Today, I needed to get some things. I thought about it where to go and decided that I really did not want to go to Wal-mart, and that it might be even easier to go to Target. I thought they would be more likely to have what I wanted and needed. But ironically, they didn't have some of the things I was looking for. I needed to get stainless steel bowls for my dog – apparently they are less likely to make bumps on her lip and face - my dog needs a hypoallergenic bowl. And they only had one dog bowl. ONE. It did happen to be a stainless steel bowl. But it was the biggest stainless steel bowl I have ever seen. She could have curled up INSIDE it.
So it was good that I went to Target – since there was a pet store nearby!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Garlic
I made Death by Garlic last night for dinner. It was pretty easy to make. And tasted so good. And it really wasn't that strong tasting.
I figured out when the “Death” part comes into play. It's after. The smell. In the house. Oozing from your pores. Your breath. Everywhere. I sprayed air freshener. But the amount of Oust that I sprayed – mixed with the garlic – didn't really help things...
And even today - a good 24 hours later - there is still the aroma of garlic. A whiff here. A whiff there. This recipe was great, but due to the hazards of preparation, there might have to be alterations.
Death By Garlic
Source: allrecipes.com (4 servings)
½ cup olive oil 10 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 lb. dry penne pasta
⅓ cup grated Romano cheese
1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. In a pan, brown garlic in oil. Add salt, pepper and parsley and remove from heat.
3. Toss penne pasta with garlic mixture and Romano cheese and serve!
- I did add thinly sliced green pepper - to offset the spices a little! -
I figured out when the “Death” part comes into play. It's after. The smell. In the house. Oozing from your pores. Your breath. Everywhere. I sprayed air freshener. But the amount of Oust that I sprayed – mixed with the garlic – didn't really help things...
And even today - a good 24 hours later - there is still the aroma of garlic. A whiff here. A whiff there. This recipe was great, but due to the hazards of preparation, there might have to be alterations.
Death By Garlic
Source: allrecipes.com (4 servings)
½ cup olive oil 10 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 lb. dry penne pasta
⅓ cup grated Romano cheese
1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. In a pan, brown garlic in oil. Add salt, pepper and parsley and remove from heat.
3. Toss penne pasta with garlic mixture and Romano cheese and serve!
- I did add thinly sliced green pepper - to offset the spices a little! -
Monday, January 26, 2009
Beat It
We got wireless drums for Rock Band. We've had drums for a while. And I guess I've worn them down. My scoring percentage had been pretty good. But I really thought that some of the ones that I was missing, I really WAS hitting. And with these new drums, that IS the case. I have been getting 99% more often than I used to. But the elusive 100% is still out there. I don't know if that will ever happen, because once I'm in the middle of a song and I think "ooh, I haven't missed a note yet," I miss one. It's the classic "psyching yourself out of it."
D and I cleaned out – well straightened up – his virtual office. Now it IS virtually an office! I got the suitcases and garage sale stuff IN the closet! Big steps for me! And the china that was hiding back in the closet, like it has been since we got married (a WHILE ago) came upstairs for a sort. I chose what would actually get used. I didn't keep the creamer, the gravy boat, or any of the cup and saucers. If I didn't use it this past Christmas or New Year's, which is about as fancy as we are ever going to get - it goes! I did keep the stemware and the flatware, that we have used a couple of times, at least. And with it being more accessible, I think we'll actually use it. There is now space for other, more useful things in my life!
My goal is to read more this year. I have finished the Twilight series (for the second time...) and now have started another fun series. Reading more is not going to be really hard for me, since I haven't been a big reader, well, ever. And when I say I'm going to read, I'm going to read the whole book. I want reading to be more of a habit. A good kind of habit. I have a tendency of reading a book (even 3 or 4 into a series). Then I stop reading about two-thirds of the way in. Just stop. I was cleaning out my bookshelves last year at one point, and I had 4 books with bookmarks in them. Two-thirds of the way in...
D and I cleaned out – well straightened up – his virtual office. Now it IS virtually an office! I got the suitcases and garage sale stuff IN the closet! Big steps for me! And the china that was hiding back in the closet, like it has been since we got married (a WHILE ago) came upstairs for a sort. I chose what would actually get used. I didn't keep the creamer, the gravy boat, or any of the cup and saucers. If I didn't use it this past Christmas or New Year's, which is about as fancy as we are ever going to get - it goes! I did keep the stemware and the flatware, that we have used a couple of times, at least. And with it being more accessible, I think we'll actually use it. There is now space for other, more useful things in my life!
