She showed up in this. Those are Coronas on her pajama pants.
Steph would like it noted that she is not ashamed to be herself. Rock on Stephie, rock on.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Rock On
Steph came over this past Sunday because she needed a hang out while her apartment was being bug bombed.
She showed up in this. Those are Coronas on her pajama pants.
Steph would like it noted that she is not ashamed to be herself. Rock on Stephie, rock on.
She showed up in this. Those are Coronas on her pajama pants.
Steph would like it noted that she is not ashamed to be herself. Rock on Stephie, rock on.
A Score To Settle
When Brady and I moved in together, my parents were none too pleased about the whole "living in sin" situation. That Christmas, I thought I would try to be grown-up and show my family that I was taking my new living situation seriously, making a life for Brady and me, and that I had become a domestic goddess. So I baked chocolate chip cookies for my family's Christmas Eve dinner. And I burnt the heck out of them. I'm talking charcoal grilled cookies. But I brought them anyways, in a cute little basket of course. When my family saw the cookies they just about died laughing at my pathetic cookie attempt. A couple people politely took a bite of some, before spitting them out. My mom just kept saying how cute it was that I tried to be a grown up and bring something to the Christmas dinner. With all this ridicule, I ended up drowning my sorrows in wine, called Brady the Crusader Against Fun (I can't remember why, probably because he tried to take my wine away from me), and enjoyed Christmas morning with a hangover.
Needless to say I had a score to settle with chocolate chip cookies. Specifically the Tollhouse recipe. Watch out cookies, I'm about to own you.
Stephanie was there to assist me with the baking. I also got to break out my new hand mixer. Look at this bad boy, it just screams power.
The cookie process is going well, the dough actually looks like real cookie dough. But making the dough isn't my problem, it's the burning that I have issues with.
Looking good, looking real good.
Ta Da! Chocolate chip cookies that are not burned in the slightest! Success! Victory is mine! Take that chocolate chip cookie!
Back to my original Christmas cookie debacle. Like I said, my mom thought it was cute that I tried to bake, so she shellaced one of the cookies (shellac is a clear sealant used to preserve stuff for crafts). She left it on her dresser to dry. Later in the day, she walked past her dresser and looked at the shellaced cookie. It had a bite out of it. We came to find that my brother had seen the cookie and taken a bite out of it, shellac and all.
Needless to say I had a score to settle with chocolate chip cookies. Specifically the Tollhouse recipe. Watch out cookies, I'm about to own you.
Stephanie was there to assist me with the baking. I also got to break out my new hand mixer. Look at this bad boy, it just screams power.
The cookie process is going well, the dough actually looks like real cookie dough. But making the dough isn't my problem, it's the burning that I have issues with.
Looking good, looking real good.
Ta Da! Chocolate chip cookies that are not burned in the slightest! Success! Victory is mine! Take that chocolate chip cookie!
Back to my original Christmas cookie debacle. Like I said, my mom thought it was cute that I tried to bake, so she shellaced one of the cookies (shellac is a clear sealant used to preserve stuff for crafts). She left it on her dresser to dry. Later in the day, she walked past her dresser and looked at the shellaced cookie. It had a bite out of it. We came to find that my brother had seen the cookie and taken a bite out of it, shellac and all.
Sassy
Sunday, September 27, 2009
The Power of Underwear
Brady and I both own Michigan underwear. I got mine from Victoria's Secret. They have this super cute collegiate line of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and such. Unfortunately, they do not have any UCSB gear, so I had to settle for Michigan. I'm not sure where Brady got his boxers, but since they make Michigan gnomes I am not surprised that Michigan boxers are also available.
Brady and I make sure to wear our underwear on game day. The night before, I make sure the laundry is done so that we have clean Michigan chonies. We did this for the first three games and Michigan won. The Bradys and their underwear have powers, I swear.
This past game day, Brady was in Vegas. I love me some Michigan football, but I have to admit that when Brady isn't here I don't watch the games. But I do keep an eye on the score online. So, Saturday morning I go to the gym. When I get home I check the game, its halftime and Michigan is losing. Crap! I'm not wearing my underwear! I ran upstairs, took a shower and put my Michigan undies on. I texted Brady that the game was going to be ok as I was now wearing my underwear.
Michigan won the game versus Indiana. When Brady got home on Sunday, we caught up about our weekends. I was telling him how I wasn't wearing my Michigan underwear for the first half of the game and that I was glad that I put it on and they won. He then informed me that he was not wearing his Michigan boxers during the first half either because he had gotten dressed in the dark (not wanting to wake his buddy) and he couldn't find them in his suitcase. But, he did go to his hotel room and halftime and found them and put them on. And Michigan won. It is apparent to me that the Bradys and their Michigan underwear have true magical powers, it is imperative that we continue wearing them on game day. I can't believe that I am actually participating in a sports superstition. And Brady would like it noted that he wears boxers, not briefs.
Brady and I make sure to wear our underwear on game day. The night before, I make sure the laundry is done so that we have clean Michigan chonies. We did this for the first three games and Michigan won. The Bradys and their underwear have powers, I swear.
This past game day, Brady was in Vegas. I love me some Michigan football, but I have to admit that when Brady isn't here I don't watch the games. But I do keep an eye on the score online. So, Saturday morning I go to the gym. When I get home I check the game, its halftime and Michigan is losing. Crap! I'm not wearing my underwear! I ran upstairs, took a shower and put my Michigan undies on. I texted Brady that the game was going to be ok as I was now wearing my underwear.
Michigan won the game versus Indiana. When Brady got home on Sunday, we caught up about our weekends. I was telling him how I wasn't wearing my Michigan underwear for the first half of the game and that I was glad that I put it on and they won. He then informed me that he was not wearing his Michigan boxers during the first half either because he had gotten dressed in the dark (not wanting to wake his buddy) and he couldn't find them in his suitcase. But, he did go to his hotel room and halftime and found them and put them on. And Michigan won. It is apparent to me that the Bradys and their Michigan underwear have true magical powers, it is imperative that we continue wearing them on game day. I can't believe that I am actually participating in a sports superstition. And Brady would like it noted that he wears boxers, not briefs.
Movie Weekend
This weekend Brady went to Vegas, again. I really had no plans for the weekend. Well I had planned to get a bunch of work done, that plan definitely did not pan out. Instead I watched a bunch of movies.
I started off with Clerks. I love this movie, totally simple, black and white, not much of a plot line, but it has some of the best dialogue ever. The acting is not the greatest, actually some of the acting is horrendous, but the one-liners kill me every time. Clerks makes me wish I had a mindless, drone of a job, where I would never be stressed because I would never have to really think about anything or do a good job...like Randall. I would just be a smart ass to everyone, leave my store whenever I wanted, and not care. But then I probably wouldn't have a house or be able to pay my bills, eat, which I guess is kind of important.
Next, I watched Roman Holiday. I love Audrey Hepburn but I had only seen Breakfast at Tiffany's, one of my favorites. After seeing Roman Holiday, I realized that Audrey Hepburn is one of those actresses that, while adorable, always plays herself. This was a cute movie, not much too it. I really enjoyed the Roman scenery. I went to Rome in 1997 and absolutely loved it, I've been dying to go back. And Gregory Peck is pretty easy on the eyes. I just love the look of a clean cut man in a nice suit, you just don't see that anymore. Occasionally, I see Brady in a suit before he goes to court, and he looks darn good in a suit. But when he goes to court he gets up really early and I'm usually still asleep.
Then I watched Chinatown. This is great, kinda crazy, kinda disturbing movie. And young Jack Nicholson? Nuff said. I found it pretty funny that the day after I watched this Roman Polanski finally was arrested. Polanski directed Chinatown, this was his last American film before he was convicted of statutory rape and fled to France to avoid sentencing. This movie is an entertaining private eye/detective story but it is also very historical. It tells a fictionalized story of the corruption of Los Angeles bringing water from the Owens River to the San Fernando Valley, essentially creating the "Valley." I first saw this movie in a Chicano Studies class in college, we were studying the development of Los Angeles and the role of minorities. I loved that class, it was intriguing and eye-opening. I was one of a few white people in the class. It was me and a couple of white guys, who always raised their hands and tried to tell stories of how they were discriminated against too. I would always think, really? You guys sound like jackasses. It reminded me that such classes were still needed and people's minds and eyes still required opening.
