FOTC

After a long week of emotional ups and downs...okay I'll be honest, mostly just emotional downs, I was starting to feel a little better today. Regardless of the FREEZING temperatures, the sun is out (which allows me to pretend it's hot outside as long as I'm indoors - which if you've ever lived in WI in January, you know, just pretending it's warm is exciting!). I got my eyebrows waxed last night, which means by today they are no longer red and puffy, leaving them just enjoyable. It's Friday, which is always something to be celebrated and enjoyed. This weekend seems to be holding quite a few plans which is nice. Although most of them do fall on Saturday and few of them tonight..which is always unfortunate - it'd be easier if they were equally spread out but, hey! I'm not complaining about things to keep me busy and distracted - bring it on! (which has also led me to being out of my house and consuming wine/beer almost every night this week).

And while all of those things are great and have caused a smile to hit my face...this next thing, is big. WAY bigger than waxed brows, pretending it's warm, and things to do. I just received my members only e-mail from the Riverside Theater here in MKE that a VERY important act has just been announced for May 2nd. TWO shows on May 2nd. The 4th most popular parody folk duo from New Zealand will be here in MY hometown for TWO shows in just a matter of months.

I realize at this point in this post there are 2 types of readers. The ones who are very aware of the act I'm referring to, and in which case are incredibly stoked that they are doing another tour. If you are unaware, please, let me introduce you.
This is Flight of the Conchords...and it is hilarious. If you have not yet discovered the hilarity that is Bret & Jemaine you must immediately get acquainted with them via this 4 minute intro video that takes you through Season one.



The last time they came to Milwaukee was before I had been introduced to the wonder that is Flight of the Conchords. It wasn't until Tyler made me watch an episode that I got hooked. And it only took one song...


Seriously, geeks my shit out. I watched the entire first season on a flight to South Dakota one weekend and on a few different occasions drew copious amounts of attention to myself. I'm sorry, but Rhymenocerous and 1986 David Bowie was too much to not laugh out loud).

Anyways - those of you in Milwaukee, get your shiz together so you can buy tickets for May 2nd. There's two shows so there's no excuse to not go. If you're not in Milwaukee, figure out the closest city to you that they'll be coming to and get tickets. You won't be disappointed.

Introducing...Miss B.

It's about time the blogging world met Bella. Miss B. Bells. My roommate. The craziest, most entertaining, loyal, loving, BFF, doggie ever. I probably could devote an entire blog to her (most people might find this point ridiculous, but if you've ever met the dog - you might think it's possible). She's almost 3 years old and has the most hilarious personality I've ever seen in a dog. There's tons of stories to prove this and I'm sure I'll share them throughout the course of this blog. The first story is what led me to blog about her today.

Ever since she was an itty bitty, (and at just 2 lbs when I got her, she was an itty bitty), she has collected important treasures under my bed, which is now refered to as "the fort." Anything she's not supposed to have, immediately and rapidly gets taken into the fort. About a week ago, she got her little paws on a paper plate. Usually when she gets anything made of paper she shreds it immediately and then leaves the mess. Once it's in peices, she's over it. However, this plate, she took into the fort. I've taken it from her about 5 times in the past week, and every time she manages to get it back from me and runs it under her fort. Which leads to my question, "What is she building under there that requires a paper plate so strongly?" (I also asked the same question when I noticed she had moved a glass fishbowl into the fort as well).Future stories to be told in detail...the multiple times she's required staples at Doggy Day care for picking fights with dogs who outweigh her by 100 lbs...The time Bella had a hot pink cast...Bella's time in the tub...Learning to swim...Her beloved Kong (a stuffed animal Monkey - not the popular red toy)...and many more.

Best Dog Ever. (And not all that bad of a roommate either!)

Back in my day.

It always shocks me when I'm able to, in all seriousness, make comments about how things were "back in my day" or "when I was that age." It seems both appropriate and totally inappropriate all at the same time. I do feel as though I've put in some good time in life...and yet am fully aware how much more there is to go!