My goal is to read more this year. I have finished the Twilight series (for the second time...) and now have started another fun series. Reading more is not going to be really hard for me, since I haven't been a big reader, well, ever. And when I say I'm going to read, I'm going to read the whole book. I want reading to be more of a habit. A good kind of habit. I have a tendency of reading a book (even 3 or 4 into a series). Then I stop reading about two-thirds of the way in. Just stop. I was cleaning out my bookshelves last year at one point, and I had 4 books with bookmarks in them. Two-thirds of the way in...
Friday, January 23, 2009
Warm
I was so run down feeling this morning, I had a hard time getting going. But I did get up and run some errands. I got an over the toilet shelf thing (that I've been wanting for a while) and a new toilet seat for the hall bath! Fancy! I also washed my car today. It had sticky goo all over it - I think from the trees around my house - the 30 minutes I had it parked outside last week. It was such a nice day today – almost 70 degrees – hence the washing of the car. I was just going to try to wipe off the sticky, but the weather just called for an all out washing!
The puppy hung out on the deck a little too. She loved the nice weather. I left the screen door open - there is usually a lot of out and back in with the dog. After the sun had moved (and the pup was located in her new sun spot), I remembered that I had left the screen door propped open. And I looked out the door to the porch and saw the neighborhood cat (a very sweet and friendly cat) hanging out on the chair on the screen porch, looking at me. She tried to look cute, so that I wouldn't move her. But she got the boot.
The puppy hung out on the deck a little too. She loved the nice weather. I left the screen door open - there is usually a lot of out and back in with the dog. After the sun had moved (and the pup was located in her new sun spot), I remembered that I had left the screen door propped open. And I looked out the door to the porch and saw the neighborhood cat (a very sweet and friendly cat) hanging out on the chair on the screen porch, looking at me. She tried to look cute, so that I wouldn't move her. But she got the boot.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Nerdy
I had a pretty productive day. I got a manicure and pedicure on my way to the grocery store. I got a blackish purple color on my toes - I love getting really weird, dark colors in the winter. Then I went to the grocery store – complete with flip flops and toe separators!
I did some organizing this afternoon. I sorted all of D's t-shirts - from the good to the bad to the "he still has this one?" He had all of his nice stuff crammed into these storage cubes and the crappy stuff folded in drawers. Not his fault though. When we expanded the tiny chest of drawers with the cubes, that's just what ended up in there - easier access. So I switched and organized him – tied little labels on the cubes. He has a system now!
And for dinner, I made a salmon recipe from my DS game, Personal Trainer Chef. It was pretty fun, except the parts where Molly barked and kept sending the vocally-cued “pages” back a few.
I did some organizing this afternoon. I sorted all of D's t-shirts - from the good to the bad to the "he still has this one?" He had all of his nice stuff crammed into these storage cubes and the crappy stuff folded in drawers. Not his fault though. When we expanded the tiny chest of drawers with the cubes, that's just what ended up in there - easier access. So I switched and organized him – tied little labels on the cubes. He has a system now!
And for dinner, I made a salmon recipe from my DS game, Personal Trainer Chef. It was pretty fun, except the parts where Molly barked and kept sending the vocally-cued “pages” back a few.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Firsts
It has rained so much in January, but you know, I don't mind. I guess it fits my mood. It's very comforting and kind of mellow. And now a very bitter cold has set in. Which I love too. I used to be a very "beachy" person. But over the past few years, I've gotten to where I like cooler weather. Since coming back from Seattle, I really feel like part of me is from the Pacific Northwest. It feels very much like home to me there. So when I get a taste of that weather here, it is very welcome. We even had some really bad storms recently (or could have been bad) - and I wasn't scared, like I usually am.
I've done some research for our summer trip. I looked a little at cruises online, but I just don't think that's our kind of thing. I did some reading at the bookstore – travel books. And decided that cruises definitely weren't for us. But I did find a great “driving” book – road trips around the country. I went ahead and bought it at the store (something I never do - always Amazon). But I wanted to feel like some sort of decision had been made about the trip. I think that we are heading back to Seattle!
I thought of one of the things that I had wanted to do for myself. To go to the movies – alone. I've never done that. And at 32, it's probably about time that I had the confidence to sit in a theater by myself. So I decided that Twilight would be the perfect movie to do this with. It is leaving the theater soon, so I couldn't dilly dally. And the desire to see it (again) would be stronger than my possible anxiety in seeing a movie by myself. So last Saturday morning, after cleaning the house, I went to see Twilight, by myself. The parking lot, as well as the theater, was pretty packed. But getting the ticket, then going in the theater and sitting by myself – not bad at all. Didn't bother me. I felt ok with it. Maybe even a little empowered. Almost as soon as I sat down, the lights dimmed. Perfect timing! I am so glad that I did that! It was nice to enjoy my first solo movie outing. So much so that I think I might go again sometime soon.