I did get a lot of housework and yardwork done this weekend as well. I wasn't just a total bum watching movies. Well I was a pretty big bum. But that's what the weekend is for, right?
I started off with Clerks. I love this movie, totally simple, black and white, not much of a plot line, but it has some of the best dialogue ever. The acting is not the greatest, actually some of the acting is horrendous, but the one-liners kill me every time. Clerks makes me wish I had a mindless, drone of a job, where I would never be stressed because I would never have to really think about anything or do a good job...like Randall. I would just be a smart ass to everyone, leave my store whenever I wanted, and not care. But then I probably wouldn't have a house or be able to pay my bills, eat, which I guess is kind of important.
Next, I watched Roman Holiday. I love Audrey Hepburn but I had only seen Breakfast at Tiffany's, one of my favorites. After seeing Roman Holiday, I realized that Audrey Hepburn is one of those actresses that, while adorable, always plays herself. This was a cute movie, not much too it. I really enjoyed the Roman scenery. I went to Rome in 1997 and absolutely loved it, I've been dying to go back. And Gregory Peck is pretty easy on the eyes. I just love the look of a clean cut man in a nice suit, you just don't see that anymore. Occasionally, I see Brady in a suit before he goes to court, and he looks darn good in a suit. But when he goes to court he gets up really early and I'm usually still asleep.
Then I watched Chinatown. This is great, kinda crazy, kinda disturbing movie. And young Jack Nicholson? Nuff said. I found it pretty funny that the day after I watched this Roman Polanski finally was arrested. Polanski directed Chinatown, this was his last American film before he was convicted of statutory rape and fled to France to avoid sentencing. This movie is an entertaining private eye/detective story but it is also very historical. It tells a fictionalized story of the corruption of Los Angeles bringing water from the Owens River to the San Fernando Valley, essentially creating the "Valley." I first saw this movie in a Chicano Studies class in college, we were studying the development of Los Angeles and the role of minorities. I loved that class, it was intriguing and eye-opening. I was one of a few white people in the class. It was me and a couple of white guys, who always raised their hands and tried to tell stories of how they were discriminated against too. I would always think, really? You guys sound like jackasses. It reminded me that such classes were still needed and people's minds and eyes still required opening.
I did get a lot of housework and yardwork done this weekend as well. I wasn't just a total bum watching movies. Well I was a pretty big bum. But that's what the weekend is for, right?
Friday, September 25, 2009
Confession
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Goodbye Little Maddie
Last night my mom was walking Maddie and Jaeger. My mom was walking back to her house and Maddie was following behind her. In a flash, Maddie was gone, she was snatched by a coyote. My mom ran after her, but there were two coyotes and nothing could be done.
To say that my family is devastated is a gross understatement. We, especially my mom, loved that dog. Maddie was just over four years old, her time on this earth was far too short.
She was a sweet little dog, she doted on my mom who returned the feelings. She loved to snuggle with my mom in bed. Maddie loved to chase her tiny little balls and chew on miniature rawhide bones. She barked like crazy when someone came to the door but once you were inside the house, she ran up to you, wagging her little nub of a tail, excited as can be.
My family treats our dogs like members of the family. It is heartbreaking for me to write this, to look at her picture. But in a desperate attempt to feel less heartbroken, I wanted to acknowledge her and acknowledge how I was feeling. I am saddened about the loss of Maddie's short life and saddened about the tremendous loss my mom is experiencing. My mom was the most attached to Maddie, they were inseparable. Wherever my mom went, Maddie would be right behind her, with the little bell on her collar jingling happily. My grandma assured me that Maddie was in heaven and that thought comforted me. I know some people will think I'm crazy for feeling this way; but, again, Maddie was truly part of our family. I know there are some people out there who would understand. I can't even imagine going to my parents' house without her greeting me with little yappy barks and a wagging tail.
Goodbye little Maddie. You were a sweet, scruffy, yappy, little dog, and my family and I loved every inch of you. As crazy as it may be, I am still clinging on to a scrap of hope that you escaped and will find your way home. And I want to remind everyone, to be very careful walking your dog at night. Coyotes do exist in suburban areas and they are not afraid of people.
To say that my family is devastated is a gross understatement. We, especially my mom, loved that dog. Maddie was just over four years old, her time on this earth was far too short.
She was a sweet little dog, she doted on my mom who returned the feelings. She loved to snuggle with my mom in bed. Maddie loved to chase her tiny little balls and chew on miniature rawhide bones. She barked like crazy when someone came to the door but once you were inside the house, she ran up to you, wagging her little nub of a tail, excited as can be.
My family treats our dogs like members of the family. It is heartbreaking for me to write this, to look at her picture. But in a desperate attempt to feel less heartbroken, I wanted to acknowledge her and acknowledge how I was feeling. I am saddened about the loss of Maddie's short life and saddened about the tremendous loss my mom is experiencing. My mom was the most attached to Maddie, they were inseparable. Wherever my mom went, Maddie would be right behind her, with the little bell on her collar jingling happily. My grandma assured me that Maddie was in heaven and that thought comforted me. I know some people will think I'm crazy for feeling this way; but, again, Maddie was truly part of our family. I know there are some people out there who would understand. I can't even imagine going to my parents' house without her greeting me with little yappy barks and a wagging tail.
Goodbye little Maddie. You were a sweet, scruffy, yappy, little dog, and my family and I loved every inch of you. As crazy as it may be, I am still clinging on to a scrap of hope that you escaped and will find your way home. And I want to remind everyone, to be very careful walking your dog at night. Coyotes do exist in suburban areas and they are not afraid of people.
Monday, September 21, 2009
So Long Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
One of my favorite blogs, The Pioneer Woman, has this great looking recipe for pasta with roasted red pepper sauce.
I made it once for Brady and it was kind of a disaster. In the process of roasting my peppers, I set off our smoke detector about 10 times. Brady was yelling at me to fan the air around the smoke detector, I was yelling that I was too short to do that, the dogs were freaking out, and we could not get the stupid thing to stop beeping. After all of that, Brady didn't really love the recipe, I liked it but I was so frazzled from the hassle of roasting the peppers and the smoke detector that I did not get to quite enjoy it.
So tonight Brady is at an Angels game and I have decided to give the recipe another try. This time I only roasted two peppers (previously I had roasted five) and managed to not set off the smoke detector at all. I love the smell of roasted red peppers.
Basically the recipe is roasted red peppers, pureed in the blender and sauteed with onion and garlic and heavy cream added at the end. So I tried to make this a little healthier, I used low sodium chicken broth instead of heavy cream and at the end I added a dollop of low fat plain yogurt for the creaminess. I didn't have an onion so I used a shallot, I did have plenty of garlic though.
This recipe finally got me to use my food processor which had been sitting in its box for almost a year. Before Brady and I were even engaged, I talked about wanting to register for a food processor. I wouldn't let me buy him one, I had bridal visions of going to Macy's and picking out my food processor and it arriving at my parent's house in frilly white bridal wrapping paper with a big white bow. And then I got it, and it seemed really intimidating and I didn't use it for almost a year. After 20 minutes of wrestling with the stupid thing, I finally figured out how to get the bowl to lock so I could turn the damn thing on and now I love my food processor.
I am still afraid of my crock pot. I just don't trust something that can stay on for eight hours and not explode, it doesn't seem right. Countless people have told me that you can leave it on all day and it's fine. I've had the thing for almost three years and I've never used it. I think I need to use it on a Saturday so that I can observe it cooking all day and not exploding. Then maybe I will feel comfortable with using it during the week.
