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| Vegas Trip-Shawn |
Sunday, February 17, 2008
I swear! only 2 more posts!
This one is the promised post about dealing with delayed flights from Chicago. (the last one will be a link to all of Shawn's pictures from the trip)
For our return flight from Vegas we were supposed to be taking off at 345pm. Because I'm neurotic, I said "you know, we should probably leave the hotel by about 1245." I don't know why I said this. It only takes 15 minutes, by taxi, to get to the airport from just about anywhere on the strip. Anyhow, we got to the airport and got checked in by like 130.
Right before we got in the security line, we checked the departures board.
All the United flights to Denver (except ours) were delayed. By more than an hour.
By the time we got through security and to our gate, our flight had been delayed an hour. Since the United Flight to Denver right before ours was also delayed, and was now projected to be leaving at 3pm, we went ahead and put ourselves on the standby list. This is when we found out all of the United flights were delayed because of inclement weather in Chicago. (DAMN YOU CHICAGO!)
Somehow we managed to get on that flight ,though of course we couldn't sit next to each other. Instead I got to sit with two ex-fratboys-now-turned-chiropractors. Yeah...that was fun.
We land in Denver, and get to our regularly scheduled flight from Denver to Austin. As soon as we show up, the gate keeper picks up his intercom and calls us up to the desk. We get up there and ask, "did you just call us?" And with great disappointment in his voice he says,"oh...you guys made it."
This is when we learned they had overbooked the flight from Denver to Austin. Again. Yes, United has the really bad habit of horribly overbooking this particular flight. But of course, maybe it works because by the time we were boarding they were reading off their huge list of standbys that made it on...Actually I think the only person that didn't get on the flight was some guy who was obviously drunk...or stoned...or both.
Anyhow, next time we take United from Denver to Austin, we're going to take them up on their offer of "switch to Frontier and get a free flight to anywhere in the continental US!"
For our return flight from Vegas we were supposed to be taking off at 345pm. Because I'm neurotic, I said "you know, we should probably leave the hotel by about 1245." I don't know why I said this. It only takes 15 minutes, by taxi, to get to the airport from just about anywhere on the strip. Anyhow, we got to the airport and got checked in by like 130.
Right before we got in the security line, we checked the departures board.
All the United flights to Denver (except ours) were delayed. By more than an hour.
By the time we got through security and to our gate, our flight had been delayed an hour. Since the United Flight to Denver right before ours was also delayed, and was now projected to be leaving at 3pm, we went ahead and put ourselves on the standby list. This is when we found out all of the United flights were delayed because of inclement weather in Chicago. (DAMN YOU CHICAGO!)
Somehow we managed to get on that flight ,though of course we couldn't sit next to each other. Instead I got to sit with two ex-fratboys-now-turned-chiropractors. Yeah...that was fun.
We land in Denver, and get to our regularly scheduled flight from Denver to Austin. As soon as we show up, the gate keeper picks up his intercom and calls us up to the desk. We get up there and ask, "did you just call us?" And with great disappointment in his voice he says,"oh...you guys made it."
This is when we learned they had overbooked the flight from Denver to Austin. Again. Yes, United has the really bad habit of horribly overbooking this particular flight. But of course, maybe it works because by the time we were boarding they were reading off their huge list of standbys that made it on...Actually I think the only person that didn't get on the flight was some guy who was obviously drunk...or stoned...or both.
Anyhow, next time we take United from Denver to Austin, we're going to take them up on their offer of "switch to Frontier and get a free flight to anywhere in the continental US!"
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Part of Vegas is not for Children
And that is the part where you walk on the street.
That is because there are people making minimum wage handing out cards for 'strippers'. These cards are pretty graphic. The people handing out the cards do not hand them to children, and they rarely will hand them to women, but the problem is that as soon as some guys grab one of the cards, they look at it, their eyes bug out, and then they immediately drop it and subsequently rub their hand on their shirt or pants. As if the 5-second rule also works for things you pick up--"I only held it for 3 seconds, that means I didn't really take one!" Of course this now means that instead of these cards being in someone's hand, or in the trash, they are all over the sidewalk.
And this is what makes Vegas not for kids.
When we were walking back from the Bellagio Fountains, we were walking behind a family. Parents with two small girls (small being in the 6-8 range--old enough to walk and keep up with mom and dad).
The dad told the daughter he was holding hands with, "Look up at the sky! don't look at the ground!" Which, of course, for a 6-yr-old is easier said than done. One, they're close to the ground. Two, they probably don't have this walking without watching where they're going thing under control yet. Three, it doesn't help much that your dad, who is leading you around by the hand, forgets that you're not supposed to be watching where you're going so he keeps leading you into fence posts and whatnot.
That is because there are people making minimum wage handing out cards for 'strippers'. These cards are pretty graphic. The people handing out the cards do not hand them to children, and they rarely will hand them to women, but the problem is that as soon as some guys grab one of the cards, they look at it, their eyes bug out, and then they immediately drop it and subsequently rub their hand on their shirt or pants. As if the 5-second rule also works for things you pick up--"I only held it for 3 seconds, that means I didn't really take one!" Of course this now means that instead of these cards being in someone's hand, or in the trash, they are all over the sidewalk.
And this is what makes Vegas not for kids.
When we were walking back from the Bellagio Fountains, we were walking behind a family. Parents with two small girls (small being in the 6-8 range--old enough to walk and keep up with mom and dad).
The dad told the daughter he was holding hands with, "Look up at the sky! don't look at the ground!" Which, of course, for a 6-yr-old is easier said than done. One, they're close to the ground. Two, they probably don't have this walking without watching where they're going thing under control yet. Three, it doesn't help much that your dad, who is leading you around by the hand, forgets that you're not supposed to be watching where you're going so he keeps leading you into fence posts and whatnot.
Friday, February 15, 2008
The Entertainment: The suggestions
Things I would recommend doing/seeing while in Vegas (some are free, some are for a fee):
The Aquarium at Mandalay Bay ($15 a few years ago--but they have sea turtles, thus it is worth every penny. If you go later at night, then there's not nearly as many people there to get in the way.)
Tournament of Kings at Excalibur (dinner and entertainment)
Lions at the MGM Grand (free)
Food Court at New York, New York (free)
Lost City at Planet Hollywood (free)
Village Buffet at Paris
Fountains at the Bellagio (free)
Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio (free)
Art Museum at the Bellagio ($18, so make sure it's something you want to see--when I went for my 21st birthday it was Czar Nicholas II collection, this last time it was contemporary painters of America)
Shops at Caesar's (or just wandering around searching for all the statues--they have a life size replica of Michaelangelo's David--free)
Volcano at the Mirage (free)
Dolphins at the Mirage (back in the day they had 'cheap days' where you got to see the dolphins, but not the Secret Garden. It was $10 cheaper and seeing the tigers and lions was actually pretty boring...so if they still have that deal, do just the dolphins)
Sirens of TI show (free)
Shops at the Venetian (and I'm still waiting to go on a Gondola ride--shopping is free, gondola rides are like $15...but usually a 75 minute wait)
Blue Man Group at the Venetian
See a Cirque Show (Alegria at TI, Ka at the MGM, O at the Bellagio, Love at the Mirage, or Zumanity at New York, New York)
Television City at MGM if you're looking to kill about an hour.
The Aquarium at Mandalay Bay ($15 a few years ago--but they have sea turtles, thus it is worth every penny. If you go later at night, then there's not nearly as many people there to get in the way.)
Tournament of Kings at Excalibur (dinner and entertainment)
Lions at the MGM Grand (free)
Food Court at New York, New York (free)
Lost City at Planet Hollywood (free)
Village Buffet at Paris
Fountains at the Bellagio (free)
Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio (free)
Art Museum at the Bellagio ($18, so make sure it's something you want to see--when I went for my 21st birthday it was Czar Nicholas II collection, this last time it was contemporary painters of America)
Shops at Caesar's (or just wandering around searching for all the statues--they have a life size replica of Michaelangelo's David--free)
Volcano at the Mirage (free)
Dolphins at the Mirage (back in the day they had 'cheap days' where you got to see the dolphins, but not the Secret Garden. It was $10 cheaper and seeing the tigers and lions was actually pretty boring...so if they still have that deal, do just the dolphins)
Sirens of TI show (free)
Shops at the Venetian (and I'm still waiting to go on a Gondola ride--shopping is free, gondola rides are like $15...but usually a 75 minute wait)
Blue Man Group at the Venetian
See a Cirque Show (Alegria at TI, Ka at the MGM, O at the Bellagio, Love at the Mirage, or Zumanity at New York, New York)
Television City at MGM if you're looking to kill about an hour.
The Entertainment: The free
Of course, in Vegas there is always the FREE entertainment and then there is always the entertainment that you pay for. This is about the free entertainment.
Most of the casinos are entertainment in, and of, themselves. And you don't even have to pay for anything.
For example: New York, New York has the 'downtown' food court where it's almost like you're walking around in New York (well, except for all the muggers and the trash and what not). The MGM has the Lion Habitat where you can watch the lions. Planet Hollywood has the mall (as does Caesar's).
Anyhow, places/things we did to entertain ourselves that did not include spending money:
MGM Lion Habitat--I think we stopped here every day at least to just watch the lions for a while
New York, New York food court area--we ate lunch the first day here.
Planet Hollywood Mall
Planet Hollywood 'Lost City' and thunderstorm
Planet Hollywood free entertainment by acrobats (buskers)
Bellagio Fountains
Bellagio seasonal floral display (year of the rat)
statues at Caesar's, Bellagio, Paris
The Shoppes at Caesar's
Sirens of TI show
and we tried to check out the White Tiger Habitat at the Mirage, but it was closed in November of last year.
and finally Television City at the MGM where you watch a TV show that hasn't aired on US television yet so you rate it, and it helps the TV execs decide if the show gets aired or not. I have a feeling that Moonlight and Aliens in America are two shows that got the greenlight because of Television City. Furthermore, since they're always looking for reviewers, you can watch like 3 different shows if you want. After you watch the show, you fill out a survey and they give you coupons to use at the MGM for food (10% off at the CBS store, 2 for 1 at Nathan's Hotdogs, 2 for 1 at Haagen Daas, $3 off at Starbucks, 2 for 1 at some pretzel shop in NY, NY across the street, and a free appetizer at the Rainforest Cafe)
Of course we walked everywhere. The only times we didn't walk was when we were driving to/from the airport.
In the past, I've also gone to the Venetian, the Flamingo Habitat at the Flamingo, wandered around the Luxor (which they're apparently getting rid of the Egyptian theme), watched the Mirage Volcano and went to the Fremont Street Experience.
All things to do for free.
Who says you have to spend money to be entertained in Vegas?
Most of the casinos are entertainment in, and of, themselves. And you don't even have to pay for anything.
For example: New York, New York has the 'downtown' food court where it's almost like you're walking around in New York (well, except for all the muggers and the trash and what not). The MGM has the Lion Habitat where you can watch the lions. Planet Hollywood has the mall (as does Caesar's).
Anyhow, places/things we did to entertain ourselves that did not include spending money:
MGM Lion Habitat--I think we stopped here every day at least to just watch the lions for a while
New York, New York food court area--we ate lunch the first day here.
Planet Hollywood Mall
Planet Hollywood 'Lost City' and thunderstorm
Planet Hollywood free entertainment by acrobats (buskers)
Bellagio Fountains
Bellagio seasonal floral display (year of the rat)
statues at Caesar's, Bellagio, Paris
The Shoppes at Caesar's
Sirens of TI show
and we tried to check out the White Tiger Habitat at the Mirage, but it was closed in November of last year.
and finally Television City at the MGM where you watch a TV show that hasn't aired on US television yet so you rate it, and it helps the TV execs decide if the show gets aired or not. I have a feeling that Moonlight and Aliens in America are two shows that got the greenlight because of Television City. Furthermore, since they're always looking for reviewers, you can watch like 3 different shows if you want. After you watch the show, you fill out a survey and they give you coupons to use at the MGM for food (10% off at the CBS store, 2 for 1 at Nathan's Hotdogs, 2 for 1 at Haagen Daas, $3 off at Starbucks, 2 for 1 at some pretzel shop in NY, NY across the street, and a free appetizer at the Rainforest Cafe)
Of course we walked everywhere. The only times we didn't walk was when we were driving to/from the airport.
In the past, I've also gone to the Venetian, the Flamingo Habitat at the Flamingo, wandered around the Luxor (which they're apparently getting rid of the Egyptian theme), watched the Mirage Volcano and went to the Fremont Street Experience.
All things to do for free.
Who says you have to spend money to be entertained in Vegas?
The Entertainment: The paid.
Of course, in Vegas there is always the FREE entertainment and then there is always the entertainment that you pay for. This is about the entertainment that we paid for (aside from the buskers--I paid a dollar, but they were raising money for habitat for humanity).
We went and saw Ka by Cirque du Soleil.
Production-wise the show kicked ass. For those that don't know, Ka is performed on a stage that floats, twists, spins, goes vertical, goes horizontal, and sometimes isn't even there.
'Cirque'-wise, the show was very 'meh'. There was really only one act that seemed to push the realm of what the human body can do.
We sat in the back of the theater (there was only one row behind us), but for the most part we could see everything and it wasn't a problem. The only time when I would have liked to be closer would have been during the beginning fight scenes as from where we sat it was pretty boring. And I think a lot of it was because we weren't close enough to see all the sword and staff work.
I would suggest seeing it, especially if you haven't ever seen any Cirque Show. If you have seen a Cirque show, know that this isn't going to be the same type of thing--prepare to be entertained, but not necessarily wowed.
We went and saw Ka by Cirque du Soleil.