When I got home from the movie, D was talking to me about “the plan” for getting a iPhone. So he told me that I could go ahead and get one if I wanted. And a few minutes later, we were on the computer, signing up and buying one. To ship later that week...
To case or not to case? I had been thinking about getting a case. I stared at them for about 30 minutes one day at the Apple store, and none of them screamed out "Get me." But the day my phone was sitting on the front porch, freshly delivered from UPS, I really thought about it. Yes, I SO need a case. I remember the camera incident. When it just jumped out of my hands and shattered on the hardwood floors. I am WAY too clumsy to not have this phone protected!
So I got a case, a red one. And a screen protector. And I've gotten lots of apps - mostly free ones! I am having fun playing with my new phone - discovering all the cool things it has to offer!
I've done some research for our summer trip. I looked a little at cruises online, but I just don't think that's our kind of thing. I did some reading at the bookstore – travel books. And decided that cruises definitely weren't for us. But I did find a great “driving” book – road trips around the country. I went ahead and bought it at the store (something I never do - always Amazon). But I wanted to feel like some sort of decision had been made about the trip. I think that we are heading back to Seattle!
I thought of one of the things that I had wanted to do for myself. To go to the movies – alone. I've never done that. And at 32, it's probably about time that I had the confidence to sit in a theater by myself. So I decided that Twilight would be the perfect movie to do this with. It is leaving the theater soon, so I couldn't dilly dally. And the desire to see it (again) would be stronger than my possible anxiety in seeing a movie by myself. So last Saturday morning, after cleaning the house, I went to see Twilight, by myself. The parking lot, as well as the theater, was pretty packed. But getting the ticket, then going in the theater and sitting by myself – not bad at all. Didn't bother me. I felt ok with it. Maybe even a little empowered. Almost as soon as I sat down, the lights dimmed. Perfect timing! I am so glad that I did that! It was nice to enjoy my first solo movie outing. So much so that I think I might go again sometime soon.
When I got home from the movie, D was talking to me about “the plan” for getting a iPhone. So he told me that I could go ahead and get one if I wanted. And a few minutes later, we were on the computer, signing up and buying one. To ship later that week...
To case or not to case? I had been thinking about getting a case. I stared at them for about 30 minutes one day at the Apple store, and none of them screamed out "Get me." But the day my phone was sitting on the front porch, freshly delivered from UPS, I really thought about it. Yes, I SO need a case. I remember the camera incident. When it just jumped out of my hands and shattered on the hardwood floors. I am WAY too clumsy to not have this phone protected!
So I got a case, a red one. And a screen protector. And I've gotten lots of apps - mostly free ones! I am having fun playing with my new phone - discovering all the cool things it has to offer!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Gray
My first day of being off of work. Well, being back to part-time. It was hard today to try to get myself back in a routine. I've had NO routine for so long. When I woke up, my head was still a little fuzzy from the bump yesterday...
I was looking down into the candy bowls, sort of under the exhaust hood - it hangs down a little where I was standing. I leaned farther in, so that I could see what I was getting – and on the way up I hit my head. Hard. I saw stars and little birdies and my eyes teared up, but not because I was crying. I had to lay down for a while. And I didn't get any candy.
With the weather so gray and my head still reeling from the bump, it was just a weird day. Not back in the swing of things, but not really a “vacation” day. Just somewhere in the middle. Gray area. Literally.
I was looking down into the candy bowls, sort of under the exhaust hood - it hangs down a little where I was standing. I leaned farther in, so that I could see what I was getting – and on the way up I hit my head. Hard. I saw stars and little birdies and my eyes teared up, but not because I was crying. I had to lay down for a while. And I didn't get any candy.
With the weather so gray and my head still reeling from the bump, it was just a weird day. Not back in the swing of things, but not really a “vacation” day. Just somewhere in the middle. Gray area. Literally.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Christmas Dinner
I cooked Christmas Eve dinner (well, lunch) for the first time this year. I had a blast!
I did a Turkey breast, homemade mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (of course with marshmallows), green beans, corn, peas, baked mac & cheese, rolls. And for dessert, chocolate pie and peanut butter kiss cookies. Everything turned out great! And the timing was perfect too. It had to do with some luck - and the schedule of what to do eat half hour, so I didn't forget anything. Of course there had to be a list, right?! It was my first "big" meal. Success!