Back to the roasted red pepper recipe. It is ok, but not great. It is just not that great as a pasta sauce, I'm not sure why. It isn't saucy enough. I think it would be a better dip, kind of a roasted red pepper bruschetta or maybe with pita chips. I think I'm going to let this recipe go, we were not meant to be. It's really not any one's fault. We decided to still be friends but it's time that pasta with roasted red pepper sauce and I parted ways.
I made it once for Brady and it was kind of a disaster. In the process of roasting my peppers, I set off our smoke detector about 10 times. Brady was yelling at me to fan the air around the smoke detector, I was yelling that I was too short to do that, the dogs were freaking out, and we could not get the stupid thing to stop beeping. After all of that, Brady didn't really love the recipe, I liked it but I was so frazzled from the hassle of roasting the peppers and the smoke detector that I did not get to quite enjoy it.
So tonight Brady is at an Angels game and I have decided to give the recipe another try. This time I only roasted two peppers (previously I had roasted five) and managed to not set off the smoke detector at all. I love the smell of roasted red peppers.
Basically the recipe is roasted red peppers, pureed in the blender and sauteed with onion and garlic and heavy cream added at the end. So I tried to make this a little healthier, I used low sodium chicken broth instead of heavy cream and at the end I added a dollop of low fat plain yogurt for the creaminess. I didn't have an onion so I used a shallot, I did have plenty of garlic though.
This recipe finally got me to use my food processor which had been sitting in its box for almost a year. Before Brady and I were even engaged, I talked about wanting to register for a food processor. I wouldn't let me buy him one, I had bridal visions of going to Macy's and picking out my food processor and it arriving at my parent's house in frilly white bridal wrapping paper with a big white bow. And then I got it, and it seemed really intimidating and I didn't use it for almost a year. After 20 minutes of wrestling with the stupid thing, I finally figured out how to get the bowl to lock so I could turn the damn thing on and now I love my food processor.
I am still afraid of my crock pot. I just don't trust something that can stay on for eight hours and not explode, it doesn't seem right. Countless people have told me that you can leave it on all day and it's fine. I've had the thing for almost three years and I've never used it. I think I need to use it on a Saturday so that I can observe it cooking all day and not exploding. Then maybe I will feel comfortable with using it during the week.
Back to the roasted red pepper recipe. It is ok, but not great. It is just not that great as a pasta sauce, I'm not sure why. It isn't saucy enough. I think it would be a better dip, kind of a roasted red pepper bruschetta or maybe with pita chips. I think I'm going to let this recipe go, we were not meant to be. It's really not any one's fault. We decided to still be friends but it's time that pasta with roasted red pepper sauce and I parted ways.
An Ear Infection, A Spare Room, and A Baby
This weekend I was lucky enough to get a horribly painful ear infection. I went to the doctor this morning to get something, anything, to get rid of the infection. I love my doctor, she's so cute, and really nice. She's into technology, so I can make appointments online which is nice. She also puts up with all my silly questions and doesn't prescribe medication or tests that are not necessary. She's great.
So while I was there for my throbbing ear, I thought I would use the opportunity to ask a few pregnancy related questions. Brady and I aren't quite ready to "try," but we are thinking about the next year or so and I want to make sure that I am healthy and taking all the necessary precautions. I really just wanted to know about prenatal vitamins, which ones to take, when you should take them. My doctor told me that I should take one high in folic acid and start taking them about six months prior to becoming pregnant. I'm glad I asked because I read on the internet that non-pregnant women shouldn't take prenatal vitamins at all because the folic acid can be bad. Now that I think about it, that really doesn't make much sense, folic acid is in like broccoli and that is good for you. Again, it's a good thing I thought to ask my doctor because I'm clearly getting faulty medical advice from the internet.
So I want to take the next year to get as healthy as possible, get my weight down to my goal, take my vitamins, etc. I'm also pretty sure it is going to take us a year and nine months to deal with this:
This is our guest room/nursery/the dark abyss where all our crap that doesn't have a home goes. It is a gigantic mess and when we do have a baby, I have no idea where all this junk is going to go as the rest of our house is already full.
And the thing is, it really isn't junk. There is a lot of very expensive sports memorabilia in there. As well as some nice furniture and art work.
Oh look, here is a big container of all my kitchen gadgets. The spare room upstairs is the perfect place for all this stuff. In my defense, I had to put all this stuff in the spare room when we had our cabinets ripped out due to mold, But that was a few weeks ago, our kitchen is put back together, and I have yet to put it all back.
And there are random pictures that were never really unpacked from our last apartment.
So before a baby comes, this room needs to be dealt with and painted. It still has the prior owner's paint job which was for a litte girl's bedroom. Obviously there will be more preparations than just this room but I'm focusing on this room because baby or not, I really want this room cleaned up and put in order. It is seriously messing with my chi having such a disorganized room.
So while I was there for my throbbing ear, I thought I would use the opportunity to ask a few pregnancy related questions. Brady and I aren't quite ready to "try," but we are thinking about the next year or so and I want to make sure that I am healthy and taking all the necessary precautions. I really just wanted to know about prenatal vitamins, which ones to take, when you should take them. My doctor told me that I should take one high in folic acid and start taking them about six months prior to becoming pregnant. I'm glad I asked because I read on the internet that non-pregnant women shouldn't take prenatal vitamins at all because the folic acid can be bad. Now that I think about it, that really doesn't make much sense, folic acid is in like broccoli and that is good for you. Again, it's a good thing I thought to ask my doctor because I'm clearly getting faulty medical advice from the internet.
So I want to take the next year to get as healthy as possible, get my weight down to my goal, take my vitamins, etc. I'm also pretty sure it is going to take us a year and nine months to deal with this:
This is our guest room/nursery/the dark abyss where all our crap that doesn't have a home goes. It is a gigantic mess and when we do have a baby, I have no idea where all this junk is going to go as the rest of our house is already full.
And the thing is, it really isn't junk. There is a lot of very expensive sports memorabilia in there. As well as some nice furniture and art work.
Oh look, here is a big container of all my kitchen gadgets. The spare room upstairs is the perfect place for all this stuff. In my defense, I had to put all this stuff in the spare room when we had our cabinets ripped out due to mold, But that was a few weeks ago, our kitchen is put back together, and I have yet to put it all back.
And there are random pictures that were never really unpacked from our last apartment.
So before a baby comes, this room needs to be dealt with and painted. It still has the prior owner's paint job which was for a litte girl's bedroom. Obviously there will be more preparations than just this room but I'm focusing on this room because baby or not, I really want this room cleaned up and put in order. It is seriously messing with my chi having such a disorganized room.
Wine Country and Football
This past Sunday, Brady and I went to Temecula to visit Jader and her husband for a little wine tasting and football. Wine tasting and football, that's a good combo, everyone is happy.
We went to Ponte and tasted there. Then Jader and I dropped the boys off so they could watch football and we went on to Hart Winery. The tasting room was just down the hill from this house. I would like this to be my next house, a big giant house on the grounds of a winery...sounds pretty perfect to me.
Jader and I eventually rejoined the boys for steaks, wine, and football. Jader made this awesome grilled corn, my grilled corn definitely does not look or taste like hers. She made these little foil packets with butter and grilled the corn in that, so good.
This is my niece Sunshine. Jader got Sunshine when we were living together our senior year in college. She was just a teeny, tiny puppy back then and I used to puppy sit her. She's a border collie mix, just like my parents' Jaeger. I'm still trying to get them together for a date. She's a good dog, even if she does enjoy eating fences.
I had a gift card for Ponte from my bridal shower, over a year ago. I finally got to use it this weekend. Brady and I received a lot of gift cards from our wedding and we are good at using them. I mean we use gift cards to their absolute potential. A gift card is a challenge to us, we have to get as much as possible for the value of the card.
I think we did well with our Ponte purchases, we got two tastings, a bottle of yummy pinot grigio, two different kinds of specialty pesto, and three candle holders that are our new coffee table centerpiece.