Production-wise the show kicked ass. For those that don't know, Ka is performed on a stage that floats, twists, spins, goes vertical, goes horizontal, and sometimes isn't even there.
'Cirque'-wise, the show was very 'meh'. There was really only one act that seemed to push the realm of what the human body can do.
We sat in the back of the theater (there was only one row behind us), but for the most part we could see everything and it wasn't a problem. The only time when I would have liked to be closer would have been during the beginning fight scenes as from where we sat it was pretty boring. And I think a lot of it was because we weren't close enough to see all the sword and staff work.
I would suggest seeing it, especially if you haven't ever seen any Cirque Show. If you have seen a Cirque show, know that this isn't going to be the same type of thing--prepare to be entertained, but not necessarily wowed.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Hotel: Post 2 of 2
Here is a layout of the hotel/casino:
We stayed in Tower 2 (upper right hand corner), and the strip was at the lower left. It was approximately 1/4 mile to walk from our hotel room to the strip. Each day, we ended up walking more than 6 miles. Of course, if we weren't the type to go walking up and down the strip, then it wouldn't have been as much.
Now then, for those of you who have been to Vegas, you know that none of the strip hotels offer an inclusive breakfast. And the food is expensive. My only suggestion is to go to the buffet during their 'breakfast' time. Mostly because if you time it right, you end up being there when they put out the lunch food as well. However, Shawn and I did not care for the breakfast buffet at the MGM Grand. I can't really put my finger on what we didn't like (Shawn would say they did the Eggs Benedict all wrong), but I'm glad we only paid $15/person (breakfast) instead of $18 (brunch price).
Suggestion: Go to the Paris brunch instead. It's about $10 more per person, but it's well worth it.
We also ate at Wolfgang Puck's (the pink/blue rectangle in the lower left). It was the best restaurant spaghetti I've ever had. Shawn ordered the eggplant calzone and it was as big as his head. No joke. The people next to us were asking if there was any way he could eat it all. He did eat it all. Even though we could have taken left overs back to our room (since we had a fridge and a microwave), we were to be going to Ka that night and we timed it just right so we got in without having to wait in a line (thus having left overs, and walking all the way back to the room, would have taken forever).
Suggestion: Eat here. This place is actually really cheap for the fact that it's a restaurant by a world-renowned restaurateur ($18 for the spaghetti, $15 for the calzone), and it was dinner time. The wait was about 30 minutes and we didn't have reservations.
On our last day, we ate at the Wichcraft (a sandwhich shop--closer to our end of the hotel). I had a $9.75 BLT. I've had much better BLTs for a fraction of the price. I don't remember what Shawn got, but after getting chips and a drink, the final bill was $30.
Suggestion: Skip it. The sandwiches are good, but they're not worth the $10 they have you pay. Though they are definitely large enough to split one sandwich between 2 people. They try to pass off that getting chips and a drink is cheaper than getting them separate, but they're not. All sodas were $3.
We stayed in Tower 2 (upper right hand corner), and the strip was at the lower left. It was approximately 1/4 mile to walk from our hotel room to the strip. Each day, we ended up walking more than 6 miles. Of course, if we weren't the type to go walking up and down the strip, then it wouldn't have been as much.Now then, for those of you who have been to Vegas, you know that none of the strip hotels offer an inclusive breakfast. And the food is expensive. My only suggestion is to go to the buffet during their 'breakfast' time. Mostly because if you time it right, you end up being there when they put out the lunch food as well. However, Shawn and I did not care for the breakfast buffet at the MGM Grand. I can't really put my finger on what we didn't like (Shawn would say they did the Eggs Benedict all wrong), but I'm glad we only paid $15/person (breakfast) instead of $18 (brunch price).
Suggestion: Go to the Paris brunch instead. It's about $10 more per person, but it's well worth it.
We also ate at Wolfgang Puck's (the pink/blue rectangle in the lower left). It was the best restaurant spaghetti I've ever had. Shawn ordered the eggplant calzone and it was as big as his head. No joke. The people next to us were asking if there was any way he could eat it all. He did eat it all. Even though we could have taken left overs back to our room (since we had a fridge and a microwave), we were to be going to Ka that night and we timed it just right so we got in without having to wait in a line (thus having left overs, and walking all the way back to the room, would have taken forever).
Suggestion: Eat here. This place is actually really cheap for the fact that it's a restaurant by a world-renowned restaurateur ($18 for the spaghetti, $15 for the calzone), and it was dinner time. The wait was about 30 minutes and we didn't have reservations.
On our last day, we ate at the Wichcraft (a sandwhich shop--closer to our end of the hotel). I had a $9.75 BLT. I've had much better BLTs for a fraction of the price. I don't remember what Shawn got, but after getting chips and a drink, the final bill was $30.
Suggestion: Skip it. The sandwiches are good, but they're not worth the $10 they have you pay. Though they are definitely large enough to split one sandwich between 2 people. They try to pass off that getting chips and a drink is cheaper than getting them separate, but they're not. All sodas were $3.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Pictures
The good pictures from the trip (from my new digital SLR Canon Rebel). I probably took about 150...most at the Bellagio fountain.
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| Vegas Trip |
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Hotel (post 1 of 2)
(The Signature: Tower 2 at MGM Grand)
The view ain't much,
But the room sure kicked ass.
Memory Foam king sized bed, kitchenette, internet access, flat panel LCD TV, complimentary bottled water and newspaper delivery.
Whirlpool bathtub, granite floor and counter top, his and hers sinks, bathrobes for each of us, toilet paper that had "MGM Grand: Signature" pressed into it, and a water heater that was so good, I swear you could get boiling water from the faucets.Shawn decided we HAD to take a bath since he'd never been in a hotel with a bathtub with jets...too bad he tried to boil us in the water.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Vegas
I promise to post a blog soon about the trip to Vegas, and the fun that is having to deal with delayed flights from Chicago.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
A different point of view
The other night, at Lon and Daniella's, we had a conversation about a previous blog I had written...As such, I feel it is only fitting to post another blog about a different TV show which, on occasion, annoys me because of the "listen to me because I am the almighty boob-tube" vibe it sometimes sends out. Please note that CSI:Miami always annoys me--but this is because of the bad acting and for no other reason than that.
[sarcasm]
Dear Fox (and trust me, I KNOW how weird this is going to sound),
Thank you for your pro-choice views (or shall we call them pro-abortion views? as we all know that's what they really are) that have recently been expressed on your hit TV show, House. I just don't know what I would do if I did not have the most rude, angry, and generally high-as-a-kite 'doctor' telling me at every turn that babies (or 'fetuses' as he likes to call them) are the devil and need to be destroyed post haste.
I can think of at least 4 episodes in which he actively has lobbied the woman in question to destroy "the parasite". In 2 of those cases, the pregnancy was not life threatening to the mother. In one case it was life threatening until the team of doctors figured out what was causing the problem, and even then, he still advocated abortion over surgery. And in the last case, the mother chose (Ah free will, thy art a loathsome bitch) to continue her pregnancy even though it meant that she was going to die. Naturally, she must have been insane. I am so glad to see that he has never suggested to any of these pregnant women that they should keep the baby, or explore a different option. You know, such as adoption.
And onto to my next point: Religion.
I understand that House thinks he is God (and I mean, who doesn't?). This is why I think it is so awesome that he ridicules everyone for their personal religious views. He has so far ridiculed Catholic Nuns...and Hasidic Jews....and Agnostics. Oh, whoops, my mistake, he hasn't yet made fun of any Agnostics. Or Atheists. Or Buddhists, Hindus, Hare Krishnas, Scientologists, or non-denominational Christians. So I guess he's only an ass to the ones that you can tell on the outside are of strong religious conviction. Besides, we all know that the reason the world is at the point it is now (on the track to hedonism and hell) is because of the Catholic Nuns and Hasidic Jews.
Love much,
Katina
[/sarcasm]
[sarcasm]
Dear Fox (and trust me, I KNOW how weird this is going to sound),
Thank you for your pro-choice views (or shall we call them pro-abortion views? as we all know that's what they really are) that have recently been expressed on your hit TV show, House. I just don't know what I would do if I did not have the most rude, angry, and generally high-as-a-kite 'doctor' telling me at every turn that babies (or 'fetuses' as he likes to call them) are the devil and need to be destroyed post haste.
I can think of at least 4 episodes in which he actively has lobbied the woman in question to destroy "the parasite". In 2 of those cases, the pregnancy was not life threatening to the mother. In one case it was life threatening until the team of doctors figured out what was causing the problem, and even then, he still advocated abortion over surgery. And in the last case, the mother chose (Ah free will, thy art a loathsome bitch) to continue her pregnancy even though it meant that she was going to die. Naturally, she must have been insane. I am so glad to see that he has never suggested to any of these pregnant women that they should keep the baby, or explore a different option. You know, such as adoption.
And onto to my next point: Religion.
I understand that House thinks he is God (and I mean, who doesn't?). This is why I think it is so awesome that he ridicules everyone for their personal religious views. He has so far ridiculed Catholic Nuns...and Hasidic Jews....and Agnostics. Oh, whoops, my mistake, he hasn't yet made fun of any Agnostics. Or Atheists. Or Buddhists, Hindus, Hare Krishnas, Scientologists, or non-denominational Christians. So I guess he's only an ass to the ones that you can tell on the outside are of strong religious conviction. Besides, we all know that the reason the world is at the point it is now (on the track to hedonism and hell) is because of the Catholic Nuns and Hasidic Jews.
Love much,
Katina
[/sarcasm]
Monday, February 04, 2008
Do you know my name?
So, as it can be ascertained, I don't exactly have a common name. And it is a name that can be confused quite easily with other names.
As such, it's pretty easy to know who remembers me. Mostly because they'll either screw up my name, or they'll be too scared to screw it up so they just take the whole "hey! it's....YOU!" approach.
I have gotten used to this. It has taken Shawn until recently to get used to this.
Anyhow, while Shawn was in Boulder, he ran into one of our old roommates. And he asked "How's Katrina?" and Shawn went ahead and answered him without correcting because what's the point really? it's not like either one of us ever sees him any more.
But still, it's funny.
Especially since we lived with this guy for a full year.
As such, it's pretty easy to know who remembers me. Mostly because they'll either screw up my name, or they'll be too scared to screw it up so they just take the whole "hey! it's....YOU!" approach.
I have gotten used to this. It has taken Shawn until recently to get used to this.
Anyhow, while Shawn was in Boulder, he ran into one of our old roommates. And he asked "How's Katrina?" and Shawn went ahead and answered him without correcting because what's the point really? it's not like either one of us ever sees him any more.
But still, it's funny.
Especially since we lived with this guy for a full year.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
French Onion Soup
Based on the recipe from the Colorado Cache cook book. This is the best book ever, I've never had a bad recipe from it (the Creme de Colorado is also a very good book). I highly recommend that everyone get this book--I personally got it specifically for the French Onion Soup recipe, though the other soup recipes sound delicious--like the tomato bisque which I still haven't tried.
Actually found out last weekend that my friend that grew up in Oklahoma knows his mom made recipes from this book.
The books can be purchased through the Junior League of Denver.
This recipe generally has served up to 12 people. I just keep adding beef stock and wine to make more soup if it looks like it's simmering down too quickly.
4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 T of butter
1.5 t sugar
1 T flour
1 c dry white wine
1 quart beef stock, if using bullion, I suggest adding more than the amount it says.
Slices of French Bread.
Slices of Swiss Cheese (buy the ones that are presliced)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz)--we use the stuff you buy in the Kraft can.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, slowly brown the onions in butter and sugar until the onions are a dark brown, about 30 minutes. (With a wooden spoon, occasionally scrape the brown off the bottom of the pan.) Add flour and cook, stirring for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Add stock and simmer partially covered for 1 hour. To serve, place a croûton on top of each bowl of soup, Cover generously with Swiss cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake covered at 325* for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake another 10 minutes.
Actually found out last weekend that my friend that grew up in Oklahoma knows his mom made recipes from this book.
The books can be purchased through the Junior League of Denver.
This recipe generally has served up to 12 people. I just keep adding beef stock and wine to make more soup if it looks like it's simmering down too quickly.
4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 T of butter
1.5 t sugar
1 T flour
1 c dry white wine
1 quart beef stock, if using bullion, I suggest adding more than the amount it says.
Slices of French Bread.
Slices of Swiss Cheese (buy the ones that are presliced)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz)--we use the stuff you buy in the Kraft can.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, slowly brown the onions in butter and sugar until the onions are a dark brown, about 30 minutes. (With a wooden spoon, occasionally scrape the brown off the bottom of the pan.) Add flour and cook, stirring for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Add stock and simmer partially covered for 1 hour. To serve, place a croûton on top of each bowl of soup, Cover generously with Swiss cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake covered at 325* for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake another 10 minutes.
Beignets
1/2 package dry yeast
3/4 c warm water (about 110*)
1/4 c sugar
1 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 t salt
1/8 c shortening
veggie oil for frying
powdered sugar
In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve.
Add sugar, eggs, milk --blend (with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer)
Add half the flour, salt and shortening. Mix well (may want to switch over to the hook attachment at this stage)
add remaining flour and continue to mix to form a dough. Form dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
Next day: punch down dough. cover with damp towl and let rest 15 min.
Roll dough in 1/4" thick rectangle. Use pizza cutter to cut into 2" squares.
Heat some oil for deep fat frying to 365* (to the 'donuts' marker if your candy thermometer has that written on it). drop in beignets, 3 or 4 at a time and fry on both sides til golden. Drain on a brown paper bag and dust generously with powdered sugar. Serve.
Please note that beignets only have a half life of about a day. That means don't make extra if you can help it.
