold right now. You know, swollen glands, runny nose, head that feels like it could explode. That sort of thing.
And I took PM cold medicine about an hour ago, so this might not come out all that clear and coherent. Consider yourself warned. Plus, the content is not really related to, well, itself.
I continue to use two spaces in my writing even though we're not supposed to anymore. Did you know this? Do you care? It's just so ingrained in me, from years of doing it and from my work as a transcriber. Our software was set up so that a double space equaled a period.
I've been considering doing this cleanse. I read about somewhere on someone's blog. Sorry I can't remember where (again, that seems to happen fairly frequently).
I like it because it focuses on a lot of fruits and veggies, removing processed food, etc, but it wouldn't require me to only drink juice for weeks. No thank you. Although, organic soy and I are probably not going to happen.
We'll see if it actually happens. Tonight's dinner was tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, clearly not in line with any sort of cleanse. But it was delicious and comforting in my foggy state.
In related news, fancy cheese is totally worth the splurge.
On that life changing note, I'm headed off to snuggle under the covers. As opposed to sitting on the covers as I'm doing now.
This is a sleepy, foggy, just-been-up-for-12-hours E signing off!
A.K.A. I'm losing my mind.
Also, I'm in the throes of a cold right now. You know, swollen glands, runny nose, head that feels like it could explode. That sort of thing.
And I took PM cold medicine about an hour ago, so this might not come out all that clear and coherent. Consider yourself warned. Plus, the content is not really related to, well, itself.
I continue to use two spaces in my writing even though we're not supposed to anymore. Did you know this? Do you care? It's just so ingrained in me, from years of doing it and from my work as a transcriber. Our software was set up so that a double space equaled a period.
I've been considering doing this cleanse. I read about somewhere on someone's blog. Sorry I can't remember where (again, that seems to happen fairly frequently).
I like it because it focuses on a lot of fruits and veggies, removing processed food, etc, but it wouldn't require me to only drink juice for weeks. No thank you. Although, organic soy and I are probably not going to happen.
We'll see if it actually happens. Tonight's dinner was tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, clearly not in line with any sort of cleanse. But it was delicious and comforting in my foggy state.
In related news, fancy cheese is totally worth the splurge.
On that life changing note, I'm headed off to snuggle under the covers. As opposed to sitting on the covers as I'm doing now.
This is a sleepy, foggy, just-been-up-for-12-hours E signing off!
1.03.2012
Ten on Tuesday: Ringing in 2012
I'm making a last minute effort to join in on Ten on Tuesday. Tonight was my first class of the quarter. And while I am excited, it was a little bittersweet for my too-short break to end.
Even though Tuesday's basically over, if you still want to join in, you can. I won't judge. Just visit Chelsea's blog.
1. What did you get for Christmas?
Well, I already unveiled my quilt (the star of the show), I also got books, a cool vase, a few skirts, a button up shirt, sweet boots, a nice casserole dish, and the naked eyeshadow palette. There were a few other things, but that's the gist of it.
2. Have you taken down your Christmas decorations?
I personally didn't have any decorations. My roommate took hers down yesterday, Monday, something.
3. What did you do for New Year's Eve?
The roomies and I went to NY Pizza and Bar to hang out prior to fireworks, but we ran out of steam and ended up at home in sweats before midnight. We are crazy like that.
4. Do you like accents?
Of course. Sometimes I wish I had one. I also feel so proud of myself when I understand someone with a thick accent.
5. What kind of television do you have?
I just have to come out and admit this. I have a 50" LG plasma flatscreen. It was a splurge this summer. One that I planned for, but still a little ridiculous. I do love it though!
6. Did you make any changes at the beginning of 2012?
So far the biggest change is that I've flossed every day. It's quite the achievement. I don't even have a dentist appointment coming up.
7. What's the last book you read and do you recommend it?
Um, let me check my Kindle. I'm not so good at actually remembering the titles. Actually I'm too lazy to check right now but as most of the books I've read recently were on the free download list, they are nothing to write home about. I should probably get over my cheapness and read some good stuff one of these days.
8. Do you stay current on celebrity gossip?
As much as Twitter tells me, otherwise I check stuff out now and then but am not obsessed with it.
9. Do you know the words to Bohemian Rhapsody? Gangstas Paradise? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
Some of the first two, most of the last. Also, Big Butts is a good one. Just saying.
10. What is your favorite educational television show?
Does HGTV count? No? I actually find stuff on the History Channel, particularly about war pretty intriguing, but we have basic cable so I don't watch a lot of that.
Even though Tuesday's basically over, if you still want to join in, you can. I won't judge. Just visit Chelsea's blog.
1. What did you get for Christmas?
Well, I already unveiled my quilt (the star of the show), I also got books, a cool vase, a few skirts, a button up shirt, sweet boots, a nice casserole dish, and the naked eyeshadow palette. There were a few other things, but that's the gist of it.
2. Have you taken down your Christmas decorations?
I personally didn't have any decorations. My roommate took hers down yesterday, Monday, something.