I heart these candle holders, they look like fancy pineapples. I heart pineapples. They are good to eat, look good, smell good, pineapples are the best.
We had lots of fun with Jader and Mr. Jader, everytime I'm out in Temecula it makes me want to move there and have a giant house and wine taste all day long.
We went to Ponte and tasted there. Then Jader and I dropped the boys off so they could watch football and we went on to Hart Winery. The tasting room was just down the hill from this house. I would like this to be my next house, a big giant house on the grounds of a winery...sounds pretty perfect to me.
Jader and I eventually rejoined the boys for steaks, wine, and football. Jader made this awesome grilled corn, my grilled corn definitely does not look or taste like hers. She made these little foil packets with butter and grilled the corn in that, so good.
This is my niece Sunshine. Jader got Sunshine when we were living together our senior year in college. She was just a teeny, tiny puppy back then and I used to puppy sit her. She's a border collie mix, just like my parents' Jaeger. I'm still trying to get them together for a date. She's a good dog, even if she does enjoy eating fences.
I had a gift card for Ponte from my bridal shower, over a year ago. I finally got to use it this weekend. Brady and I received a lot of gift cards from our wedding and we are good at using them. I mean we use gift cards to their absolute potential. A gift card is a challenge to us, we have to get as much as possible for the value of the card.
I think we did well with our Ponte purchases, we got two tastings, a bottle of yummy pinot grigio, two different kinds of specialty pesto, and three candle holders that are our new coffee table centerpiece.
I heart these candle holders, they look like fancy pineapples. I heart pineapples. They are good to eat, look good, smell good, pineapples are the best.
We had lots of fun with Jader and Mr. Jader, everytime I'm out in Temecula it makes me want to move there and have a giant house and wine taste all day long.
Yay 100 Posts!
It is currently 3:16 am and I am awake, wide awake. I can hear my husband and bulldogs snoring and I am so jealous of the deep sleep they are enjoying. I would like to be asleep, but no, I had to take a whole bunch of cold medicine which usually makes me pass out and now I'm wide awake.
I'm trying to make myself sleepy by playing on the internet. I should probably do some work, that always makes me sleepy. Or read some Jane Austen,wait, that just makes me want to poke myself in the eye with a fork. In my playing on the internet, I noticed that I have written 100 posts on my blog! This makes me very happy, I'm happy that I started the blog and kept with it. I try to post something at least every other day and so far I've been pretty good about it. I'm glad that my blog hasn't not fallen by the wayside like my other projects (sorry scarf and kitchen table waiting to be stained, your time is coming, promise!).
When I started blogging I wasn't sure what I was going to write about it. I just sort of write about what's going on in my life and try to add some pictures to keep it interesting. When I started it was fun, but I didn't realize how important the blog would become to me. It feels really good to have a creative outlet, even if that outlet is just a blurb about what I did that day. When I was younger I used to write, a lot. I never did much with it, but the process of writing something, anything, was cathartic. Even if it was just a little poem about trees. Somewhere in college I just stopped writing, probably because I was so consumed with writing for classes. Now my writing on this blog isn't groundbreaking or anything, but just the act of sitting down and putting my thoughts into words feels good.
This blog has really had a positive impact on my life. It has satisfied a need to create something and has provided me with a forum to speak my mind. It also gives me a space to showcase all my bulldog photos which is nice because I think facebook was getting a little sick of them. Thank you very much to all my friends and family who have supported me on this little ol' blog. Special thanks to Rogue, she encouraged me to start this blog, leaves me comments that make me smile, and helps me with all my technical issues, thanks Rogue!
Now I need to get Brady to start a blog. I really think he should, he's a great writer. And he needs to do something with all that sports knowledge. I watch a lot of sports with Brady, and I'm sure his commentary is witty and insightful but it's lost on me. A blog would be a perfect place for all his sports thoughts. Brady, if you are reading this, go start a blog....and take out the trash, thanks baby.
Ok, now I'm going to try this sleep thing again. And if this post didn't make any sense, its the advil cold and sinus talking, I swear.
I'm trying to make myself sleepy by playing on the internet. I should probably do some work, that always makes me sleepy. Or read some Jane Austen,wait, that just makes me want to poke myself in the eye with a fork. In my playing on the internet, I noticed that I have written 100 posts on my blog! This makes me very happy, I'm happy that I started the blog and kept with it. I try to post something at least every other day and so far I've been pretty good about it. I'm glad that my blog hasn't not fallen by the wayside like my other projects (sorry scarf and kitchen table waiting to be stained, your time is coming, promise!).
When I started blogging I wasn't sure what I was going to write about it. I just sort of write about what's going on in my life and try to add some pictures to keep it interesting. When I started it was fun, but I didn't realize how important the blog would become to me. It feels really good to have a creative outlet, even if that outlet is just a blurb about what I did that day. When I was younger I used to write, a lot. I never did much with it, but the process of writing something, anything, was cathartic. Even if it was just a little poem about trees. Somewhere in college I just stopped writing, probably because I was so consumed with writing for classes. Now my writing on this blog isn't groundbreaking or anything, but just the act of sitting down and putting my thoughts into words feels good.
This blog has really had a positive impact on my life. It has satisfied a need to create something and has provided me with a forum to speak my mind. It also gives me a space to showcase all my bulldog photos which is nice because I think facebook was getting a little sick of them. Thank you very much to all my friends and family who have supported me on this little ol' blog. Special thanks to Rogue, she encouraged me to start this blog, leaves me comments that make me smile, and helps me with all my technical issues, thanks Rogue!
Now I need to get Brady to start a blog. I really think he should, he's a great writer. And he needs to do something with all that sports knowledge. I watch a lot of sports with Brady, and I'm sure his commentary is witty and insightful but it's lost on me. A blog would be a perfect place for all his sports thoughts. Brady, if you are reading this, go start a blog....and take out the trash, thanks baby.
Ok, now I'm going to try this sleep thing again. And if this post didn't make any sense, its the advil cold and sinus talking, I swear.
And here is another bulldog picture for good measure.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Billboards and Bands
On my way home from work there is a billboard for the San Manuel Indian Casino showcasing the latest act that will be performing there. It's always some has-been act from the 70s or 80s, like Lynard Skynard, even though half the original band has passed. The other day it was Chuck Berry, I didn't even know he was still alive. The band playing at San Manuel is always some act that was big in it's day but now has faded to obscurity. And I always feel bad for them, that their career has come to playing at a random Indian casino, like that is the only gig they can get even though they used to sell out stadiums. And the band always looks so old in the picture. I always imagine the middle-aged people attending these shows with their worn out concert t-shirts that no longer fit and reminiscing about when they first saw them live.
This week, I was driving home and saw that the band playing at San Manuel is the Stone Temple Pilots? What? I love STP, they've been my favorite band since I was 13, they are still good and should not be playing Indian casinos! They are not a has-been act, they are still relevant, right? Ok, I was 13 in 1993, sixteen years ago. STP has broken up I don't even know how many times and Weiland has been in rehab or jail countless times. I couldn't believe that one of my favorite bands has been reduced to this. I saw them in 2000 at the Universal Amphitheater (I have no idea what it's current corporate name is now) and at the Santa Barbara Bowl. They are amazing live. Definitely above playing at an Indian casino in the middle of no where.
Seeing that STP was going to be playing at San Manuel made me feel old and little like my dad who's musical tastes have not changed since 1976. Maybe I need to get with the times and find some new music. I don't want to be one of those old people at the concert with my old t-shirt going on about how great this band was back in the day. But, seriously, they were awesome.