I did a Turkey breast, homemade mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (of course with marshmallows), green beans, corn, peas, baked mac & cheese, rolls. And for dessert, chocolate pie and peanut butter kiss cookies. Everything turned out great! And the timing was perfect too. It had to do with some luck - and the schedule of what to do eat half hour, so I didn't forget anything. Of course there had to be a list, right?! It was my first "big" meal. Success!
Trip to Tampa Bay
We flew out on Saturday, December 20th. I packed minimally - surprising myself. There was plenty of room in the suitcase. We got to the airport in plenty of time. And then there was no one there. The week before Christmas and on a Saturday we thought there would be a line. But we were the only ones going through security at the time – and there was no problem.
After we got to Tampa, we walked around the hotel – to see if there was anything or anyplace to eat – besides the Ruth's Chris steakhouse that was beside the hotel. And the Penthouse Gentleman's Club (where the magazine comes to life) that was across the street. Well, not much in the way of options. There is some weird zoning going on in Tampa – maybe NO zoning! We rode the shuttle to the International Plaza (a very nice mall, with everything from Tiffany's to Hot Topic). The driver was very nice and told us to give him a call and he'd pick us up from the mall. We went to the sort of outdoor courtyard, where there were lots of nicer restaurants. We chose the Italian place, which subsequently had a medical emergency happening too. We sat outside – it was such a nice nice, under the stars and the Christmas lights. A nice cool beachy breeze. We got to do a lot of people watching – and we got to see the chef wheeled out on the gurney. Did he cut his finger off? He was looking sweaty and very pale. Glad we hadn't ordered yet.
We had to wait forever for the shuttle to come back – for about a hour and a half. I'm glad that I had gone back up to the room to get my jacket before we left. The first half hour, it was fun watching the planes take off – and the fancy cars come through the valet. But then I got really tired of standing, so I sat on the ground and got very irritated.
Sunday - To the game:
We got there right before they opened the gates, and while standing in line to get in – we realized that we should have worn shorts. It was SO hot! I rolled up my jeans to make them capri pants. It was so hot, I didn't care what they looked like!
The stadium was filled! We were directly in the sun – and it was so hot. I could feel my arm getting sunburned. Daniel didn't have his sunglasses, so on my bathroom break, I bought him a visor. Well, really for me, the Bucs fan. The first half was amazing. I said “I want to take a picture of a touchdown” - and they scored! And the cannons went off several times!
The second half was a disaster. They lost – BAD. We left at the 2 minute warning - after most of the crowd had already piled out of the stadium. We walked forever – almost all the way around the stadium – looking for the taxi station. There were misleading directions, and we had to finally ask a cop. It was behind a grassy parking lot. There was no way we were going to find it. And when we got there, there were about 40 people already waiting. And NO CABS. Guess we left too late. But there was no way we were going to get a cab, so we walked. That's when it all went wrong. We got to the turn that we should have taken, but there was no sidewalk. So we decided to try going down to the next block. But that didn't work. We ended up in a kind of bad part of town. With no direction – or idea of what road we should take. We had walked so long, so far. I was in pain. My feet hurt, I was a little scared, very sweaty and my arm was sunburned. We saw a Home Depot – so we went to that parking lot and called it quits on the walking. We called a cab. So we waited, outside the Home Depot – and the cab came so fast. I have never been so glad to see a taxi! It was the best $8.75 ride ever! We gave him a $20! It was totally worth every penny! I was so glad to be at the hotel. We had room service for dinner, no walking. And I finished my book while more football was on TV.
We flew out on Monday. When we got back, it was FREEZING just like I had expected. Going from 82 degrees to 40 degrees!
After we got to Tampa, we walked around the hotel – to see if there was anything or anyplace to eat – besides the Ruth's Chris steakhouse that was beside the hotel. And the Penthouse Gentleman's Club (where the magazine comes to life) that was across the street. Well, not much in the way of options. There is some weird zoning going on in Tampa – maybe NO zoning! We rode the shuttle to the International Plaza (a very nice mall, with everything from Tiffany's to Hot Topic). The driver was very nice and told us to give him a call and he'd pick us up from the mall. We went to the sort of outdoor courtyard, where there were lots of nicer restaurants. We chose the Italian place, which subsequently had a medical emergency happening too. We sat outside – it was such a nice nice, under the stars and the Christmas lights. A nice cool beachy breeze. We got to do a lot of people watching – and we got to see the chef wheeled out on the gurney. Did he cut his finger off? He was looking sweaty and very pale. Glad we hadn't ordered yet.