3. What did you do for New Year's Eve?
The roomies and I went to NY Pizza and Bar to hang out prior to fireworks, but we ran out of steam and ended up at home in sweats before midnight. We are crazy like that.
4. Do you like accents?
Of course. Sometimes I wish I had one. I also feel so proud of myself when I understand someone with a thick accent.
5. What kind of television do you have?
I just have to come out and admit this. I have a 50" LG plasma flatscreen. It was a splurge this summer. One that I planned for, but still a little ridiculous. I do love it though!
6. Did you make any changes at the beginning of 2012?
So far the biggest change is that I've flossed every day. It's quite the achievement. I don't even have a dentist appointment coming up.
7. What's the last book you read and do you recommend it?
Um, let me check my Kindle. I'm not so good at actually remembering the titles. Actually I'm too lazy to check right now but as most of the books I've read recently were on the free download list, they are nothing to write home about. I should probably get over my cheapness and read some good stuff one of these days.
8. Do you stay current on celebrity gossip?
As much as Twitter tells me, otherwise I check stuff out now and then but am not obsessed with it.
9. Do you know the words to Bohemian Rhapsody? Gangstas Paradise? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
Some of the first two, most of the last. Also, Big Butts is a good one. Just saying.
10. What is your favorite educational television show?
Does HGTV count? No? I actually find stuff on the History Channel, particularly about war pretty intriguing, but we have basic cable so I don't watch a lot of that.
1.01.2012
Past, Present, and Future
First of all, you should prepare yourself for the essay of a post you are about to read. Sorry, I couldn't help it. (Well, I'm not going to.)
I've read countless year-in-review and 2012 resolution posts in the past week. It's fun to be reminded of what some of my favorite bloggers have done this year and see what they hope to accomplish in the next.
That said, I've been staring blankly at the draft forever. Or at least that's what it feels like. The year in review I can do. You probably remember the big stuff, but it's easy to remind you of that. In fact, here you go!
(First, let me just say thank you to everyone who stopped by the blog and/or commented...it means a lot to me!)
January: This month was pretty low key. I got a gym membership (how cliche of me!), enjoyed a little snow, and went on a gorgeous day hike.
February: February was filled with completing my first 30 for 30, applying for grad school, enjoying a weekend filled with family, and this one unfortunate incident.
March: In March I went to a really fun wine event with Sarah and met Stevie for the first time in person! Yay for blog friends who turn into real life friends. I also enjoyed a couple weeks off from work and shared a beautiful video of the place I now call home. It's worth watching if you haven't yet.
April: I found out I was going to Europe!!! and that I got into grad school!!! (But apparently couldn't be bothered to blog about grad school, but I promise it happened.)
May: I had some lunch with really good friends and spent time with them in Portland. It was a blast. My sister graduated from college and we celebrated! I also spent time in Seattle with my dad, doing what we do best: eating. I also released the previously unknown itinerary for Europe.
June (a.k.a. Europe): (Get ready for this, it's going to be a long one.) My good friend CeCe and I left for Europa. There were two days in Dingle, some castles and driving, Kinsale and Thomastown, and a few days in Dublin.
Next it was on to Scotland, for Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and a full day on the Royal Mile (there were even pictures to prove I was there).
I learned all about train traveling and enjoyed time in York, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and Oxford. Then came London. So many days of London. Along with a trip to Bath and Salisbury.
The last few days found me traveling to Helsinki to visit family. We had a lot of fun.
July: Finland spilled over into July. It was hot. We did a lot around Helsinki and went to Tallinn. And washed rugs in the sea. After a few more days, I went home and my cousin Michelle came with me. There were photos to illustrate my adventures.
There was a week of a lot of movie watching and some other stuff. We also got makeovers together.
August: Here's a summary of the summer awesomeness in pictures. I went to the zoo, again, started the moving process, and made really delicious cinnamon rolls (seriously, try them).
September: There was a lot of craziness (moving, traveling, etc.) this month. I started school and took part in Fall Fashion Week. I went wine tasting. Life was good.
October: I traveled across the state again. Shared photos from life's shenanigans, twice thanks to a new iPhone 4S! I also gave a tour of my apartment. (Kind of, I've only shown the bedroom so far. Is it too late at this point?)
November: I started sharing some recipes. (This should start back up now that I've made it home.) I started another blog. I changed a tire with help from a friend. I was thankful. And still took pictures.
December (a.k.a. yesterday): I finished my first quarter of grad school, enjoyed a visit to Candy Cane Lane, ate desserts, and bought yarn. After Christmas, I went to visit family over on the east side of the state.
</end year recap> *Phew*
(If you click through to any of those posts, I will seriously be impressed.)
It's the whole resolution thing that really gets me. Not to say there aren't things I want to accomplish. There are. But I'm more of a take-life-as-it-comes person.
Then one of my best blog friends, Stevie, mentioned Stephany (who I love) and Katherine's idea to set monthly goals. (I think someone else brought this up, too, but now I can't remember. Sorry!) This is something I can get behind. I'm all about smaller, more achieveable goals. Just consider my other blog.