This week, I was driving home and saw that the band playing at San Manuel is the Stone Temple Pilots? What? I love STP, they've been my favorite band since I was 13, they are still good and should not be playing Indian casinos! They are not a has-been act, they are still relevant, right? Ok, I was 13 in 1993, sixteen years ago. STP has broken up I don't even know how many times and Weiland has been in rehab or jail countless times. I couldn't believe that one of my favorite bands has been reduced to this. I saw them in 2000 at the Universal Amphitheater (I have no idea what it's current corporate name is now) and at the Santa Barbara Bowl. They are amazing live. Definitely above playing at an Indian casino in the middle of no where.
Seeing that STP was going to be playing at San Manuel made me feel old and little like my dad who's musical tastes have not changed since 1976. Maybe I need to get with the times and find some new music. I don't want to be one of those old people at the concert with my old t-shirt going on about how great this band was back in the day. But, seriously, they were awesome.
OMG You Guys!
Last week, my wonderful baby sister took me to see Legally Blonde the Musical at Orange County Performing Arts Center.
First of all let me say that OCPAC is a great place to see a show. I've seen lots of shows in Los Angeles and OCPAC totally rivals the production value and the tickets are usually a bit cheaper.
Second, I loved the movie Legally Blonde. I saw it in a movie theater that my sorority had rented out for an event with our new pledges. I wouldn't say it is the reason I went to law school but it definitely got me thinking about it. I loved the movie so much that I was a little nervous that the musical wouldn't live up to my expectations.
Third, I loved the musical. The music is great, the choreography is fantastic. There are some little changes from the movie that were really clever and worked really well on stage. There is also a fabulous Gloria Steinem reference. And of course, the bulldog in the show is adorable. Although I think Frank would have been a better pick.
Legally Blonde's depiction of law school is surprisingly accurate. I saw people annihilated for not being prepared in class. Thankfully, I never got it too bad, I was always prepared. I do remember that on our first day of property in our first year, there was a case about riparian rights. I had read the case but kinda just grazed over the word "riparian" even though I had no idea what it meant. Luckily someone else got called on and explained the case which was about water rights. "Riparian" means water? What? Why don't they just say water? Then I realized that had I been called on, I probably would have been kicked out of class for not having a freaking clue what the actual case was about. And that's when I bought a Black's Law Dictionary and took it everywhere with me. And I started briefing cases like a crazy person before each class. I even had this insane color coded highlighting system which never actually worked because every word ended up being highlighted and I could never remember what each color meant.
Law school is also very cliquey and people can be very judgmental. I went to Chapman University School of Law, which my class quickly dubbed Chapman High. All through high school and college I never experienced such gossiping, rumors, and false impressions as I saw in law school. And I was in a sorority! There was so much nastiness about study groups, notes, outlines, who was dating who, who was sleeping with who, and who wanted to sleep with who. Are those "whos" supposed to be "whoms?" I can never remember that rule. Despite having an English degree, my grammar really sucks.
By my third year, I was so sick of all of it that I stopped attending law school social functions and was only on campus to go to class. At one point, Brady (who was then just my friend) came up to me and said "Where have you been? I haven't seen you around in a long time?" We had a little conversation about me being really busy, blah, blah, and it came up that I was single (I had recently gotten out of a horrific relationship). About a week later, Brady was chasing me down in the school parking lot and asking me to dinner. And with that I entered back into the law school social scene and started my life with Brady.
Overall, I did really enjoy law school. I had some amazing professors, I really enjoyed the majority of my classes (with the exception of federal income tax), had to opportunity to work in federal court, met great friends, and of course, met my husband. And back to my original point of this post, Legally Blonde the Musical is a fun show that I would definitely recommend.
First of all let me say that OCPAC is a great place to see a show. I've seen lots of shows in Los Angeles and OCPAC totally rivals the production value and the tickets are usually a bit cheaper.
Second, I loved the movie Legally Blonde. I saw it in a movie theater that my sorority had rented out for an event with our new pledges. I wouldn't say it is the reason I went to law school but it definitely got me thinking about it. I loved the movie so much that I was a little nervous that the musical wouldn't live up to my expectations.
Third, I loved the musical. The music is great, the choreography is fantastic. There are some little changes from the movie that were really clever and worked really well on stage. There is also a fabulous Gloria Steinem reference. And of course, the bulldog in the show is adorable. Although I think Frank would have been a better pick.
Legally Blonde's depiction of law school is surprisingly accurate. I saw people annihilated for not being prepared in class. Thankfully, I never got it too bad, I was always prepared. I do remember that on our first day of property in our first year, there was a case about riparian rights. I had read the case but kinda just grazed over the word "riparian" even though I had no idea what it meant. Luckily someone else got called on and explained the case which was about water rights. "Riparian" means water? What? Why don't they just say water? Then I realized that had I been called on, I probably would have been kicked out of class for not having a freaking clue what the actual case was about. And that's when I bought a Black's Law Dictionary and took it everywhere with me. And I started briefing cases like a crazy person before each class. I even had this insane color coded highlighting system which never actually worked because every word ended up being highlighted and I could never remember what each color meant.
Law school is also very cliquey and people can be very judgmental. I went to Chapman University School of Law, which my class quickly dubbed Chapman High. All through high school and college I never experienced such gossiping, rumors, and false impressions as I saw in law school. And I was in a sorority! There was so much nastiness about study groups, notes, outlines, who was dating who, who was sleeping with who, and who wanted to sleep with who. Are those "whos" supposed to be "whoms?" I can never remember that rule. Despite having an English degree, my grammar really sucks.
By my third year, I was so sick of all of it that I stopped attending law school social functions and was only on campus to go to class. At one point, Brady (who was then just my friend) came up to me and said "Where have you been? I haven't seen you around in a long time?" We had a little conversation about me being really busy, blah, blah, and it came up that I was single (I had recently gotten out of a horrific relationship). About a week later, Brady was chasing me down in the school parking lot and asking me to dinner. And with that I entered back into the law school social scene and started my life with Brady.
Overall, I did really enjoy law school. I had some amazing professors, I really enjoyed the majority of my classes (with the exception of federal income tax), had to opportunity to work in federal court, met great friends, and of course, met my husband. And back to my original point of this post, Legally Blonde the Musical is a fun show that I would definitely recommend.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Nagging Mustard
I love my husband, I really do, but crap like this makes me want to pack him up and leave him on his grandma's doorstep.
Do you see that? Probably only wives who like to nag know what I'm talking about. Well, its mustard, dried, caked-on mustard on the plate leftover from Brady's lunch. I took this picture at 8:30pm. This mustard has been sitting there for hours, solidifying. I even told him around 6pm to take care of his plate. Yea, not so much. The mustard was left there to harden into a fossil.
This is so very annoying to me because then I have to scrub the plate to get the caked-on mustard off. And on this particular night I was very busy playing on facebook, um, I mean working on trial prep. I did not have time to be dealing with crusty mustard. If it was just rinsed off right away this wouldn't be a problem. And yes I realize that ranting and raving about caked on mustard is a sure sign that I'm getting old and cranky; well I was already cranky, so crankier. And yes, mom, dad, and college roommates, I am aware that I never washed my dishes and not only did I let food remains become all caked-on to dishes, I also let them grow hair, with matching sweaters. But I'm older and wiser now, I recognize the importance of rinsing dishes right away. At least I've learned that important life lesson.
Doesn't my arm look on deformed and weird here? I think I might be needing some sleep, I'm starting to sound a little looney.
Do you see that? Probably only wives who like to nag know what I'm talking about. Well, its mustard, dried, caked-on mustard on the plate leftover from Brady's lunch. I took this picture at 8:30pm. This mustard has been sitting there for hours, solidifying. I even told him around 6pm to take care of his plate. Yea, not so much. The mustard was left there to harden into a fossil.
This is so very annoying to me because then I have to scrub the plate to get the caked-on mustard off. And on this particular night I was very busy playing on facebook, um, I mean working on trial prep. I did not have time to be dealing with crusty mustard. If it was just rinsed off right away this wouldn't be a problem. And yes I realize that ranting and raving about caked on mustard is a sure sign that I'm getting old and cranky; well I was already cranky, so crankier. And yes, mom, dad, and college roommates, I am aware that I never washed my dishes and not only did I let food remains become all caked-on to dishes, I also let them grow hair, with matching sweaters. But I'm older and wiser now, I recognize the importance of rinsing dishes right away. At least I've learned that important life lesson.