3/4 c warm water (about 110*)
1/4 c sugar
1 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 t salt
1/8 c shortening
veggie oil for frying
powdered sugar
In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve.
Add sugar, eggs, milk --blend (with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer)
Add half the flour, salt and shortening. Mix well (may want to switch over to the hook attachment at this stage)
add remaining flour and continue to mix to form a dough. Form dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
Next day: punch down dough. cover with damp towl and let rest 15 min.
Roll dough in 1/4" thick rectangle. Use pizza cutter to cut into 2" squares.
Heat some oil for deep fat frying to 365* (to the 'donuts' marker if your candy thermometer has that written on it). drop in beignets, 3 or 4 at a time and fry on both sides til golden. Drain on a brown paper bag and dust generously with powdered sugar. Serve.
Please note that beignets only have a half life of about a day. That means don't make extra if you can help it.
Politics Test(s)
Dani asked me to find and post a link to a politics test:
http://www.okcupid.com/politics
My test results below. Oddly, I was much more centrist while I was in college (one time I took the test and I was actually considered Libertarian). A little weird since I generally think I've become more conservative since moving to Texas.
And here is a link to a different calculator:
http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html
This calculator is more of a "which candidate aligns with my mores?" According to this one, in order 'my' candidates are Gravel, Clinton, Obama, Paul, McCain, Romney, Huckabee (haha, I had 0% match with Huckabee).
And yet another calculator:
http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460
This one has my matches, in order as Clinton, Obama, Gravel, Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Paul.
Oh! I just found a test hosted by the Brits. This one puts it more into perspective as far as the western world is considered:
http://www.politicalcompass.org/test
I was right above the "d" in Gandhi. Make sure to check out the link at the bottom to the U.S. Primaries 2008. (in which I should apparently vote for Gravel)
And one that at least as Colin Powell on it:
http://madrabbit.net/webrabbit/quizshow.html
(FYI choosing between Roosevelt and Reagan is only 1 point...with Roosevelt being the more liberal choice). And I was between Clinton and Powell, So, there you have it, if Colin Powell ran for President, I'd vote for 'im!
http://www.okcupid.com/politics
My test results below. Oddly, I was much more centrist while I was in college (one time I took the test and I was actually considered Libertarian). A little weird since I generally think I've become more conservative since moving to Texas.
| You are a Social Liberal (68% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (26% permissive) You are best described as a:
Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test |
And here is a link to a different calculator:
http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html
This calculator is more of a "which candidate aligns with my mores?" According to this one, in order 'my' candidates are Gravel, Clinton, Obama, Paul, McCain, Romney, Huckabee (haha, I had 0% match with Huckabee).
And yet another calculator:
http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460
This one has my matches, in order as Clinton, Obama, Gravel, Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Paul.
Oh! I just found a test hosted by the Brits. This one puts it more into perspective as far as the western world is considered:
http://www.politicalcompass.org/test
I was right above the "d" in Gandhi. Make sure to check out the link at the bottom to the U.S. Primaries 2008. (in which I should apparently vote for Gravel)
And one that at least as Colin Powell on it:
http://madrabbit.net/webrabbit/quizshow.html
(FYI choosing between Roosevelt and Reagan is only 1 point...with Roosevelt being the more liberal choice). And I was between Clinton and Powell, So, there you have it, if Colin Powell ran for President, I'd vote for 'im!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Rosemary Pork Kabobs
Rosemary Vinegar:
2 c white-wine vinegar
6 (6-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic crushed
In saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil. Pour into glass bowl; add rosemary and garlic. Cover; let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain.
Kabobs:
1/2 c olive oil
1 T dijon mustard
2 t chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 t black pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound small red new potatoes
8 (6-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
In bowl, whisk 1/2 cup vinegar (save the remainder), oil, mustard, rosemary and pepper for vinaigrette. In plastic bag, combine 1/2 c vinaigrette and pork. Chill 30 minutes.
Cook potatoes in simmering water, covered, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Halve potatoes and toss in bowl with remaining vinaigrette.
Heat broiler or grill. Thread pork alternating with potatoes on 4 skewers, or 8 rosemary sprigs, if desired.
Broil or grill 4 inches from heat about 10 minutes, turning and basting with vinaigrette from bowl.
(Alternately, if you're lazy, like me, then you use 1/2 c white-wine vinegar, a couple tablespoons of dried rosemary if you don't have fresh, and a teaspoon or so of garlic powder and a dash of black pepper. Do not boil the vinegar, hell, don't let it sit over-night--just put the ingredients into a ziploc bag with 1/2 c. oil and add either boneless pork pieces or pork chops, marinate for 30 minutes. Grill as directed--I have yet to make the potatoes with this thing...I think it's the boiling that always gets to me.)
2 c white-wine vinegar
6 (6-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic crushed
In saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil. Pour into glass bowl; add rosemary and garlic. Cover; let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain.
Kabobs:
1/2 c olive oil
1 T dijon mustard
2 t chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 t black pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound small red new potatoes
8 (6-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
In bowl, whisk 1/2 cup vinegar (save the remainder), oil, mustard, rosemary and pepper for vinaigrette. In plastic bag, combine 1/2 c vinaigrette and pork. Chill 30 minutes.
Cook potatoes in simmering water, covered, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Halve potatoes and toss in bowl with remaining vinaigrette.
Heat broiler or grill. Thread pork alternating with potatoes on 4 skewers, or 8 rosemary sprigs, if desired.
Broil or grill 4 inches from heat about 10 minutes, turning and basting with vinaigrette from bowl.
(Alternately, if you're lazy, like me, then you use 1/2 c white-wine vinegar, a couple tablespoons of dried rosemary if you don't have fresh, and a teaspoon or so of garlic powder and a dash of black pepper. Do not boil the vinegar, hell, don't let it sit over-night--just put the ingredients into a ziploc bag with 1/2 c. oil and add either boneless pork pieces or pork chops, marinate for 30 minutes. Grill as directed--I have yet to make the potatoes with this thing...I think it's the boiling that always gets to me.)
Friday, February 01, 2008
Peanutty Noodles
1 peeled carrot (you use the peels)
1/2 T vegetable oil, divided
2 t grated, peeled, fresh ginger (I still use ginger powder)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 c soy sauce (I usually use less)
3 T rice or white wine vinegar (you can use normal vinegar, but half the dose)
1 t chili garlic sauce (or a pinch or two of chili powder)
1/8 t salt
Cooking spray
2 c red bell pepper strips
1 lb snow peas
1 lb cooked pasta (usually spaghetti noodles)
fresh cilantro for garnish
Shave carrot lengthwise into thin strips using a vegetable peeler, set aside.
Heat 1 t oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic. Saute 30 sec. Add chicken broth and next 5 ingredients. Stir until well blended. Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat & keep warm
Heat 2 t oil in large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add bell peppers and peas. Saute 5 min or until tender. Remove from heat. Combine carrot, peanut butter mixture, bell pepper mix and pasta in large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with Cilantro and serve warm.
Notes:
We normally don't add the veggies because we never have snow peas in the house, and Shawn is allergic to bell pepper.
We normally add chicken to this--cook chicken in step one in the sauce pan, then pick up at the 'add ginger and garlic' spot.
1/2 T vegetable oil, divided
2 t grated, peeled, fresh ginger (I still use ginger powder)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 c soy sauce (I usually use less)
3 T rice or white wine vinegar (you can use normal vinegar, but half the dose)
1 t chili garlic sauce (or a pinch or two of chili powder)
1/8 t salt
Cooking spray
2 c red bell pepper strips
1 lb snow peas
1 lb cooked pasta (usually spaghetti noodles)
fresh cilantro for garnish
Shave carrot lengthwise into thin strips using a vegetable peeler, set aside.
Heat 1 t oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic. Saute 30 sec. Add chicken broth and next 5 ingredients. Stir until well blended. Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat & keep warm
Heat 2 t oil in large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add bell peppers and peas. Saute 5 min or until tender. Remove from heat. Combine carrot, peanut butter mixture, bell pepper mix and pasta in large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with Cilantro and serve warm.
Notes:
We normally don't add the veggies because we never have snow peas in the house, and Shawn is allergic to bell pepper.
We normally add chicken to this--cook chicken in step one in the sauce pan, then pick up at the 'add ginger and garlic' spot.
Apple Dumplings (and mini dumplings)
1.5 c sugar
1.5 c water
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Bring to boil and add 3T butter and a couple drops of red food coloring (food coloring is optional). set aside
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2/3 c. shortening
Cream together and then add
1/2 c. milk
mix until it forms a dough (it should be pliable, if it's too dry, add a little more milk)
Directions:
Roll dough into 18 x 12 rectangle and cut into 6" squares. Place whole cored and peeled apples in center of square. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the apples and dot tops of apples with butter. Bring corners together and pinch to seal.
Place 1" apart in un-greased pan (I usually use a 9" square if I'm doing 4 dumplings, or an 11 x 9 if doing 6). Pour syrup over the dumplings and sprinkle with sugar (optional).
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until apples are done.
For mini-dumplings:
same recipe, but peel, core and quarter the apples. follow the directions above (squares of dough will be smaller) replacing a whole apple with a quarter apple. place in pan. bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until apples are done.
Notes:
-usually it's difficult to get the dough to the 12 x 18 size. My mom and I both just started using 4 apples instead of the normal recipe of 6.
-I made the mini-dumplings for the first time and I managed to get the dough rolled out to the 12 x 18 size, and I cut up 4 apples. The minis took up my small oblong pan, and 2 tiny casseroles--they probably fit fine in a 9 x 11.
-My mom always added red food coloring because she found the normal brownish color of the syrup to be unappetizing. I normally don't add the coloring because I don't have it on hand
-You don't have to make as much syrup as the recipe calls for, the important part is to have equal amounts of sugar and water. In fact, I wouldn't recommend having the recipe amount of syrup. Unless you're looking to get diabetes.
1.5 c water
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Bring to boil and add 3T butter and a couple drops of red food coloring (food coloring is optional). set aside
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2/3 c. shortening
Cream together and then add
1/2 c. milk
mix until it forms a dough (it should be pliable, if it's too dry, add a little more milk)
Directions:
Roll dough into 18 x 12 rectangle and cut into 6" squares. Place whole cored and peeled apples in center of square. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the apples and dot tops of apples with butter. Bring corners together and pinch to seal.
Place 1" apart in un-greased pan (I usually use a 9" square if I'm doing 4 dumplings, or an 11 x 9 if doing 6). Pour syrup over the dumplings and sprinkle with sugar (optional).
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until apples are done.
For mini-dumplings:
same recipe, but peel, core and quarter the apples. follow the directions above (squares of dough will be smaller) replacing a whole apple with a quarter apple. place in pan. bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until apples are done.
Notes:
-usually it's difficult to get the dough to the 12 x 18 size. My mom and I both just started using 4 apples instead of the normal recipe of 6.
-I made the mini-dumplings for the first time and I managed to get the dough rolled out to the 12 x 18 size, and I cut up 4 apples. The minis took up my small oblong pan, and 2 tiny casseroles--they probably fit fine in a 9 x 11.
-My mom always added red food coloring because she found the normal brownish color of the syrup to be unappetizing. I normally don't add the coloring because I don't have it on hand
-You don't have to make as much syrup as the recipe calls for, the important part is to have equal amounts of sugar and water. In fact, I wouldn't recommend having the recipe amount of syrup. Unless you're looking to get diabetes.
Spaghetti
This recipe is very generic. Add as many spices as you want, don't add meat, whatever. Just taste the sauce until it tastes right to you. Note: if you have this with meat, you'll have to add more spices than if you don't use meat.
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
onion
14 oz can of tomato sauce
a little sugar (about 1 t)
Worcestershire sauce (a couple dashes)
various spices (italian spices, or make your own: Oregano, fennel, basil, parsley, garlic, etc.)
cooked pasta
Brown beef and diced onion in sauce pan. Drain. Add other ingredients and simmer on low heat until noodles are cooked. Serve hot.
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
onion
14 oz can of tomato sauce
a little sugar (about 1 t)
Worcestershire sauce (a couple dashes)
various spices (italian spices, or make your own: Oregano, fennel, basil, parsley, garlic, etc.)
cooked pasta
Brown beef and diced onion in sauce pan. Drain. Add other ingredients and simmer on low heat until noodles are cooked. Serve hot.
Apple Pancake
This can be served as Breakfast or Dinner (we eat it for Dinner though)
2 T butter
4 T sugar, divided
3/4 t ground cinnamon
1 large apple cored & sliced
4 eggs
2/3 c milk
1/3 c flour
1/2 t salt (I normally leave this out)
Melt butter in 10" frying pan with ovenproof handle. Combine 3 T sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over butter. Arrange apple slices over sugar mix in pan. Cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes. Cool slightly.
Meanwhile, beat together eggs, milk, flour, 1 T sugar, and salt until smooth. Poor gently over apple slices. Bake in preheated 400* oven until golden brown and sides are puffy (approx. 15 min). Serve immediately.
Notes:
The pancake will always get puffy--it will also always fall.
Also, you will never get the batter smooth. The best I've gotten is to put all the ingredients in a Nalgene bottle and shaken it up then poured over the apple slices.
2 T butter
4 T sugar, divided
3/4 t ground cinnamon
1 large apple cored & sliced
4 eggs
2/3 c milk
1/3 c flour
1/2 t salt (I normally leave this out)
Melt butter in 10" frying pan with ovenproof handle. Combine 3 T sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over butter. Arrange apple slices over sugar mix in pan. Cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes. Cool slightly.