We had to wait forever for the shuttle to come back – for about a hour and a half. I'm glad that I had gone back up to the room to get my jacket before we left. The first half hour, it was fun watching the planes take off – and the fancy cars come through the valet. But then I got really tired of standing, so I sat on the ground and got very irritated.
Sunday - To the game:
We got there right before they opened the gates, and while standing in line to get in – we realized that we should have worn shorts. It was SO hot! I rolled up my jeans to make them capri pants. It was so hot, I didn't care what they looked like!
The stadium was filled! We were directly in the sun – and it was so hot. I could feel my arm getting sunburned. Daniel didn't have his sunglasses, so on my bathroom break, I bought him a visor. Well, really for me, the Bucs fan. The first half was amazing. I said “I want to take a picture of a touchdown” - and they scored! And the cannons went off several times!
The second half was a disaster. They lost – BAD. We left at the 2 minute warning - after most of the crowd had already piled out of the stadium. We walked forever – almost all the way around the stadium – looking for the taxi station. There were misleading directions, and we had to finally ask a cop. It was behind a grassy parking lot. There was no way we were going to find it. And when we got there, there were about 40 people already waiting. And NO CABS. Guess we left too late. But there was no way we were going to get a cab, so we walked. That's when it all went wrong. We got to the turn that we should have taken, but there was no sidewalk. So we decided to try going down to the next block. But that didn't work. We ended up in a kind of bad part of town. With no direction – or idea of what road we should take. We had walked so long, so far. I was in pain. My feet hurt, I was a little scared, very sweaty and my arm was sunburned. We saw a Home Depot – so we went to that parking lot and called it quits on the walking. We called a cab. So we waited, outside the Home Depot – and the cab came so fast. I have never been so glad to see a taxi! It was the best $8.75 ride ever! We gave him a $20! It was totally worth every penny! I was so glad to be at the hotel. We had room service for dinner, no walking. And I finished my book while more football was on TV.
We flew out on Monday. When we got back, it was FREEZING just like I had expected. Going from 82 degrees to 40 degrees!
December
Basically one word could sum up December for me. Twilight.
The movie, the books, the soundtrack and the score. I'm loving it.
I am so glad that I have found a series to fill the long gap between Harry Potter movies. And it's just fun! I've seen the movie - multiple times. The first time through, I obsessively read And I'm on my second time through reading the series of books. I am a little late jumping on the bandwagon. But I'm glad I did. It's a great series to read - and I really liked the movie, obviously.
Ran in the Jingle Bell Run. Just a mile. But it was freezing cold.
Sang in the praise team at my church. And sang in the choir Christmas program too.
Work was stressful, but not that busy. And then there were layoffs at my job. One of my close friends. It was heartbreaking - for me - so I can't imagine what she is going through.
The movie, the books, the soundtrack and the score. I'm loving it.
I am so glad that I have found a series to fill the long gap between Harry Potter movies. And it's just fun! I've seen the movie - multiple times. The first time through, I obsessively read And I'm on my second time through reading the series of books. I am a little late jumping on the bandwagon. But I'm glad I did. It's a great series to read - and I really liked the movie, obviously.
Ran in the Jingle Bell Run. Just a mile. But it was freezing cold.
Sang in the praise team at my church. And sang in the choir Christmas program too.
Work was stressful, but not that busy. And then there were layoffs at my job. One of my close friends. It was heartbreaking - for me - so I can't imagine what she is going through.
Thanksgiving
I helped my dad clean out and organize the pantry, cabinets and fridge. Well, I helped him BY cleaning out.... I had to convince him that just because a canned good is not opened, that it doesn't mean that it's still good. Especially if it expired 2 years ago. But we filled the curbside trashcan. And got everything organized!
Shopping the day after thanksgiving is usually one of my favorite things. It's one of the things that gets me in the Christmas mood. But with the economy slumping as it was (and is), the people weren't out shopping and bustling around. So it was just a low-key shopping day. But I did start the day with a Starbuck's Peppermint Mocha and a Top Pot donut!
We played lots of crazy games with our nephews - and sat out of a few games too. And ate lots of good food!
Shopping the day after thanksgiving is usually one of my favorite things. It's one of the things that gets me in the Christmas mood. But with the economy slumping as it was (and is), the people weren't out shopping and bustling around. So it was just a low-key shopping day. But I did start the day with a Starbuck's Peppermint Mocha and a Top Pot donut!
We played lots of crazy games with our nephews - and sat out of a few games too. And ate lots of good food!
One more big catchup...
Then I promise to blog more often.
I'm going to do a few posts - all in one day...
I'm going to do a few posts - all in one day...
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