Doesn't my arm look on deformed and weird here? I think I might be needing some sleep, I'm starting to sound a little looney.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Just A Little Sweater
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Yoga? I Don't Think So.
A couple of weekends ago, Steph and I went to a yoga class at 24 Hour Fitness. I just cannot get into yoga. The class started with breathing exercises, we were supposed to clear our minds and focus on our breath. Or something like that. All I could think about was the two different kinds of lasagna I wanted to make and if I could pull off making two lasagnas at the same time. I was picturing the perfect lasagna assembly line when I realized everyone was up and contorting into a pose, so much for focusing on my breath.
I am simply unable to clear my mind. I have too much going on up there. I am constantly thinking about what needs to be done at home, what needs to be done at work. When I drive to work in the morning, I mentally map out everything that needs to be done, what order it should be done in, and how I can be most efficient about my tasks. For example, I plan that as soon as I walk in the door I'm going to tell my assistant which files I need, then while she is getting those, I can answer email, by the time I'm done with email I can start working on the file. Thinking like this is pretty common for the workplace, what is sad is that I go through the same process on my way home from work thinking about what needs to be done at home.
As I'm driving home, I think about all the things I need to accomplish before I go to bed. I figure I get home around 6pm (on a good day) and should be in bed by 10pm, so I have four hours to do everything. I plan that when I walk through the door I will first feed the dogs, then put the dishes away so I can get dinner started, while dinner is cooking, I'll throw a load of laundry in and vacuum, then get dinner finished and eat, do dishes, finish the laundry and have a little time left over to see the husband, play on the internet, and read my book. I often do not sit down when I get home from work until I sit down to eat and then I get right up after I'm done eating so that I can get everything done.
Brady is always telling me to relax, that things do not have to be perfect, that I should just sit down. But I can't, I feel like I have such little time that I have to be as productive as possible at all times. This is why I can't do yoga, I feel like it's a waste of time, it doesn't burn enough calories to be really productive and all that quiet time just gives me time to think about what needs to done at work or home. I feel like if I am going to spend an hour working out, I should be burning as many calories as possible.
In some ways, this need to be constantly productive is good because I do get a lot of stuff done in a short amount of time. But it often results in feeling exhausted and snappy when things don't get done according to my schedule. Maybe I should try yoga again and follow Brady's advice to just relax.
Ok, completely random sidebar: I'm watching the news while typing this and I really can't stand when the news anchors try to make witty banter about the stories, then the other anchors just awkwardly laugh like "oh, right, that was supposed to be funny." Just report the news and forget the not-so-witty banter! Ok, my rant is over. Yea, I think I do need that yoga!
I am simply unable to clear my mind. I have too much going on up there. I am constantly thinking about what needs to be done at home, what needs to be done at work. When I drive to work in the morning, I mentally map out everything that needs to be done, what order it should be done in, and how I can be most efficient about my tasks. For example, I plan that as soon as I walk in the door I'm going to tell my assistant which files I need, then while she is getting those, I can answer email, by the time I'm done with email I can start working on the file. Thinking like this is pretty common for the workplace, what is sad is that I go through the same process on my way home from work thinking about what needs to be done at home.
As I'm driving home, I think about all the things I need to accomplish before I go to bed. I figure I get home around 6pm (on a good day) and should be in bed by 10pm, so I have four hours to do everything. I plan that when I walk through the door I will first feed the dogs, then put the dishes away so I can get dinner started, while dinner is cooking, I'll throw a load of laundry in and vacuum, then get dinner finished and eat, do dishes, finish the laundry and have a little time left over to see the husband, play on the internet, and read my book. I often do not sit down when I get home from work until I sit down to eat and then I get right up after I'm done eating so that I can get everything done.
Brady is always telling me to relax, that things do not have to be perfect, that I should just sit down. But I can't, I feel like I have such little time that I have to be as productive as possible at all times. This is why I can't do yoga, I feel like it's a waste of time, it doesn't burn enough calories to be really productive and all that quiet time just gives me time to think about what needs to done at work or home. I feel like if I am going to spend an hour working out, I should be burning as many calories as possible.
In some ways, this need to be constantly productive is good because I do get a lot of stuff done in a short amount of time. But it often results in feeling exhausted and snappy when things don't get done according to my schedule. Maybe I should try yoga again and follow Brady's advice to just relax.
Ok, completely random sidebar: I'm watching the news while typing this and I really can't stand when the news anchors try to make witty banter about the stories, then the other anchors just awkwardly laugh like "oh, right, that was supposed to be funny." Just report the news and forget the not-so-witty banter! Ok, my rant is over. Yea, I think I do need that yoga!
Best. Husband. Ever.
This month Brady is taking two trips to Las Vegas, one with his grandma and a boys' trip later this month. Brady has to use all his vacation time in the next few weeks or else he loses it. Since I represent school districts, I am the busiest when school is in session, particularly in the Fall semester. I simply cannot take time off right now, so I'm not able to go with him to Vegas. I understand this, but that didn't stop me from acting like a little brat about not being able to go. I pouted, I whined, I cried, I shouted it wasn't fair, I stomped my foot, I want to go on vacay too!
Brady took me out to a nice dinner last weekend which made me feel better. Actually I was feeling pretty o.k. about not getting a vacation, it's good to be busy at work, Brady really needed some kind of reprieve and we are a planning a trip in December over Winter break.
Then Brady sends me this picture. Just a little reminder that I'm stuck in my office and he's in Vegas. When I looked at this picture on my blackberry, I was in a mad frenzy to get a pleading finished, interview a witness, get documents served, get a motion filed, etc., etc. Damn you Brady, I thought while shaking my fist in the air at no one in particular. Damn you and your vacay with your buffets and shopping and gambling and pools. Grrr.
Then I get this picture. What is this? This is the Tiffany key pendent that I have been drooling over. What the picture of the refreshing, crystal blue pool wasn't enough? Now you have to taunt me with a piece of jewelry that I desperately want? What have I done to deserve this? I even stayed up late the night before you left to do all your laundry! Why Brady, why?
But then I get this picture, a Tiffany's bag. A Tiffany's bag outside the Tiffany's store. A Tiffany's bag sitting on top of a video poker machine clearly indicating that Brady must have purchased something that was put in the Tiffany's bag so that he could carry it out of the store and be able to set it on top of a video poker machine. I frantically text him and confirm that he indeed has bought me a present from Tiffany's. Yay! This makes not going on vacation and being slammed with work totally worth it! Although I would have loved to have some time away with Brady, a present from Tiffany's is pretty good too. What a good husband!
Then he sends me this picture. Look closely. It's the lions at MGM Grand having some, um, "alone time." Except that everyone is watching. Kinky lions. And apparently taking pictures.
So I didn't get to go on vacation, but I have a very thoughtful husband who bought me a very nice present and I got to see two lions, um, doing their lion thing.
Brady took me out to a nice dinner last weekend which made me feel better. Actually I was feeling pretty o.k. about not getting a vacation, it's good to be busy at work, Brady really needed some kind of reprieve and we are a planning a trip in December over Winter break.
Then Brady sends me this picture. Just a little reminder that I'm stuck in my office and he's in Vegas. When I looked at this picture on my blackberry, I was in a mad frenzy to get a pleading finished, interview a witness, get documents served, get a motion filed, etc., etc. Damn you Brady, I thought while shaking my fist in the air at no one in particular. Damn you and your vacay with your buffets and shopping and gambling and pools. Grrr.
Then I get this picture. What is this? This is the Tiffany key pendent that I have been drooling over. What the picture of the refreshing, crystal blue pool wasn't enough? Now you have to taunt me with a piece of jewelry that I desperately want? What have I done to deserve this? I even stayed up late the night before you left to do all your laundry! Why Brady, why?