Meanwhile, beat together eggs, milk, flour, 1 T sugar, and salt until smooth. Poor gently over apple slices. Bake in preheated 400* oven until golden brown and sides are puffy (approx. 15 min). Serve immediately.
Notes:
The pancake will always get puffy--it will also always fall.
Also, you will never get the batter smooth. The best I've gotten is to put all the ingredients in a Nalgene bottle and shaken it up then poured over the apple slices.
Blueberry Coffee Cakes
4 c. flour (slightly more for high altitude)
1.5 c. sugar (slightly less for low altitude)
4 t. baking powder
1.5 t salt
1/2 c melted margarine
1.5 c + 3 T milk
2 eggs
4 c fresh or frozen blueberries
Topping:
Mix 1/2 c sugar, 2/3 c flour, 1 t cinnamon & 1/2 c softened margarine
Heat oven to 375*. Grease two 9" layer cake pans. Mix all ingredients except topping & blueberries. Beat vigorously 1/2 minute. Carefully stir in blueberries. Spread half the batter in each pan; sprinkle topping on batter in each pan. Bake 45 min.
Serve warm or cool, wrap and freeze up to 3 months.
1.5 c. sugar (slightly less for low altitude)
4 t. baking powder
1.5 t salt
1/2 c melted margarine
1.5 c + 3 T milk
2 eggs
4 c fresh or frozen blueberries
Topping:
Mix 1/2 c sugar, 2/3 c flour, 1 t cinnamon & 1/2 c softened margarine
Heat oven to 375*. Grease two 9" layer cake pans. Mix all ingredients except topping & blueberries. Beat vigorously 1/2 minute. Carefully stir in blueberries. Spread half the batter in each pan; sprinkle topping on batter in each pan. Bake 45 min.
Serve warm or cool, wrap and freeze up to 3 months.
Glorified Muffins
1.5 c sifted flour (though I never sift it)
1.5 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Sift together and set aside (though as stated, I never sift)
1/3 c. shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1 t grated orange rind
Cream together
1/2 c. milk
Add to creamed mix alternately with sifted flour mix. Beat until smooth. Spoon into paper baking cups or greased muffin pans. Bake at 350* for 20 min.
***Topping***
1 stick margarine, melted
1 c. sugar
1.5 t. cinnamon
Mix sugar and cinnamon together.
Dip tops of still warm muffins in melted margarine then into sugar & cinnamon mix.
1.5 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Sift together and set aside (though as stated, I never sift)
1/3 c. shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1 t grated orange rind
Cream together
1/2 c. milk
Add to creamed mix alternately with sifted flour mix. Beat until smooth. Spoon into paper baking cups or greased muffin pans. Bake at 350* for 20 min.
***Topping***
1 stick margarine, melted
1 c. sugar
1.5 t. cinnamon
Mix sugar and cinnamon together.
Dip tops of still warm muffins in melted margarine then into sugar & cinnamon mix.
Who says girls are bad with directions?
I just got off the phone with Shawn. He's in Boulder with his parents. They're going to eat at the Med (Which, by the way, is my favoritist restaurant of all time...I'm so jealous).
Shawn, for whatever reason, decided the Med was on Pearl Street. Good guess. But that's just it-- a guess. He's been there like 4 times and he doesn't remember where it is. Anyhow, after walking the entire length of Pearl Street, he finally calls and is like "hey, I've got a question. Where's the Med?" And I immediately answer "Walnut Street. Two blocks west of the Walnut Brewery. It's on the same block as the Walrus Saloon, but across the street. Where are you? Okay, from the end of Pearl Street, turn toward campus, walk to Walnut, go west a block." "Wait, WEST?" "Yes." "Are you sure?" "90% sure." "..." "...Fine. I'll google it...Yes, I was right: end of Pearl street, two blocks south to Walnut, one block west to 10th-ish...or rather, where 10th would be if it didn't dead end."
He didn't believe me. And I could hear Elsie in the background going "where are you going!? We're going the wrong way! You're leading us all over the place, do you have ANY idea where you're going?" I would have been the same way. he made them walk at least half a mile (it's half a mile if they had gone directly from the parking garage to The Med, but they didn't...they turned around a couple of times and had to back track and what not), AND it only feels like 22 degrees. Yeah, I would have been more cranky than "do you know where you're going?"
They found it though, right where I said it was.
Who says girls are bad with directions?
Shawn, for whatever reason, decided the Med was on Pearl Street. Good guess. But that's just it-- a guess. He's been there like 4 times and he doesn't remember where it is. Anyhow, after walking the entire length of Pearl Street, he finally calls and is like "hey, I've got a question. Where's the Med?" And I immediately answer "Walnut Street. Two blocks west of the Walnut Brewery. It's on the same block as the Walrus Saloon, but across the street. Where are you? Okay, from the end of Pearl Street, turn toward campus, walk to Walnut, go west a block." "Wait, WEST?" "Yes." "Are you sure?" "90% sure." "..." "...Fine. I'll google it...Yes, I was right: end of Pearl street, two blocks south to Walnut, one block west to 10th-ish...or rather, where 10th would be if it didn't dead end."
He didn't believe me. And I could hear Elsie in the background going "where are you going!? We're going the wrong way! You're leading us all over the place, do you have ANY idea where you're going?" I would have been the same way. he made them walk at least half a mile (it's half a mile if they had gone directly from the parking garage to The Med, but they didn't...they turned around a couple of times and had to back track and what not), AND it only feels like 22 degrees. Yeah, I would have been more cranky than "do you know where you're going?"
They found it though, right where I said it was.
Who says girls are bad with directions?
Beef Stroganoff
1/4 c butter
1/2 c minced onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 lb meat
1 lb mushrooms, sliced (optional)^
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t paprika
1-10.5 oz condensed soup (chicken or mushroom)
1 c sour cream
choice of noodles (wide egg works well)
^ - if not using mushrooms, use condensed soup of mushroom.
In skillet over medium high heat, melt butter and cook onion & garlic about 3 min. Stir in meat, mushrooms, salt, pepper, paprika. cook, stirring often until meat is browned (about 7 min)
Stir in undiluted soup; heat to boiling. reduce heat to low & simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in sour cream and heat (do not boil). sprinkle with parsley. Serve sauce over noodles.
1/2 c minced onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 lb meat
1 lb mushrooms, sliced (optional)^
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t paprika
1-10.5 oz condensed soup (chicken or mushroom)
1 c sour cream
choice of noodles (wide egg works well)
^ - if not using mushrooms, use condensed soup of mushroom.
In skillet over medium high heat, melt butter and cook onion & garlic about 3 min. Stir in meat, mushrooms, salt, pepper, paprika. cook, stirring often until meat is browned (about 7 min)
Stir in undiluted soup; heat to boiling. reduce heat to low & simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in sour cream and heat (do not boil). sprinkle with parsley. Serve sauce over noodles.
Goulash
1 lb ground meat
diced onions
can of diced tomatoes
1/2 c ketchup
cooked elbow macaroni
Brown meat and onions. Drain off grease. Add tomatoes and ketchup. let simmer until noodles are finished (drain and stir into sauce). Serve warm.
Note: I cheat and use the petite diced tomatoes with onion already in them. We also usually had 1 teaspoon of sugar and some spices (italian usually)
diced onions
can of diced tomatoes
1/2 c ketchup
cooked elbow macaroni
Brown meat and onions. Drain off grease. Add tomatoes and ketchup. let simmer until noodles are finished (drain and stir into sauce). Serve warm.
Note: I cheat and use the petite diced tomatoes with onion already in them. We also usually had 1 teaspoon of sugar and some spices (italian usually)
Chicken Scampi
1/2 c butter
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c finely chopped green onions
1 T minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
2 lbs diced skinless chicken breast
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 c parsley
cooked pasta or rice
In skillet heat together butter, oil, onins and garlic. Saute for a few minutes. Add lemon juice, chicken, salt, pepper and parsley. Cook until chicken is done. Serve over pasta or rice.
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c finely chopped green onions
1 T minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
2 lbs diced skinless chicken breast
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 c parsley
cooked pasta or rice
In skillet heat together butter, oil, onins and garlic. Saute for a few minutes. Add lemon juice, chicken, salt, pepper and parsley. Cook until chicken is done. Serve over pasta or rice.
4 ways with potatoes
Homestyle Potatoes:
Thinly slice 2 med red potatoes, cube 1 med green pepper and thinly slice 1 med onion. Combine all in a 2 qt microwavalbe casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup water, 1/2 t seasoned salt, 1/2 t pepper and dot 1 T margarine. Cover with wax papper and microwave on high 9-10 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes.
Twice Baked Potatoes:
6 scrubbed baking potatoes
1.5 c nonfat sour cream
1/2 t salt
1 c grated low fat cheddar cheese
1/2 c finely chopped green onion
Paprika
Preheat oven to 400*. Prick Potatoes. Bake 1 hr or until done. Let cool. Scoop pulp into a medium bowl; leaving about 1/4 of potato in shell. Add sour cream to pulp; whip with electric mixer. Stir in cheese, onion. Stuff shells with mixture and sprinkle with paprika. place on baking sheet and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
Note: We cheat with this recipe and cook the potatoes in the microwave--about 12 minutes on high for 4 potatoes (make sure you prick with a fork first)
Packet Potatoes:
1 small onion
potatoes sliced
2 T olive oil or vegetable oil (or butter/margarine)
1 t seasoned salt
1/4 t pepper
shredded cheese (optional)
Preheat oven to 450* or grill to med-high. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray.
Center onion in foil and layer potatoes on top. Drizzle with oil (or dot with butter) & sprinkle with seasonings. Fold foil into a packet & bake or grill (30-35 min in oven, or 15-20 min on grill). If adding cheese, after the packets have cooked and are ready, open carefully, add shredded cheese, and close packet loosely to keep heat in.
Herb Medley Potatoes:
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 c. chopped shallots
5 t fresh or 2 t dried thyme
5 t fresh or 2 t dried rosemary
2 t chopped fennel seeds
3 lb med red skin potatoes each cut into 8 wedges
3 lb med yukon potatoes each cut into 8 wedges.
Preheat oven to 400*. Oil 2 large baking sheets. Whisk all ingredients (sans potatoes), add potatoes and toss to coat. Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning occasionally. When done, recoat with oil mix and serve.
Thinly slice 2 med red potatoes, cube 1 med green pepper and thinly slice 1 med onion. Combine all in a 2 qt microwavalbe casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup water, 1/2 t seasoned salt, 1/2 t pepper and dot 1 T margarine. Cover with wax papper and microwave on high 9-10 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes.
Twice Baked Potatoes:
6 scrubbed baking potatoes
1.5 c nonfat sour cream
1/2 t salt
1 c grated low fat cheddar cheese
1/2 c finely chopped green onion
Paprika
Preheat oven to 400*. Prick Potatoes. Bake 1 hr or until done. Let cool. Scoop pulp into a medium bowl; leaving about 1/4 of potato in shell. Add sour cream to pulp; whip with electric mixer. Stir in cheese, onion. Stuff shells with mixture and sprinkle with paprika. place on baking sheet and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
Note: We cheat with this recipe and cook the potatoes in the microwave--about 12 minutes on high for 4 potatoes (make sure you prick with a fork first)
Packet Potatoes:
1 small onion
potatoes sliced
2 T olive oil or vegetable oil (or butter/margarine)
1 t seasoned salt
1/4 t pepper
shredded cheese (optional)
Preheat oven to 450* or grill to med-high. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray.
Center onion in foil and layer potatoes on top. Drizzle with oil (or dot with butter) & sprinkle with seasonings. Fold foil into a packet & bake or grill (30-35 min in oven, or 15-20 min on grill). If adding cheese, after the packets have cooked and are ready, open carefully, add shredded cheese, and close packet loosely to keep heat in.
Herb Medley Potatoes:
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 c. chopped shallots
5 t fresh or 2 t dried thyme
5 t fresh or 2 t dried rosemary
2 t chopped fennel seeds
3 lb med red skin potatoes each cut into 8 wedges
3 lb med yukon potatoes each cut into 8 wedges.
Preheat oven to 400*. Oil 2 large baking sheets. Whisk all ingredients (sans potatoes), add potatoes and toss to coat. Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning occasionally. When done, recoat with oil mix and serve.
Sloppy Joes
1 lb hamburger
1 small onion, diced
Brown together
1 c. catsup
1 t mustard (optional)
1 T vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 c water
Add ingredients to browned and drained hamburger. Simmer 20 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.
1 small onion, diced
Brown together
1 c. catsup
1 t mustard (optional)
1 T vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 c water
Add ingredients to browned and drained hamburger. Simmer 20 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.
Easy Lasagna
Brown 1 lb of ground meat
30 oz jar of spaghetti sauce + 1/2 jar water
10 lasagna noodles
1/2 large container of small curd cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
bag of shredded Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese
Mix sauce with cooked meat and water.
put in 9 x 13 pan:
layer of sauce
layer of noodles (4 across, 1 on end)
layer of sauce
layer of mozzarella cheese (or cheddar)
1/2 container of cottage cheese (or ricotta)
layer of noodles
remainder of sauce
layer of mozzarella cheese (or cheddar)
Saran wrap overnight
Bake when convenient at 350* for 1 hour (no need to preheat oven)
30 oz jar of spaghetti sauce + 1/2 jar water
10 lasagna noodles
1/2 large container of small curd cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
bag of shredded Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese
Mix sauce with cooked meat and water.
put in 9 x 13 pan:
layer of sauce
layer of noodles (4 across, 1 on end)
layer of sauce
layer of mozzarella cheese (or cheddar)
1/2 container of cottage cheese (or ricotta)
layer of noodles
remainder of sauce
layer of mozzarella cheese (or cheddar)
Saran wrap overnight
Bake when convenient at 350* for 1 hour (no need to preheat oven)
Oven BBQ Chicken
1 can Tomato soup
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c vinegar
2 T packed brown sugar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t garlic powder
2 lb chicken parts
Combine soup, oil, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, and garlic.