So I'm joining in with goals for the first few months of the year. And hopefully I remember to give you updates. :)
For January, my goal is to get a job. I haven't talked about this much, but I've decided not to work up north this quarter. All the driving was just too exhausting.
For February, I want to focus on balancing school, work (hopefully!), and my health by setting and keeping a regular weekly schedule that includes meal planning and regular exercise.
For March, I want to set aside quiet time at least three days a week for prayer, reflection, and to just slow down.
So those are my goals. Hopefully they are achievable. February is a little hard to measure, but maybe I'll get into more specifics when we get there. Or maybe I'll forget entirely.
Anyways, this post ended up being way more time intensive than I expected (plus it was interrupted by church and Friends With Benefits--two things that don't go together at all), so I really need to sleep now.
A belated happy New Year!!!
I've read countless year-in-review and 2012 resolution posts in the past week. It's fun to be reminded of what some of my favorite bloggers have done this year and see what they hope to accomplish in the next.
That said, I've been staring blankly at the draft forever. Or at least that's what it feels like. The year in review I can do. You probably remember the big stuff, but it's easy to remind you of that. In fact, here you go!
(First, let me just say thank you to everyone who stopped by the blog and/or commented...it means a lot to me!)
January: This month was pretty low key. I got a gym membership (how cliche of me!), enjoyed a little snow, and went on a gorgeous day hike.
February: February was filled with completing my first 30 for 30, applying for grad school, enjoying a weekend filled with family, and this one unfortunate incident.
March: In March I went to a really fun wine event with Sarah and met Stevie for the first time in person! Yay for blog friends who turn into real life friends. I also enjoyed a couple weeks off from work and shared a beautiful video of the place I now call home. It's worth watching if you haven't yet.
April: I found out I was going to Europe!!! and that I got into grad school!!! (But apparently couldn't be bothered to blog about grad school, but I promise it happened.)
May: I had some lunch with really good friends and spent time with them in Portland. It was a blast. My sister graduated from college and we celebrated! I also spent time in Seattle with my dad, doing what we do best: eating. I also released the previously unknown itinerary for Europe.
June (a.k.a. Europe): (Get ready for this, it's going to be a long one.) My good friend CeCe and I left for Europa. There were two days in Dingle, some castles and driving, Kinsale and Thomastown, and a few days in Dublin.
Next it was on to Scotland, for Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and a full day on the Royal Mile (there were even pictures to prove I was there).
I learned all about train traveling and enjoyed time in York, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and Oxford. Then came London. So many days of London. Along with a trip to Bath and Salisbury.
The last few days found me traveling to Helsinki to visit family. We had a lot of fun.
July: Finland spilled over into July. It was hot. We did a lot around Helsinki and went to Tallinn. And washed rugs in the sea. After a few more days, I went home and my cousin Michelle came with me. There were photos to illustrate my adventures.
There was a week of a lot of movie watching and some other stuff. We also got makeovers together.
August: Here's a summary of the summer awesomeness in pictures. I went to the zoo, again, started the moving process, and made really delicious cinnamon rolls (seriously, try them).
September: There was a lot of craziness (moving, traveling, etc.) this month. I started school and took part in Fall Fashion Week. I went wine tasting. Life was good.
October: I traveled across the state again. Shared photos from life's shenanigans, twice thanks to a new iPhone 4S! I also gave a tour of my apartment. (Kind of, I've only shown the bedroom so far. Is it too late at this point?)
November: I started sharing some recipes. (This should start back up now that I've made it home.) I started another blog. I changed a tire with help from a friend. I was thankful. And still took pictures.
December (a.k.a. yesterday): I finished my first quarter of grad school, enjoyed a visit to Candy Cane Lane, ate desserts, and bought yarn. After Christmas, I went to visit family over on the east side of the state.
</end year recap> *Phew*
(If you click through to any of those posts, I will seriously be impressed.)
It's the whole resolution thing that really gets me. Not to say there aren't things I want to accomplish. There are. But I'm more of a take-life-as-it-comes person.
Then one of my best blog friends, Stevie, mentioned Stephany (who I love) and Katherine's idea to set monthly goals. (I think someone else brought this up, too, but now I can't remember. Sorry!) This is something I can get behind. I'm all about smaller, more achieveable goals. Just consider my other blog.
So I'm joining in with goals for the first few months of the year. And hopefully I remember to give you updates. :)
For January, my goal is to get a job. I haven't talked about this much, but I've decided not to work up north this quarter. All the driving was just too exhausting.
For February, I want to focus on balancing school, work (hopefully!), and my health by setting and keeping a regular weekly schedule that includes meal planning and regular exercise.
For March, I want to set aside quiet time at least three days a week for prayer, reflection, and to just slow down.
So those are my goals. Hopefully they are achievable. February is a little hard to measure, but maybe I'll get into more specifics when we get there. Or maybe I'll forget entirely.
Anyways, this post ended up being way more time intensive than I expected (plus it was interrupted by church and Friends With Benefits--two things that don't go together at all), so I really need to sleep now.
A belated happy New Year!!!
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