But then I get this picture, a Tiffany's bag. A Tiffany's bag outside the Tiffany's store. A Tiffany's bag sitting on top of a video poker machine clearly indicating that Brady must have purchased something that was put in the Tiffany's bag so that he could carry it out of the store and be able to set it on top of a video poker machine. I frantically text him and confirm that he indeed has bought me a present from Tiffany's. Yay! This makes not going on vacation and being slammed with work totally worth it! Although I would have loved to have some time away with Brady, a present from Tiffany's is pretty good too. What a good husband!
Then he sends me this picture. Look closely. It's the lions at MGM Grand having some, um, "alone time." Except that everyone is watching. Kinky lions. And apparently taking pictures.
So I didn't get to go on vacation, but I have a very thoughtful husband who bought me a very nice present and I got to see two lions, um, doing their lion thing.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Go Blue!
This past Saturday, Brady and I went to Tustin Brewing Company to watch the Michigan v. Notre Dame game. The Orange County Michigan Alumni Association meets at this restaurant to watch all the football games. It makes for a fun environment with lots of Michigan fans, good food, and lots of blue and maize.
And a Michigan gnome, his name is Maize.
And a giant, blow-up Wolverine. We actually own one of these. Thankfully, Brady has yet to put it up.
Usually, when I watch the Michigan games with Brady, I watch a couple quarters, eat some food, and leave to go to Target....unattended. This did not happen during this game. I was riveted to the game. It was such a close game. Michigan was leading, then Notre Dame pulled ahead and then Michigan, and so on. At the end of the game, Notre Dame was winning and it looked like Michigan was about to score a touchdown to win the game...and then the guy dropped the ball in the endzone. (I'm probably describing this wrong, but I'm a newbie football fan and definitely not a sports writer). When the Michigan player dropped the ball, I saw tears in Brady's eyes. He looked like he had been punched in the gut. I was staring at the t.v. screen in disbelief. But then Michigan set up again and scored a touchdown for the win. The restaurant errupted, Brady and I were jumping up and down, hugging each other. Although I am a reluctant football fan, when a game is as good as this game was, its pretty hard to not fall in love with the sport.
I don't think I have ever jumped up and down and hugged someone about something happening at U.C. Santa Barbara. I love my school, but there is not exactly a ton of school spirit at UCSB.
So yay for Michigan, but I am currently getting my butt kicked in fantasy football and USC won, so it wasn't a perfect football weekend, but pretty damn close.
And a Michigan gnome, his name is Maize.
And a giant, blow-up Wolverine. We actually own one of these. Thankfully, Brady has yet to put it up.
Usually, when I watch the Michigan games with Brady, I watch a couple quarters, eat some food, and leave to go to Target....unattended. This did not happen during this game. I was riveted to the game. It was such a close game. Michigan was leading, then Notre Dame pulled ahead and then Michigan, and so on. At the end of the game, Notre Dame was winning and it looked like Michigan was about to score a touchdown to win the game...and then the guy dropped the ball in the endzone. (I'm probably describing this wrong, but I'm a newbie football fan and definitely not a sports writer). When the Michigan player dropped the ball, I saw tears in Brady's eyes. He looked like he had been punched in the gut. I was staring at the t.v. screen in disbelief. But then Michigan set up again and scored a touchdown for the win. The restaurant errupted, Brady and I were jumping up and down, hugging each other. Although I am a reluctant football fan, when a game is as good as this game was, its pretty hard to not fall in love with the sport.
I don't think I have ever jumped up and down and hugged someone about something happening at U.C. Santa Barbara. I love my school, but there is not exactly a ton of school spirit at UCSB.
So yay for Michigan, but I am currently getting my butt kicked in fantasy football and USC won, so it wasn't a perfect football weekend, but pretty damn close.
The Not So Quiet Woman
On Friday, Brady took me on a date to The Quiet Woman in Corona Del Mar. This is where we had our first date, its a quaint, English pub-like restaurant. The food is good, mainly steaks and seafood, but the best part is the salad. When you order salad with your meal, they bring you a bowl with salad and your dressing of choice and this lazy susan thing full of toppings. So you can build your own salad at your table and pile on the toppings.
The Quiet Woman is really good for people watching, the restaurant is small and the tables are pretty close together, its quite intimate. Since its in Corona Del Mar, every woman in the place looks like a potential cast member of the Real Housewives of Orange County. There were a few groups of these such ladies, Brady and I started commenting on how there were so many single ladies in the restaurant. Brady jokingly said, "must be nice to be so free." To which I replied, "oh these women aren't free, I guarantee that the majority of these single ladies are out looking for a man." This got me thinking about how a woman can have a great career, be successful, but still feel the pressure to find a man. I think the theory of the Cinderella Complex has a lot of merit, even though a woman may be successful and independent, she will still desire a man to take care of her.
I consider myself independent, financially and mentally. If I had to, I could survive without my husband. But even with this independence, there are certain things that I want, and expect, my husband to take care of. For example, I always want him to drive, I want him to deal with travel arrangements, I want him to get our table at a restaurant, to deal with our household finances, and to, of course, kill bugs. My mother always taught me to never depend on a man, to be educated, and to be able to support myself. But, I do consider myself old-fashioned. I don't mind the gender roles Brady and I have settled into. I cook and clean, he does the yard work and manages the finances. It works for us.
I think the pressure to find a man comes from multiple places. Obviously society pressures women to be married. When I was in my second year of law school, I was a law clerk; one of the male partners was shocked and seemed almost offended when I informed him I was not married. I remember being amazed at his response, I was only 25 and only half way through law school, why would I be married? So, I definitely think that there is societal pressure to get married. But I also think women feel the need to look for a man because they feel the need for companionship. And a woman doesn't have to be looking for a man, she could be looking for a woman. What I really mean is that women are looking for a partner. Someone to confide in, a person who will take care of them when they need it, someone to be with them when things are great and when things are tough.
I don't know what the ladies at The Quiet Woman were actually looking for; maybe a partner, maybe someone to take care of them, maybe a hook up. Or maybe they were just having a girls' night out. All I know is that I am glad I got married when I felt it was right and not when some stuffy partner though I should be, and that I have found such a wonderful partner in my husband.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Things I Don't Understand
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Adventures in Cooking
Tonight I tried a recipe that I made up by myself. I had the idea of making butternut squash with whole wheat pasta. I searched the internet for some similar recipes to get a few ideas and ended up blending a bunch together with my own twist.
First, can I just profess my love for butternut squash? It is so delicious and flavorful and full of vitamins. I almost love it as much as eggplant, almost. I love eggplant more because butternut squash is a bitch to chop up. The rind is super tough and you really need a vegetable peeler to get through it. Except I don't have own, so I tried to use a cheese slicer. Epic fail.
Hmmm, butternut squash kinda looks like.....yeah....I'm not going to go there.
I sauteed chopped garlic with chopped shallot is a little olive oil. This smells sooooo wonderfully good. When a recipe starts like this, its just good.
Then I threw in some white wine, fresh ground nutmeg, paprika and allspice. When I first started cooking I didn't know what allspice was and I bought Mrs. Dash thinking that allspice just meant a blend of different spices. I was wrong.
Then I threw in the chopped up squash. I microwaved it for 2 minutes first because butternut squash takes a long time to cook and you want it to be fully cooked and tender, but not mushy. I also added some fresh basil. I poured in unsalted chicken broth, put the cover in and let it just cook away on medium heat. You want to be able to smash up the squash a little but again, you don't want it to be mushy.
Lastly, I spooned the mixture of the whole wheat spaghetti. Yum. It was rich but not heavy, I really liked the spices and the squash worked well with the whole wheat spaghetti. It tasted like Fall in a bowl, you could taste the leaves turning color and the warm, chunky sweaters. Ok, it didn't taste like sweaters but you get my point.