In 3 qt. oblong baking dish, arrange chicken. Bake @ 375* for 30 min. Spoon off fat. Spoon soup mix over chicken. Bake 30 more minutes or until chicken is done. Stir the sauce and serve.
Note: We usually use boneless, skinless chicken instead of chicken parts--cook chicken 5 min, initially, then spoon the soup on it, then cook another 20-25 min.
Note: Since we don't use 2 lbs of chicken, there is usually quite a bit of sauce. Also, it seems to have an oriental flair (sort of), so we just always eat this over steamed rice.
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c vinegar
2 T packed brown sugar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t garlic powder
2 lb chicken parts
Combine soup, oil, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, and garlic.
In 3 qt. oblong baking dish, arrange chicken. Bake @ 375* for 30 min. Spoon off fat. Spoon soup mix over chicken. Bake 30 more minutes or until chicken is done. Stir the sauce and serve.
Note: We usually use boneless, skinless chicken instead of chicken parts--cook chicken 5 min, initially, then spoon the soup on it, then cook another 20-25 min.
Note: Since we don't use 2 lbs of chicken, there is usually quite a bit of sauce. Also, it seems to have an oriental flair (sort of), so we just always eat this over steamed rice.
Swiss Cheese Chicken Breast
From my mom's coworker Willo:
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
4 oz swiss cheese (we use a lot more)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 T melted butter
1/2 c seasoned croutons
Place chicken in greased baking dish with all sides touching. Layer Swiss cheese slices evenly over chicken. Coat with a layer of condensed soup. Optional to top with croutons and sprinkle with butter. Bake uncovered at 350 for approximately 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
4 oz swiss cheese (we use a lot more)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 T melted butter
1/2 c seasoned croutons
Place chicken in greased baking dish with all sides touching. Layer Swiss cheese slices evenly over chicken. Coat with a layer of condensed soup. Optional to top with croutons and sprinkle with butter. Bake uncovered at 350 for approximately 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
OOO I remember! I think it's time to start taking the Gingko.
Last week I had my blood drawn for the "stay healthy, be fit" thing they do at work all the time. Pretty much you go in and get your BMI, Blood Pressure, Resting Heart Rate, and then they draw a vial of blood and do the basic 28 chem test on it. They then send you the results via the mail and you can call someone to go over your results to see if you need to get to your doctor. The real reason to do the test is because if you signed up for the PE class, and you get a before and after (at the end of the 12 week PE class) blood test done, then you can use it toward your credits for PE and thus get time off of work.
Anyhow, blood drawn last week. Yesterday morning a lady from the hospital where they're doing the blood tests called. The conversation went something like this:
"Hello! this is Julie from [insert hospital name here]! And you had your blood drawn the other day."
Heart rate skyrockets. I can hear the blood rushing in my ears.
"there's a problem."
I practically have a coronary.
"The people there didn't write down your blood pressure and resting heart rate like they were supposed to."
sigh of relief. Heart rate starts to drop and I no longer think I'm going to pass out.
"Do you happen to remember what your blood pressure was and what your resting heart rate was?"
"uh, they didn't do resting heart rate, but my blood pressure was 122/70."
"Oh, that's really good! I'm surprised you remember that."
"well, that's the lowest it's ever been"
"Yes, when you've been fasting, your platelets drop which tends to drop your blood pressure."
:::thinking to myself::: No, I think it's because 1) I wasn't at a doctor's office, and 2) I'm beginning to think the particular type of pill I'm on is going to cause me to have a stroke.
"Anyhow, I've got a second hand right here. Do you know how to take your pulse?"
Heart rate is still higher than normal, I can FEEL my pulse without even having to put my fingers on my neck.
"Go"
I count. About half way through the time I can FEEL my pulse slowing and returning to normal.
"Stop"
"15."
"okay, that puts your RHR exactly at 90. Good. Thanks! your blood test should arrive on Monday at the latest!"
after I got off the phone my RHR dropped to about 75. And I kept re-running the Homer's Triple Bypass Simpson's episode through my head:
Anyhow, blood drawn last week. Yesterday morning a lady from the hospital where they're doing the blood tests called. The conversation went something like this:
"Hello! this is Julie from [insert hospital name here]! And you had your blood drawn the other day."
Heart rate skyrockets. I can hear the blood rushing in my ears.
"there's a problem."
I practically have a coronary.
"The people there didn't write down your blood pressure and resting heart rate like they were supposed to."
sigh of relief. Heart rate starts to drop and I no longer think I'm going to pass out.
"Do you happen to remember what your blood pressure was and what your resting heart rate was?"
"uh, they didn't do resting heart rate, but my blood pressure was 122/70."
"Oh, that's really good! I'm surprised you remember that."
"well, that's the lowest it's ever been"
"Yes, when you've been fasting, your platelets drop which tends to drop your blood pressure."
:::thinking to myself::: No, I think it's because 1) I wasn't at a doctor's office, and 2) I'm beginning to think the particular type of pill I'm on is going to cause me to have a stroke.
"Anyhow, I've got a second hand right here. Do you know how to take your pulse?"
Heart rate is still higher than normal, I can FEEL my pulse without even having to put my fingers on my neck.
"Go"
I count. About half way through the time I can FEEL my pulse slowing and returning to normal.
"Stop"
"15."
"okay, that puts your RHR exactly at 90. Good. Thanks! your blood test should arrive on Monday at the latest!"
after I got off the phone my RHR dropped to about 75. And I kept re-running the Homer's Triple Bypass Simpson's episode through my head:
[a "window" shows Homer's heart, beating fast]
Burns: Relax, Simpson. I just brought you in here for a friendly
hello...
Homer: Whew...[heart slows down]
Burns: ...and goodbye! You're fired!
Homer: [gags] [heart speeds up]
Burns: But, wait. Perhaps I'm being too hasty. You _are_ highly
skilled...
Homer: Whew...[heart slows down]
Burns: ...at goofing off!
Homer: Aaargh! [heart beats faster]
Burns: Now don't worry, Homer. You're the kind of guy I could really
dig...
Homer: Whew...[heart slows down]
Burns: ...a grave for!
Homer: Aaargh! [heart beats faster than anything]
Burns: Your indolence is inefficacious!
Homer: [stares blankly] [heart beats normally]
Burns: That means, you're terrible!
Homer: Aarrggghh! [heart goes crazy] [collapses]
-- The straw that broke the heart's back, "Homer's Triple Bypass"
I don't remember
I just do not remember what it was that I was going to blog about tonight. I totally had something too. I knew I should have written it down when I thought of it at work. Oh well, I'm sure I'll remember in the middle of the day tomorrow, just so I can forget about it all over again.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
As if I didn't already have enough to do...
But, I think. Just think. That maybe. Just maybe. I will start knitting. That's right. Knitting. Mostly because I want another purple blanket, and I can't seem to find any fleece in purple that I like.
Also, I watched "Mind Control Made Easy or How to Become a Cult Leader." It's like basically the history of all religion. WOO!
Also, I watched "Mind Control Made Easy or How to Become a Cult Leader." It's like basically the history of all religion. WOO!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Water
So, Shawn's out of town (in colorado actually. on business. in boulder. I'm so jealous). And I decided "hey, why not make 5 days worth of spaghetti?" So I break out the big pot and get the water going. The noodles get boiled and then it's time to strain them.
So, I grab the pot holders and take the pot over to the sink (and the colander). I start pouring.
All of the sudden I'm like "hunh, that's funny, my stomach feels like I'm pouring really hot water on it."
The I realize that if feels like I'm pouring hot water on it because I AM pouring hot water on it.
I mean really, WTF? It's like Shawn goes away and everything goes to pot.
So, I grab the pot holders and take the pot over to the sink (and the colander). I start pouring.
All of the sudden I'm like "hunh, that's funny, my stomach feels like I'm pouring really hot water on it."
The I realize that if feels like I'm pouring hot water on it because I AM pouring hot water on it.
I mean really, WTF? It's like Shawn goes away and everything goes to pot.
Monday, January 28, 2008
State of the Union
Did anyone else catch the very obvious pants hiking by our vice president?
And, I don't like Bush. At all. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't take one of those autographed little copies of the speech.
And, I don't like Bush. At all. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't take one of those autographed little copies of the speech.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Veet vs. Nair
Yes, I know, this is of GREAT importance to all of you readers. Especially all you male readers.
Which is better? Veet wax strips or Nair wax strips?
By far, the winner is Veet. The strips have more wax, and I think because of that, the wax sticks better to the hairs, and even more importantly, the wax doesn't have the tendency to come off of the strip and stick to your leg.
Nothing hurts more when waxing legs than pulling on the hairs, but not actually removing them.
Which is better? Veet wax strips or Nair wax strips?
By far, the winner is Veet. The strips have more wax, and I think because of that, the wax sticks better to the hairs, and even more importantly, the wax doesn't have the tendency to come off of the strip and stick to your leg.
Nothing hurts more when waxing legs than pulling on the hairs, but not actually removing them.
Stupid Cat
And his stupid hurting himself.
Yesterday he was let out, and at like 1pm he wanted back in. So he was let back in. About 2 hours later I noticed he was limping.
[Aside] This of course spawned a conversation on the correct use of "favored his leg" because I said that the leg he was holding up was being favored and Shawn says that the leg he was preferring to use was being favored. I just now looked it up on Dictionary.com. Favored: v. tr. entry 5: To treat with care; be gentle with. favored my wounded leg. Tina 1, Shawn 0 [/Aside]
I figured it was just something like his puncture wound he got on his shoulder was beginning to abscess, but alas, that has healed nicely with no problems. And besides, he was fine with me touching his shoulder, and fine with me touching his paw. He only made the sick kitty sounds when I touched the area under his body where the arm meets the body...but I couldn't feel anything weird. Figuring he just pulled a muscle or something, we decided to RICE it. Okay, really just the R part. Because really, have you ever tried to put ice and compression on a possible muscle tear on a cat? yeah, me neither and I really didn't feel like trying it yesterday.
And today he's all acting normally and being obnoxious all like "hey, let me outside! Hey, Hey you! let me outside. You're home today, which means I can go outside! LET! ME! OUT! SIDE! NOW!!!!"
yeah, he's like a 2-year-old.
Yesterday he was let out, and at like 1pm he wanted back in. So he was let back in. About 2 hours later I noticed he was limping.
[Aside] This of course spawned a conversation on the correct use of "favored his leg" because I said that the leg he was holding up was being favored and Shawn says that the leg he was preferring to use was being favored. I just now looked it up on Dictionary.com. Favored: v. tr. entry 5: To treat with care; be gentle with. favored my wounded leg. Tina 1, Shawn 0 [/Aside]
I figured it was just something like his puncture wound he got on his shoulder was beginning to abscess, but alas, that has healed nicely with no problems. And besides, he was fine with me touching his shoulder, and fine with me touching his paw. He only made the sick kitty sounds when I touched the area under his body where the arm meets the body...but I couldn't feel anything weird. Figuring he just pulled a muscle or something, we decided to RICE it. Okay, really just the R part. Because really, have you ever tried to put ice and compression on a possible muscle tear on a cat? yeah, me neither and I really didn't feel like trying it yesterday.
And today he's all acting normally and being obnoxious all like "hey, let me outside! Hey, Hey you! let me outside. You're home today, which means I can go outside! LET! ME! OUT! SIDE! NOW!!!!"
yeah, he's like a 2-year-old.
Take Downs
Okay, Shawn said I needed to take down the last post. Because it was about work. I don't think I said anything bad, I think I pretty much just said "this happened. Is that bad?" But then, he's always much more of the type that when asked "how was your day?" he answers, "Work-like" and when you ask "well, what happened today?" he'll answer "stuff". So anyhow, he thinks they can fire me for posting that last post, thus I've been told to take it down.
But, the main reason of me posting was because when one person starts ACTING paranoid, and then someone else is ABSOLUTELY paranoid, it tends to breed paranoia. And I basically just wanted to be told that THEY are paranoid.
Which, Bond did nicely.
But, the main reason of me posting was because when one person starts ACTING paranoid, and then someone else is ABSOLUTELY paranoid, it tends to breed paranoia. And I basically just wanted to be told that THEY are paranoid.
Which, Bond did nicely.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
I don't know why....
I'm even thinking of doing this....But today I went over to the Daily Coyote Blog to check out the daily photo op and what do you know? Cat Balls!
[Aside] Doesn't that just sound like a great thing to say? in the same genre of "Aw! Horse Shit!"? [/Aside]
Anywho...I took one look at the photo and said to myself "hmm, I wonder if the cat is neutered...I mean, his balls look to be on about the same scale as Quazi's."
And thus, I will post pictures of my cat's [non-existent since he's been neutered] balls. And then you can discuss amongst yourselves about the theory that it's quite possible that the Vet lied to me and did not, in fact, neuter the cat as asked.
[Aside] No, really, Quazi is neutered. Furthermore, he acts like a neutered cat. Thus I do believe that the vet really did neuter him... as Dr. Frank-n-furter would say, "He's got big balls". [/Aside]
[Aside] Doesn't that just sound like a great thing to say? in the same genre of "Aw! Horse Shit!"? [/Aside]
Anywho...I took one look at the photo and said to myself "hmm, I wonder if the cat is neutered...I mean, his balls look to be on about the same scale as Quazi's."
And thus, I will post pictures of my cat's [non-existent since he's been neutered] balls. And then you can discuss amongst yourselves about the theory that it's quite possible that the Vet lied to me and did not, in fact, neuter the cat as asked.
[Aside] No, really, Quazi is neutered. Furthermore, he acts like a neutered cat. Thus I do believe that the vet really did neuter him... as Dr. Frank-n-furter would say, "He's got big balls". [/Aside]
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Ants
Oh my God, the ants. I had to commit mass insecticide today and I feel poorly about that, but it had to be done.
Mostly because my desk exploded with ants at approximately 4pm today. That's right, exploded.
I went to check voicemail and change the voicemail message for our dummy account and at some point I looked at my jacket and was like "hmm, that's funny, I've got two ants on my coat"
funny odd, not funny haha.
Now then, I've always had the stray ant around on my desk, and usually I just let them be because There's No food here! Carry on, nothing to see! and thus, the little scavengers go back to where ever they come from with the message of 'no food, look elsewhere'.
But today (oh today). After I noticed the two ants, I happened to look at the phone cord and there were another 3 ants, and then, like from a horror movie, I slowly turn my head to the left and THERE. ARE. ANTS. EVERYWHERE. They are forming long lines and just marching along my desk and they are all carrying little ant eggs with them.
So I started the insecticide. I grabbed my little tab markers (the little sticky note things that come in their own holder) and started mashing the ants with the sticky. Then I cleaned up stuff as well as I could (which is only funny because I throughly cleaned my office on Friday), and continued to catch the stray ant with another sticky note until I left at 7pm.
Watch, I'll come back tomorrow and I'll have to start from the beginning. Sigh.
Mostly because my desk exploded with ants at approximately 4pm today. That's right, exploded.
I went to check voicemail and change the voicemail message for our dummy account and at some point I looked at my jacket and was like "hmm, that's funny, I've got two ants on my coat"
funny odd, not funny haha.
Now then, I've always had the stray ant around on my desk, and usually I just let them be because There's No food here! Carry on, nothing to see! and thus, the little scavengers go back to where ever they come from with the message of 'no food, look elsewhere'.
But today (oh today). After I noticed the two ants, I happened to look at the phone cord and there were another 3 ants, and then, like from a horror movie, I slowly turn my head to the left and THERE. ARE. ANTS. EVERYWHERE. They are forming long lines and just marching along my desk and they are all carrying little ant eggs with them.
So I started the insecticide. I grabbed my little tab markers (the little sticky note things that come in their own holder) and started mashing the ants with the sticky. Then I cleaned up stuff as well as I could (which is only funny because I throughly cleaned my office on Friday), and continued to catch the stray ant with another sticky note until I left at 7pm.
Watch, I'll come back tomorrow and I'll have to start from the beginning. Sigh.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Names
Since we were discussing Celtic names last night, I decided to look up how these crazy names are spelled/pronounced (Someone had seen a name written as Aoife but didn't know how to pronounce it).
Sian, Darragh, Oisin (boy names) are the Celtic spellings of Sean, Dara and Osheen
Aoife, Niamh, Caoimhe (girl names) are the Celtic spellings of Eva, Neeve, and Kiva
But it does remind me that one of the characters in a book I read a while back (Labyrinth, which I didn't like) was Shelagh. Now I'm pretty sure it's just pronounced like Sheila (see: Darragh), but back then I just called the character Sch-lay-gey.
Sian, Darragh, Oisin (boy names) are the Celtic spellings of Sean, Dara and Osheen
Aoife, Niamh, Caoimhe (girl names) are the Celtic spellings of Eva, Neeve, and Kiva
But it does remind me that one of the characters in a book I read a while back (Labyrinth, which I didn't like) was Shelagh. Now I'm pretty sure it's just pronounced like Sheila (see: Darragh), but back then I just called the character Sch-lay-gey.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Lowe's
[Aside] I am a dork. I should have left about 25 minutes ago to make it to Bond and David's house on time, but instead I have decided I NEED to blog about this before I forget it [\Aside]
We went to Lowe's to get stuff so I can start my seeds a' growin' (check gardenblog for why)
Anyhow, we're waiting in the line (outside, in the cold) and the lady in front of us is buying like over 100 plants.
She and her daughter get to the checkout stand and the guy just looks at all the plants like "Oh. My. God." and the lady proudly says "We've got 6 flats of the yellow, and 3 flats of the purple."
And the checkout guy responds, "how many plants is that?" as it's pretty obvious that the term 'flat' means nothing to him.
Somehow, even though they had a total of 9 flats at 6 plant-packs per flat (which should be 54 plants), they determined that they had 106 plants.
so the guy enters in 106 plants at a cost of $1.75 per plant, and your total is $185.50 add in the 8.25% sales tax and your total is $200.80
The lady freaked out and stated "No, annuals are cheap, I was a landscaper for years, you can do a lot of landscaping for $200 and this surely does not cost $200!"
Thankfully she and her daughter said that we should go ahead since we had dirt and a light bulb.
By the time we left, they had 2 Lowe's guys, the daughter and the mother going through and hand counting each plant.
We went to Lowe's to get stuff so I can start my seeds a' growin' (check gardenblog for why)
Anyhow, we're waiting in the line (outside, in the cold) and the lady in front of us is buying like over 100 plants.
She and her daughter get to the checkout stand and the guy just looks at all the plants like "Oh. My. God." and the lady proudly says "We've got 6 flats of the yellow, and 3 flats of the purple."
And the checkout guy responds, "how many plants is that?" as it's pretty obvious that the term 'flat' means nothing to him.
Somehow, even though they had a total of 9 flats at 6 plant-packs per flat (which should be 54 plants), they determined that they had 106 plants.
so the guy enters in 106 plants at a cost of $1.75 per plant, and your total is $185.50 add in the 8.25% sales tax and your total is $200.80
The lady freaked out and stated "No, annuals are cheap, I was a landscaper for years, you can do a lot of landscaping for $200 and this surely does not cost $200!"
Thankfully she and her daughter said that we should go ahead since we had dirt and a light bulb.
By the time we left, they had 2 Lowe's guys, the daughter and the mother going through and hand counting each plant.
Real Genius
I told Shawn last night that we were going to watch Real Genius and he said "okay, sounds good." Then, he looked at the DVD box. Then the complaining started. At first I thought he had something against Val Kilmer and I was like "BUT DUUUUDE! Best line ever! 'I'm your huckleberry.'!"
Then the truth came out: The movie was made in the 80's. Therefore, it had to be bad.
Psh! Weird Science was not bad.
But no, Real Genius was good, not great, not something I want to watch over and over and over, but it definitely was not 'bad'
Then the truth came out: The movie was made in the 80's. Therefore, it had to be bad.
Psh! Weird Science was not bad.
But no, Real Genius was good, not great, not something I want to watch over and over and over, but it definitely was not 'bad'
Baby Poll
Hey, I know there are a few of you that read this blog that have babies (or have had babies...even if it was 17 years ago). Anyhow, The Ambitious Mrs. is doing a survey on her blog to compile products that parents say "When (insert name) was a baby, I couldn't live without _____." So, for you parent types, click on the link and enter your baby's (or your) favored products.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Trading Movies
Tonight, I think we are going to watch Real Genius. Most people I know like it, however...it's apparently got it's detractors (ahem).
When I was leaving, I ran into Bond and Colleen (not exactly hard since I normally say 'bye' to them on my way out) and Colleen says "What's that?"
So I hold up the movie and say "most people I know like it, so I'm going to watch it."
Her response: "OH! like the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas!"
"Yes...only the complete opposite...as I said, people LIKED this movie."
When I was leaving, I ran into Bond and Colleen (not exactly hard since I normally say 'bye' to them on my way out) and Colleen says "What's that?"
So I hold up the movie and say "most people I know like it, so I'm going to watch it."
Her response: "OH! like the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas!"
"Yes...only the complete opposite...as I said, people LIKED this movie."
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Stem Cell Research
This is going to revolutionize the world. Look into it. *
That is all.
*And now I fully suspect to lose some (if not all...I mean, I only have like 5) of my readers. That is because I'm a Satan-worshiping-heathen, and I'm going to hell. So. I think I shall enjoy the ride.**
**Unless I decide to become Buddhist. In which case, I guess I can enjoy my next life as a dog. ***
***Actually, I would rather like to be a dog. You know, one of the dogs that has super-cushy digs.
That is all.
*And now I fully suspect to lose some (if not all...I mean, I only have like 5) of my readers. That is because I'm a Satan-worshiping-heathen, and I'm going to hell. So. I think I shall enjoy the ride.**
**Unless I decide to become Buddhist. In which case, I guess I can enjoy my next life as a dog. ***
***Actually, I would rather like to be a dog. You know, one of the dogs that has super-cushy digs.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Weird Cop
There was a cop today.
He was standing on the median by a crosswalk in the neighborhood. He appeared to just be standing there and taking notes. And of course getting everyone to stop at the stop sign instead of rolling through it. He never waved at anyone to have them pull over, he never smiled, he never moved. He didn't even say 'hi' to the little girl that crossed the street in front of me.
He did, however, write furiously in his little notebook after each car drove away though.
We're waiting for a ticket to come via mail for having those license plate holders on our cars. You know the ones, the ones that cover up the word "Texas".
He was standing on the median by a crosswalk in the neighborhood. He appeared to just be standing there and taking notes. And of course getting everyone to stop at the stop sign instead of rolling through it. He never waved at anyone to have them pull over, he never smiled, he never moved. He didn't even say 'hi' to the little girl that crossed the street in front of me.
He did, however, write furiously in his little notebook after each car drove away though.
We're waiting for a ticket to come via mail for having those license plate holders on our cars. You know the ones, the ones that cover up the word "Texas".
Monday, January 07, 2008
Vitamin D
So, while watching the news tonight, there was mention of how one of the new theories of things contributing to heart disease is a Vitamin D deficiency. Throughout the whole report they keep showing Vit D supplements. Nowhere in the newscast to they mention the easiest, cheapest, and generally most effective way to get vitamin D: go outside. Go get your recommended daily allotment of sunshine (it's seriously only something like 10 minutes).
[Aside] if you take calcium supplements (or even if you don't), be aware that calcium needs vitamin D in order to be absorbed and used by your body. So drinking all that milk isn't going to do you a lick of good if you don't get any vitamin D to go along with it. [\Aside]
And thus another thing can be added to the list of problems Americans have because they play video games and watch TV instead of playing outside.
[Aside] if you take calcium supplements (or even if you don't), be aware that calcium needs vitamin D in order to be absorbed and used by your body. So drinking all that milk isn't going to do you a lick of good if you don't get any vitamin D to go along with it. [\Aside]
And thus another thing can be added to the list of problems Americans have because they play video games and watch TV instead of playing outside.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
2007: A Year in Review
Let's see here, this can be equated to a Christmas newsletter don't you think? I mean really, that's all Christmas newsletters are (aside from the whole "I hope this letter finds you happy, healthy, and god-fearing.")
January: I went crazy and bought like 16 yards of fleece fabric to use for making baby projects since everyone I knew was getting pregnant. Update on this: We still have like 12 yards of fabric left. And we had 2 ice days--which basically resulted in us not going to work for a total of 3 days (since the ice storm happened to coincide with MLK day).
February: Baby Shower for Calison and French Onion Soup Night. Yes, I believe we might have to have another French Onion Soup night.
March: My dad loses his wallet at a Las Vegas Casino (funny, that didn't make his Christmas Newsletter). Jesse and Kristie got married, and Grinder points out that I never post on this blog when I'm going to be going out of town. Something which I rectified at Thanksgiving time. And, most importantly, my car started it's decline into not working anymore. (And I guess I should explain that the car was referred to as "Satan Saturn" not because it had problems but because the license plate started with 666)
April: I got pulled over by a cop for having a tail light burned out. And I chopped my hair off. This happened to coincide with Shawn riding in the MS 150 from Houston to Austin.
May: I followed I.V.'s favorite toy around the house for a day. And my father-in-law was laid off.
June: Dani came down to Austin for a visit. Calison was born. And Shawn and I started our McKinney Falls debacle.
July: I noted that our bathroom was still unfinished. Updated Note: It is still unfinished--we have yet to put up the mirror. And one knob needs to be put on the cabinet door. And we still need to put up shelves of some sort. Okay, we're at about the same point we were back in July. Awesome. Yam was born. And dooce inspired me to take more pictures.
August: My car commenced it's slow, painful death. And most importantly, and most especially, I became an aunt when MyAm was born. I also posted proof of Shawn's mad sewing skillz.
September: The Satan Saturn died for the last time, and I got a NEW CAR (though it didn't arrive until the end of October). Bob came down to San Antonio for an interview and Elsie came along (that was the last time my car died--driving down to San Antonio to visit them). Pam, the baking goddess, and I also came up with a list of what people should wear AT ALL TIMES if they've been told they are going to be on Survivor. I also gave an update on the copious amount of TV we watch. Suffice to say it is "A lot".
October: My parents came down for a visit. And I lamented about what to wear for Halloween. I ultimately ended up wearing normal clothes and going as a "workaholic" yep. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Well, at least until such a time that I'm impeached for perjury. Also, someone delivered cyanide m&ms to my work for me. What a lovely thought...
November: It was National Blog Post Month. Which just basically means I blogged. A lot. So, obviously, not a whole lot of things happened. Which means I bored you all to death (Oh NOES!) We went back to Colorado for Thanksgiving. And I got into making a family tree. I then got my family into it, too.
December: I posted holiday relevant stories, and holiday relevant pictures. I also signed up for an walked in the Trail of Lights 5k. As I said though, we never finished. That's me, aiming for mediocrity.