I also made chicken and garlic bread to go with this, which I didn't chronicle because it wasn't that exciting (the garlic bread was the stuff from the grocery store bakery). It was a good thing I had other food because after I busted my ass chopping up that squash, garlic, shallot, and sauteing and such, Brady informs me that he doesn't like squash. I know I have made him butternut squash before and he liked it. Now that I think of it, that was before we were married, I guess now that we are married he can just tell it like it is. I wonder what else he doesn't like of mine? Well tough cookies Brady, I love butternut squash and it loves me and we aren't ending this beautiful relationship just because you are a picky eater.
First, can I just profess my love for butternut squash? It is so delicious and flavorful and full of vitamins. I almost love it as much as eggplant, almost. I love eggplant more because butternut squash is a bitch to chop up. The rind is super tough and you really need a vegetable peeler to get through it. Except I don't have own, so I tried to use a cheese slicer. Epic fail.
Hmmm, butternut squash kinda looks like.....yeah....I'm not going to go there.
I sauteed chopped garlic with chopped shallot is a little olive oil. This smells sooooo wonderfully good. When a recipe starts like this, its just good.
Then I threw in some white wine, fresh ground nutmeg, paprika and allspice. When I first started cooking I didn't know what allspice was and I bought Mrs. Dash thinking that allspice just meant a blend of different spices. I was wrong.
Then I threw in the chopped up squash. I microwaved it for 2 minutes first because butternut squash takes a long time to cook and you want it to be fully cooked and tender, but not mushy. I also added some fresh basil. I poured in unsalted chicken broth, put the cover in and let it just cook away on medium heat. You want to be able to smash up the squash a little but again, you don't want it to be mushy.
Lastly, I spooned the mixture of the whole wheat spaghetti. Yum. It was rich but not heavy, I really liked the spices and the squash worked well with the whole wheat spaghetti. It tasted like Fall in a bowl, you could taste the leaves turning color and the warm, chunky sweaters. Ok, it didn't taste like sweaters but you get my point.
I also made chicken and garlic bread to go with this, which I didn't chronicle because it wasn't that exciting (the garlic bread was the stuff from the grocery store bakery). It was a good thing I had other food because after I busted my ass chopping up that squash, garlic, shallot, and sauteing and such, Brady informs me that he doesn't like squash. I know I have made him butternut squash before and he liked it. Now that I think of it, that was before we were married, I guess now that we are married he can just tell it like it is. I wonder what else he doesn't like of mine? Well tough cookies Brady, I love butternut squash and it loves me and we aren't ending this beautiful relationship just because you are a picky eater.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
It was about a month ago, when I first met Sebastian and saw that havoc he was about to wreck on my kitchen. Now after mold remediation and the rebuilding of my cabinets, my kitchen is finally back to normal again.
And I have my wonderful Uncle Rich to thank. When the mold was removed so was all the drywall from underneath my kitchen cabinets and the bottom part of the cabinets. Rich replaced all the drywall, making it fit perfectly into all the crevices and corners and he rebuilt the bottom of my cabinets. It looks awesome. Better yet, it looks like it did before the mold waged war. Now, I can put all my kitchen stuff away. Which is nice because it's been hiding in the abyss we call the "spare room." This is the room that is supposed to be a guest bedroom or Brady's sports memorabilia room or a nursery. But it is not any of those things because it has become a dumping ground for all our crap that has nowhere else to go.
But I digress, the point of this post was to say thank you to my uncle (even though I'm not sure he knows what a blog is). Thanks a million Uncle Rich, you're the best!
That's me at four weeks, I believe this is my first Easter. And I'm being held by my dear uncle who looks a little scared to be holding a baby.
And I have my wonderful Uncle Rich to thank. When the mold was removed so was all the drywall from underneath my kitchen cabinets and the bottom part of the cabinets. Rich replaced all the drywall, making it fit perfectly into all the crevices and corners and he rebuilt the bottom of my cabinets. It looks awesome. Better yet, it looks like it did before the mold waged war. Now, I can put all my kitchen stuff away. Which is nice because it's been hiding in the abyss we call the "spare room." This is the room that is supposed to be a guest bedroom or Brady's sports memorabilia room or a nursery. But it is not any of those things because it has become a dumping ground for all our crap that has nowhere else to go.
But I digress, the point of this post was to say thank you to my uncle (even though I'm not sure he knows what a blog is). Thanks a million Uncle Rich, you're the best!
That's me at four weeks, I believe this is my first Easter. And I'm being held by my dear uncle who looks a little scared to be holding a baby.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sunday Funday.
This past Sunday, Brady and I headed down to Huntington Beach to celebrate my friend Rachel's birthday. The birthday party consisted of most of my college girlfriends. I love seeing my college girls, they are so much fun. We have a blast reminiscing and cracking up about our college stories. However, every time I see them, I forgot that I'm not still in college and that my body definitely does not metabolize alcohol like it did in college. Luckily, I have my advil cold and sinus hangover remedy. It works like a charm.
The party started at Black Bull Chop House in Huntington Beach for brunch. The brunch was okay, pretty typical brunch fare. But it included all-you-can-drink champagne. Which our very slow waiter, put in a bottomless carafe for our table. This is probably where we all went wrong. I don't think the phrase "all-you-can-drink" should ever be used in relation to alcohol
After brunch, we headed to Kilarney's. There was a group of guys dressed up as Mormons doing a pub crawl. Of course, I didn't realize it was a joke and was like, "hey did everyone see the Mormons in the bar? Isn't that weird?" I then noticed that their shirts were written all over with markers and they were pounding shots.
We ended that day at the Aloha Grill, mind you after Kilarney's we went to Hurricanes. We ended up doing our own mini impromptu pub crawl. The Aloha Grill is know for their rainbow drink which is like a grown up slushee with all the flavors mixed together. Brady and I were a couple of steps behind the group, when we got to the Aloha Grill, my friends had wiped out the slushee machine and it was going to take a long time for the slushee to solidify into something other than pure liquid. So we had mai tais and pretended we were in Hawaii.
And after a champagne brunch, Kilarney's, Hurricane's, and Aloha Grill, I just had to give my husband a big ol' kiss on the cheek. Or something like that.
I will have you know, that the next morning (Labor Day) I was up at 8 am and went to the gym for yoga with my sister. I also vacuumed the house, washed the bullies, cleaned the bathroom, did laundry, and cleaned the kitchen. My productivity makes me feel a little bit better about spending a day pretending I was still in college.
The party started at Black Bull Chop House in Huntington Beach for brunch. The brunch was okay, pretty typical brunch fare. But it included all-you-can-drink champagne. Which our very slow waiter, put in a bottomless carafe for our table. This is probably where we all went wrong. I don't think the phrase "all-you-can-drink" should ever be used in relation to alcohol
After brunch, we headed to Kilarney's. There was a group of guys dressed up as Mormons doing a pub crawl. Of course, I didn't realize it was a joke and was like, "hey did everyone see the Mormons in the bar? Isn't that weird?" I then noticed that their shirts were written all over with markers and they were pounding shots.
We ended that day at the Aloha Grill, mind you after Kilarney's we went to Hurricanes. We ended up doing our own mini impromptu pub crawl. The Aloha Grill is know for their rainbow drink which is like a grown up slushee with all the flavors mixed together. Brady and I were a couple of steps behind the group, when we got to the Aloha Grill, my friends had wiped out the slushee machine and it was going to take a long time for the slushee to solidify into something other than pure liquid. So we had mai tais and pretended we were in Hawaii.
And after a champagne brunch, Kilarney's, Hurricane's, and Aloha Grill, I just had to give my husband a big ol' kiss on the cheek. Or something like that.
I will have you know, that the next morning (Labor Day) I was up at 8 am and went to the gym for yoga with my sister. I also vacuumed the house, washed the bullies, cleaned the bathroom, did laundry, and cleaned the kitchen. My productivity makes me feel a little bit better about spending a day pretending I was still in college.
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