January: I went crazy and bought like 16 yards of fleece fabric to use for making baby projects since everyone I knew was getting pregnant. Update on this: We still have like 12 yards of fabric left. And we had 2 ice days--which basically resulted in us not going to work for a total of 3 days (since the ice storm happened to coincide with MLK day).
February: Baby Shower for Calison and French Onion Soup Night. Yes, I believe we might have to have another French Onion Soup night.
March: My dad loses his wallet at a Las Vegas Casino (funny, that didn't make his Christmas Newsletter). Jesse and Kristie got married, and Grinder points out that I never post on this blog when I'm going to be going out of town. Something which I rectified at Thanksgiving time. And, most importantly, my car started it's decline into not working anymore. (And I guess I should explain that the car was referred to as "Satan Saturn" not because it had problems but because the license plate started with 666)
April: I got pulled over by a cop for having a tail light burned out. And I chopped my hair off. This happened to coincide with Shawn riding in the MS 150 from Houston to Austin.
May: I followed I.V.'s favorite toy around the house for a day. And my father-in-law was laid off.
June: Dani came down to Austin for a visit. Calison was born. And Shawn and I started our McKinney Falls debacle.
July: I noted that our bathroom was still unfinished. Updated Note: It is still unfinished--we have yet to put up the mirror. And one knob needs to be put on the cabinet door. And we still need to put up shelves of some sort. Okay, we're at about the same point we were back in July. Awesome. Yam was born. And dooce inspired me to take more pictures.
August: My car commenced it's slow, painful death. And most importantly, and most especially, I became an aunt when MyAm was born. I also posted proof of Shawn's mad sewing skillz.
September: The Satan Saturn died for the last time, and I got a NEW CAR (though it didn't arrive until the end of October). Bob came down to San Antonio for an interview and Elsie came along (that was the last time my car died--driving down to San Antonio to visit them). Pam, the baking goddess, and I also came up with a list of what people should wear AT ALL TIMES if they've been told they are going to be on Survivor. I also gave an update on the copious amount of TV we watch. Suffice to say it is "A lot".
October: My parents came down for a visit. And I lamented about what to wear for Halloween. I ultimately ended up wearing normal clothes and going as a "workaholic" yep. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Well, at least until such a time that I'm impeached for perjury. Also, someone delivered cyanide m&ms to my work for me. What a lovely thought...
November: It was National Blog Post Month. Which just basically means I blogged. A lot. So, obviously, not a whole lot of things happened. Which means I bored you all to death (Oh NOES!) We went back to Colorado for Thanksgiving. And I got into making a family tree. I then got my family into it, too.
December: I posted holiday relevant stories, and holiday relevant pictures. I also signed up for an walked in the Trail of Lights 5k. As I said though, we never finished. That's me, aiming for mediocrity.
Drummers
So, last night we started talking about drummers. We started talking about them because Craig Ferguson had Bob Spitz on his show (of course the show was like 2 years old--he was talking about how the new year wouldn't start for a few weeks if you were Chinese and it was going to be the year of the dog, and we all know what we are currently in the year of the pig, ergo the show had to be from December '05). Anyhow, Bob Spitz is the guy that wrote the Beatles' Biography. So, of course there was talk about Ringo. And more specifically about how he was a pretty mediocre drummer (from a drummer's standpoint).
I then said something about how since it seems that for a band to be considered "good" you have to have good guitarists, and drummers can be taken out of the equation. [Aside] don't ever say this to a drummer. [/Aside]
Of course this started the conversation about drummers. And more specifically that I don't know drummers for bands. Except for Travis Barker (Blink-182/Aquabats), Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), Lars Ulrich (Metallica), and Ringo Starr (Beatles).
Then, the quizzing started:
Who is Ginger Baker (not that he's necessarily a good drummer, just that he's famous)?
Who is the drummer for Tool?
And the drummer for Weather Report?
And surely you must know the drummer for Rush!
And I didn't know. At all. The only thing I could think of was "Keith Moon?" and even then, I had no idea who he was.
[Aside] That sound you hear? That's all you dear readers blustering "what? how could she not know who GINGER BAKER IS?" [/Aside]
So then, dear readers, Do you know the answer to any of the above questions? and I'll give you a hint, Keith Moon is not an answer. Though you get extra credit if you can tell me which band he was in. The only rule: No looking up the answers on the internet.
Oh yeah, Happy New Year.
I then said something about how since it seems that for a band to be considered "good" you have to have good guitarists, and drummers can be taken out of the equation. [Aside] don't ever say this to a drummer. [/Aside]
Of course this started the conversation about drummers. And more specifically that I don't know drummers for bands. Except for Travis Barker (Blink-182/Aquabats), Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), Lars Ulrich (Metallica), and Ringo Starr (Beatles).
Then, the quizzing started:
Who is Ginger Baker (not that he's necessarily a good drummer, just that he's famous)?
Who is the drummer for Tool?
And the drummer for Weather Report?
And surely you must know the drummer for Rush!
And I didn't know. At all. The only thing I could think of was "Keith Moon?" and even then, I had no idea who he was.
[Aside] That sound you hear? That's all you dear readers blustering "what? how could she not know who GINGER BAKER IS?" [/Aside]
So then, dear readers, Do you know the answer to any of the above questions? and I'll give you a hint, Keith Moon is not an answer. Though you get extra credit if you can tell me which band he was in. The only rule: No looking up the answers on the internet.
Oh yeah, Happy New Year.
Friday, December 28, 2007
I think I remember Tatiana
From the AP story about the Tiger attack at San Francisco Zoo:
Nowhere in the article does it mention that having the moat filled (at the point where the slope ends) with water wouldn't have helped much because of the fact that tigers LIKE BEING IN THE WATER. (disclaimer: also, I'm looking at this drawing, which isn't scaled, but I'm guessing that the little 'lip' on the sloped side is maybe only a foot tall)
Of course, it is very possible that if the moat had been partially filled (half way up the slope) with water that the tiger couldn't have gotten out. If only because it wouldn't have had a solid surface from which to leap.
Besides, it's quite possible the moat couldn't be filled with water because if the SFZ is anything like the Denver Zoo, there are doors at either end at the bottom of the moat.
[Aside]
I like that they draw a little line at 16.4'. It's like they don't think people will understand that 16 is bigger than 12. In which case I think they perhaps need to stop writing articles about things that have happened and start making their readership watch Sesame Street instead.
[/Aside]
Zoo officials said a “moat” separating the habitat from the public viewing area that measured 33 feet across contained no water, and has never had any. They did not address whether that affected the tiger’s ability to get out.
Nowhere in the article does it mention that having the moat filled (at the point where the slope ends) with water wouldn't have helped much because of the fact that tigers LIKE BEING IN THE WATER. (disclaimer: also, I'm looking at this drawing, which isn't scaled, but I'm guessing that the little 'lip' on the sloped side is maybe only a foot tall)
Of course, it is very possible that if the moat had been partially filled (half way up the slope) with water that the tiger couldn't have gotten out. If only because it wouldn't have had a solid surface from which to leap.
Besides, it's quite possible the moat couldn't be filled with water because if the SFZ is anything like the Denver Zoo, there are doors at either end at the bottom of the moat.
[Aside]
I like that they draw a little line at 16.4'. It's like they don't think people will understand that 16 is bigger than 12. In which case I think they perhaps need to stop writing articles about things that have happened and start making their readership watch Sesame Street instead.
[/Aside]
Thursday, December 27, 2007
It's been Dead
Dead at work that is.
Yesterday there were 11 of us.
Today there were 16.
We currently have 23 people in the group.
Okay, so it's not as bad as the not 'if', 'when' pandemic.
Yet.
Yesterday there were 11 of us.
Today there were 16.
We currently have 23 people in the group.
Okay, so it's not as bad as the not 'if', 'when' pandemic.
Yet.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
And This...
Is why we don't take photos of me on Christmas.
Because I invariably do something stupid like put my hand on my head, screw up my eyes, open my mouth and say "do I look good enough to have photos taken of me?" and then right at the end of the question, the camera flashes and Shawn says "yes."
And yes I actually was really excited about getting "The Sims: Seasons". In fact, the picture right before this one looked perfectly lovely - with me holding the box in the exact same fashion but without all the "weewoo, I's a dork" look on my face.
But, the Over-Sharing, I likes it.
Because I invariably do something stupid like put my hand on my head, screw up my eyes, open my mouth and say "do I look good enough to have photos taken of me?" and then right at the end of the question, the camera flashes and Shawn says "yes."And yes I actually was really excited about getting "The Sims: Seasons". In fact, the picture right before this one looked perfectly lovely - with me holding the box in the exact same fashion but without all the "weewoo, I's a dork" look on my face.
But, the Over-Sharing, I likes it.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
A modified Chrismakuh
It sucks when Christmas is on a Tuesday. Okay, it doesn't ever suck when you're a kid or otherwise in school because you always have the week after Christmas off. However, when you're a grownup and you have to work, it sucks when Christmas is in the middle of the week because how are you supposed to play with all the toys you got?
This year, for example, has Christmas falling on a Tuesday. This means, obviously, that Christmas Eve is on Monday. We get both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. So, we, in essence, have a 4 day weekend.
And you can't open gifts until the last day.
Well, isn't that just a downer for the weekend?
Of course, this doesn't affect me as much because I doubt I got anything that is something I'll be horribly sad about if I don't have 4 unadulterated days to play with. Shawn, however, bought himself a new laptop. And then mandated that it was his Christmas present. And then further mandated that he would not play with it until Christmas. Then he went and looked at a calendar.
Then the bargaining started: Maybe we could open just ONE gift before Christmas...you know, maybe on Friday night. So I relented. I opened one of the many DVD shaped packages, and Shawn went straight for his laptop. He's been installing ArchLinux and Fedora on it for the last 18 hours. He even got up at 8am today so he could play some more.
Sigh. He's like a kid on (4-days-before) Christmas morning.
This year, for example, has Christmas falling on a Tuesday. This means, obviously, that Christmas Eve is on Monday. We get both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. So, we, in essence, have a 4 day weekend.
And you can't open gifts until the last day.
Well, isn't that just a downer for the weekend?
Of course, this doesn't affect me as much because I doubt I got anything that is something I'll be horribly sad about if I don't have 4 unadulterated days to play with. Shawn, however, bought himself a new laptop. And then mandated that it was his Christmas present. And then further mandated that he would not play with it until Christmas. Then he went and looked at a calendar.
Then the bargaining started: Maybe we could open just ONE gift before Christmas...you know, maybe on Friday night. So I relented. I opened one of the many DVD shaped packages, and Shawn went straight for his laptop. He's been installing ArchLinux and Fedora on it for the last 18 hours. He even got up at 8am today so he could play some more.
Sigh. He's like a kid on (4-days-before) Christmas morning.
Trail of Lights
Colleen, her boyfriend (Justin) and I did the Trail of Lights 5k this year. That's right, I actually did some form of 'race'. Involving running. Something I swore I'd never do after my second-to-last-finish in the 500-meter sprint in 6th grade.
We went, we got hot (it was 70 and for whatever reason the three of us decided to dress like it was 50), Justin took off his shirt, then he put on a different shirt and the crowd cheered (No, really, the crowd cheered). Then we wandered around until we found a place that seemed like it was people lining up for the race.
We sang the national anthem. The singer screwed up and repeated a verse twice. Then they sounded the horn. 10 minutes later we started to move. Like the herd of cattle we were. 10 minutes after that we finally got to the starting line. We couldn't run because there were too many people, kids, strollers, dogs, and people wrapped up like presents. By the time we got 200 yards from the start line, people were already finishing the race.
We walked some more because we were in a huge crowd and we couldn't run. We saw road kill. You would have figured Parks would have picked up the dead animals before the race.
We finished the first mile. We walked the trail of lights and Colleen took pictures. We got to the end of the trail (end of 2nd mile), and then went "eh, doing a 5k is tough, let's just go back to the tree."
Yeah, we're still working on finishing that last 1500 meters.
We went, we got hot (it was 70 and for whatever reason the three of us decided to dress like it was 50), Justin took off his shirt, then he put on a different shirt and the crowd cheered (No, really, the crowd cheered). Then we wandered around until we found a place that seemed like it was people lining up for the race.
We sang the national anthem. The singer screwed up and repeated a verse twice. Then they sounded the horn. 10 minutes later we started to move. Like the herd of cattle we were. 10 minutes after that we finally got to the starting line. We couldn't run because there were too many people, kids, strollers, dogs, and people wrapped up like presents. By the time we got 200 yards from the start line, people were already finishing the race.
We walked some more because we were in a huge crowd and we couldn't run. We saw road kill. You would have figured Parks would have picked up the dead animals before the race.
We finished the first mile. We walked the trail of lights and Colleen took pictures. We got to the end of the trail (end of 2nd mile), and then went "eh, doing a 5k is tough, let's just go back to the tree."
Yeah, we're still working on finishing that last 1500 meters.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Dear CBS,
Thank you for your pro-life stance. I do not know what I would do without you to tell me what to think and feel.
I uttered the above phrase no less than 3 times while watching your latest installment of CSI: Miami (starring the red-headed step child that is David Caruso). It was the episode in which you brought up, no less than 3 times, that the murder victim was pregnant and how could they have killed her off. Those Bastards! Never mind the fact that her baby was the love child between the lady and her brother. Hey, only in Florida, right? Oh you tried to cover it up by saying he was her step brother and their parents got married when the kids were 18, but I see your true biblical stance.
And, so, I felt the need to let you know just how refreshing it is to see such a view expressed on your show. I figure it must have something to do with the governor of the state in which this show takes place being related to the current president. But, what do I know?
Once again, thanks for your refreshing and progressive stance on women's rights.
Love much,
Katina
[/sarcasm]
I uttered the above phrase no less than 3 times while watching your latest installment of CSI: Miami (starring the red-headed step child that is David Caruso). It was the episode in which you brought up, no less than 3 times, that the murder victim was pregnant and how could they have killed her off. Those Bastards! Never mind the fact that her baby was the love child between the lady and her brother. Hey, only in Florida, right? Oh you tried to cover it up by saying he was her step brother and their parents got married when the kids were 18, but I see your true biblical stance.
And, so, I felt the need to let you know just how refreshing it is to see such a view expressed on your show. I figure it must have something to do with the governor of the state in which this show takes place being related to the current president. But, what do I know?
Once again, thanks for your refreshing and progressive stance on women's rights.
Love much,
Katina
[/sarcasm]
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Overheard at work
A conversation at work today (blue is me, orange is the ex-marine, and purple is the innocent, church-going, non-drug-doing girl):
I'm not dressed preppy.
Yes you are.
Yeah, the top half is preppy, the bottom half is cowboy.
You should have gone for black boots instead of the brown
But the important thing is whether or not your belt matches your boots.
Yes, all my accessories match. And I can't wear black boots. I don't like them.
They're boots, what's not to like?
Drug dealers wear black boots.
They do?
Well, I feel like a drug dealer when I wear black boots.
Psh, mine wears sneakers.
Oh, well then, never mind.
Why are you dressed so preppy?
I'm not dressed preppy.
Yes you are.
Yeah, the top half is preppy, the bottom half is cowboy.
You should have gone for black boots instead of the brown
But the important thing is whether or not your belt matches your boots.
Yes, all my accessories match. And I can't wear black boots. I don't like them.
They're boots, what's not to like?
Drug dealers wear black boots.
They do?
Well, I feel like a drug dealer when I wear black boots.
Psh, mine wears sneakers.
Oh, well then, never mind.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Let me clarify...
I'm horrible about clarifying things. And reading my blog posts before 'going live', but that's a whole other issue...no, actually, that's part of the issue because if I had read my blog before posting it, I would have noticed that I contradicted myself in the blog about gift cards.
So, let me try to clarify:
I like gift cards. I like to give them, I like to receive them.
So, let me try to clarify:
I like gift cards. I like to give them, I like to receive them.
I however, do not care for when I get gift cards that are to places I'll never go (Cabella's Hunting Store for example), or to places that don't even exist in the area I live (like Mervyns, or King Soopers). It is this type of stuff that makes one lazy.
I don't remember the last time I was in a JCPenny, and the last time I was at Macy's was to raise money for the Central Texas Dachshund Rescue. However, I go all the time to Old Navy, Kohls, Target, BedBath&Beyond, Lowe's, HomeDepot, etc.
Also, I love (absolutely L-O-V-E) gift cards to restaurants (and honestly the only way you could screw up would be to get me a gift card to Red Lobster--though it's all good, Red Lobster gift cards are good at Olive Garden). :)
Hope this clears things up.
I don't remember the last time I was in a JCPenny, and the last time I was at Macy's was to raise money for the Central Texas Dachshund Rescue. However, I go all the time to Old Navy, Kohls, Target, BedBath&Beyond, Lowe's, HomeDepot, etc.
Also, I love (absolutely L-O-V-E) gift cards to restaurants (and honestly the only way you could screw up would be to get me a gift card to Red Lobster--though it's all good, Red Lobster gift cards are good at Olive Garden). :)
Hope this clears things up.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Now THAT'S a story...
My cousin, Janel, gave birth to her 2nd child on Tuesday. Dorotea (doro-tay-a) was born 14 weeks premature. During an Ice Storm. At a hospital (possibly an urgent care center) that wasn't equipped to handle a such a small preemie. Ambulances/helicopters wouldn't come get her because of the ice. So two neonatal doctors drove themselves down in a personal vehicle to save her life. She made it past the critical 3 hour stage. So that's saying something. You can read about the story here.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Gift Cards: Gift, or something else?
So as it is wont every year, Christmastime is approaching and it is approaching fast. This of course means that we must go about getting gifts for all family members (okay, or at least the ones you have an agreement with to exchange gifts). Anyhow, I found the following two articles (written by the same person, none the less):
Gift Cards are Not Gifts
20 easy gifts that aren't gift cards
Now then, generally, I agree.
HOWEVER, I do like gift cards. I like to give them and I like to receive them. And it has nothing to do with items.
It has to do with consumables (which, you'll notice is an item on the "20 easy gifts" article)--How am I supposed to gift the gift of delicious melted cheese to my loved ones if I'm not allowed to give them a gift card to the Melting Pot? Oh I know, I could buy them a fondue pot and one of those fondue kits and mail it all to the person. But what if they're lazy and don't want to take the time to go and get (or make) bread or other dipping things? Or another thing, one of the articles asks if it would mean the same thing to give a person with a newborn baby a gift card instead of an actual item--I think it does, as long as the gift card you're giving has a good reason behind it such as "I got you this gift card because there will be a time when you turn to your spouse and say 'you know what? I don't want to cook tonight', and so now, you can still keep yourself fed without having to resort to the condiments in your fridge. Even better, this restaurant delivers!"
Also, I am fine with giving gift cards in the event that the item that is requested is out of the price range. For example, Shawn and I partake of the family gift swap with his cousins--each person is matched up with someone that isn't in their immediate family and then you get that person a $50 gift. One year, his cousin asked for a $50 gift card to Banana Republic because the blouse she wanted was $98. And if you've ever happened to walk into a Banana Republic, you know that $50 doesn't get you very far.
However, gift cards are a cop out if you're just giving it because you have no idea of what else to get--or you're too lazy to actually go out and get something.
Gift Cards are Not Gifts
20 easy gifts that aren't gift cards
Now then, generally, I agree.
HOWEVER, I do like gift cards. I like to give them and I like to receive them. And it has nothing to do with items.
It has to do with consumables (which, you'll notice is an item on the "20 easy gifts" article)--How am I supposed to gift the gift of delicious melted cheese to my loved ones if I'm not allowed to give them a gift card to the Melting Pot? Oh I know, I could buy them a fondue pot and one of those fondue kits and mail it all to the person. But what if they're lazy and don't want to take the time to go and get (or make) bread or other dipping things? Or another thing, one of the articles asks if it would mean the same thing to give a person with a newborn baby a gift card instead of an actual item--I think it does, as long as the gift card you're giving has a good reason behind it such as "I got you this gift card because there will be a time when you turn to your spouse and say 'you know what? I don't want to cook tonight', and so now, you can still keep yourself fed without having to resort to the condiments in your fridge. Even better, this restaurant delivers!"
Also, I am fine with giving gift cards in the event that the item that is requested is out of the price range. For example, Shawn and I partake of the family gift swap with his cousins--each person is matched up with someone that isn't in their immediate family and then you get that person a $50 gift. One year, his cousin asked for a $50 gift card to Banana Republic because the blouse she wanted was $98. And if you've ever happened to walk into a Banana Republic, you know that $50 doesn't get you very far.
However, gift cards are a cop out if you're just giving it because you have no idea of what else to get--or you're too lazy to actually go out and get something.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
I figure I should post
But I don't know what to post about. sigh. So sad. Let's see...
My mom gave me a box when we left from Colorado with the instructions "open when you decorate the tree." and I thought, "What tree. Oh....Riiiiiight." So, as soon as we got home and we got unpacked I turned to Shawn and I said "so, can we open this box now?" and he, being the good kid that he is, said "no, we aren't decorating the tree, now are we?" And alas, I had to admit that nay, we were not currently decorating the tree. So I had to wait until the following weekend when I finally convinced him to get the damn tree out of the attic.
So we (meaning I) decorated the tree. This usually consists of me pulling some ornaments out of the storage box and saying "see, this one? this one we got in Vegas. And this one we got in New Orleans. I really like the New Orleans one. I think it's cute." and he invariably grunts and continues to play on the internet. I think next year I'll be able to hold up an ornament and he's going to say "you got that from your aunt Pat when you were 6 years old, and that's the one that you thought was Dani's until your mom showed you the list o' ornaments that proved it wasn't."
After the tree decorating was complete I went and opened the aforementioned box to find a new ornament, and a towel angel.
Behold, the towel angel (made of a hand towel, a washcloth, and a pot holder):
And I'm waiting to take a photo of the ornament for when I get all artsy and feel like getting out the SLR because I can have fun with that camera.
But the ornament does come with a story:
Every year when my mom was knee-high to a grasshopper, her dad always insisted on putting this wooden Santa ornament on the Christmas tree. This was one of those ornaments where you would pull a string and the Santa would kick his legs and lift his arms (like he was doing jumping jacks). And so, when Mom saw this type of ornament she just had to get one for me, Dani, and herself. Of course she also clarified that ours are way cuter than her dad's version.
Of course, the funny part about this story is the fact that she meant to give us these ornaments LAST Christmas.
She went to the Christmas Shoppe last year and found these nutcracker ornaments and liked them because of the aforementioned story, so she bought three. She got home and sent one of the ornaments to me and left the other one wrapped for Dani and decided to put hers away until they put up their own tree. Because Shawn and I got into one of those moods where we put up the tree unseasonably early, I got to open the shipped package as soon as it came. And there was this cute little cardinal ornament. I called mom to thank her for it and she of course asked if I liked how it did jumping jacks. It was at this point that I thought to myself "oh God, this is it, she's finally gone off the deep end." and explained that "no, I'm pretty sure this one doesn't do jumping jacks. Its a cardinal on some leaves." That's when she went and opened her tissue wrapped ornament and realized that when she was at the store the sales guy wrapped the 3 ornaments the lady in front of her was getting (3 cardinals) and then wrapped the 3 ornaments that my mom was getting (nutcrackers). The guy then gave each lady the opposite ornaments from what she had actually thought she was buying. Of course, this is the story associated with the cardinal now--but hey, at least I have stories about most of my ornaments.
My mom gave me a box when we left from Colorado with the instructions "open when you decorate the tree." and I thought, "What tree. Oh....Riiiiiight." So, as soon as we got home and we got unpacked I turned to Shawn and I said "so, can we open this box now?" and he, being the good kid that he is, said "no, we aren't decorating the tree, now are we?" And alas, I had to admit that nay, we were not currently decorating the tree. So I had to wait until the following weekend when I finally convinced him to get the damn tree out of the attic.
So we (meaning I) decorated the tree. This usually consists of me pulling some ornaments out of the storage box and saying "see, this one? this one we got in Vegas. And this one we got in New Orleans. I really like the New Orleans one. I think it's cute." and he invariably grunts and continues to play on the internet. I think next year I'll be able to hold up an ornament and he's going to say "you got that from your aunt Pat when you were 6 years old, and that's the one that you thought was Dani's until your mom showed you the list o' ornaments that proved it wasn't."
After the tree decorating was complete I went and opened the aforementioned box to find a new ornament, and a towel angel.
Behold, the towel angel (made of a hand towel, a washcloth, and a pot holder):
And I'm waiting to take a photo of the ornament for when I get all artsy and feel like getting out the SLR because I can have fun with that camera.
But the ornament does come with a story:
Every year when my mom was knee-high to a grasshopper, her dad always insisted on putting this wooden Santa ornament on the Christmas tree. This was one of those ornaments where you would pull a string and the Santa would kick his legs and lift his arms (like he was doing jumping jacks). And so, when Mom saw this type of ornament she just had to get one for me, Dani, and herself. Of course she also clarified that ours are way cuter than her dad's version.
Of course, the funny part about this story is the fact that she meant to give us these ornaments LAST Christmas.
She went to the Christmas Shoppe last year and found these nutcracker ornaments and liked them because of the aforementioned story, so she bought three. She got home and sent one of the ornaments to me and left the other one wrapped for Dani and decided to put hers away until they put up their own tree. Because Shawn and I got into one of those moods where we put up the tree unseasonably early, I got to open the shipped package as soon as it came. And there was this cute little cardinal ornament. I called mom to thank her for it and she of course asked if I liked how it did jumping jacks. It was at this point that I thought to myself "oh God, this is it, she's finally gone off the deep end." and explained that "no, I'm pretty sure this one doesn't do jumping jacks. Its a cardinal on some leaves." That's when she went and opened her tissue wrapped ornament and realized that when she was at the store the sales guy wrapped the 3 ornaments the lady in front of her was getting (3 cardinals) and then wrapped the 3 ornaments that my mom was getting (nutcrackers). The guy then gave each lady the opposite ornaments from what she had actually thought she was buying. Of course, this is the story associated with the cardinal now--but hey, at least I have stories about most of my ornaments.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
My Avocado Tree
As I mentioned earlier, I finally re-potted my avocado tree (from an 8" pot to a 14" pot--actually, it may be bigger than a 14"...). The leaves look funny because they were pressed up against the window so the tree wouldn't fall over, and thus they got sunburned. Thankfully Ross is way more ingenious than I and found stakes to put in the pot to keep the tree upright without relying on the window. The tree was originally in a pot the same size as the small pot next to the tree.
And this is what the tree looked like almost 2 years ago:
The tree was brought to work because Quazi managed to somehow land on top of it when I had it at home thus causing it to break at a 90 degree angle. Not to mention he liked to chew on the leaves (you can't see the 90 bend in the picture at the top because the bend is pointing toward the window), thus it was decided my office was a much safer place for the tree.
And this is what the tree looked like almost 2 years ago:
The tree was brought to work because Quazi managed to somehow land on top of it when I had it at home thus causing it to break at a 90 degree angle. Not to mention he liked to chew on the leaves (you can't see the 90 bend in the picture at the top because the bend is pointing toward the window), thus it was decided my office was a much safer place for the tree.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
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