Things now move so quickly. In a nation where we don't just want it now, we wanted it 20 minutes ago, it's hard to even remember what it was like "when I was a kid." But here's my attempt to compare a few things...in bullet form.

• Back in my day...when we needed a phone number for it, we used the phone book. OR, if our parents weren't around to notice, we dialled 411...or 414-555-1212 (which I think preceded 411...and preceded the 262 area code change for all you SE WI residents). Then you hoped the business had call waiting so you could call and find out where they were located. Only to get out the atlas in the back of Dad's trunk to figure out how to get there. Now all it takes is some quick networking on your phone and you've got the address, phone number, & turn by turn directions all at your fingertips.
• When I was a kid...we didn't have Facebook. I am often amazed at how much Facebook plays into people's lives. I'm a total victim to it and fall prey to the addiction more than I'd care to admit...but the affect it has is astounding. In today's day & age, you can't just break up. You don't break up, call your friends (3-way calling if you were lucky) and then they pass a note to a couple of their friends and by the time the word has spread far and wide, you're so over it you don't care. No, no, no. Now thanks to the good Ol' FB, you break up and the mini-feed spreads it like wildfire (accompanied by the saddest broken heart icon ever)...by the time you've signed off the computer everyone and their mom is ready and armed with the knowledge. (p.s. Seriously - everyone's mom is on facebook now?! What's with that?)
• Back when I was young...we didn't have cell phones. (Granted I did have a pager when I was in 7th grade but that's only because I convinced my dad to go see Clueless with me and then subsequently convinced him that "all the cool kids really did have pagers". Turns out - pagers really are only necessary for drug dealers and doctors...NOT 7th grade girls.) One of the saddest thoughts I have when I think of how technology has changed the way youth interacts is the lack of the ever so stressful and embarrassing call from a boy. When kids are getting cell phones in 5th grade, they completely evade the boy calling home, dad answering, mom & brother "OOOOOOOOH it's a boy"-ing fun we all had growing up. That makes me really sad & nostalgic for some reason. Maybe I'll make sure I have a land line in my grown-up family house, for that reason alone.

There's so much more that is different between kids who are in high school now versus when I was in high school (NOT that long ago). Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the technological advances and use them to my full advantage whenever I can. I love Facebook and the fact that I'm able to stay informed about and connected with so many people I would've easily lost contact with over the years. Technology has brought wonderful people and stories into my life that never would've happened without the wonders of the Internet. (only after I ran a spell check on this post was I reminded that Internet is capitalized...which I realized kind of freaks me out...capitalized, really? Like God? or people's names? That interweb really is a powerful thing!)

It does, however, amaze me that things move so quickly that at the age of 25 I'm able to say "back when I was a kid" and only be talking about 10 years ago!

Recipe of the Week...er, Month?

I just realized I had suggested I'd do a recipe of the week posting with new fun things I've cooked throughout the week...

Given that my last three meals were nothing, Panera, and Toppers, I've got nothing to suggest to cook at home :)

Maybe I'll shoot for recipe of the month, that seems more realistic.

With reason.

First - my apologies for the lack of updates - I know my two fans have really been missing the posts. (JT & Rebecca - I'm updating for you).

That being said it's been a rough few days. Sometimes it amazes me how quickly life reminds you that it is still in the driver's seat and no matter how sure you are of somethings, it will change your life through events, interactions, and results of the two with a blink of an eye. Accepting that you're not in control at all times of all events and actions in your life is always a hard pill to swallow. I realize that I can be a bit of a control freak sometimes. Not so much with other people but with my own life. I can't even put into words how frustrated and angry I get when I don't feel like I'm in control of what's going on in my life.

On the flip side of that though, I very often think about how scary it would be if I was in TOTAL control. I like the thought of some higher power or being helping to guide where I'm going in life. I used to be much more religious than I am now, I had a much stronger faith. I know it doesn't have to necessarily be God who's in control...could be fate, the Universe, some random force of nature, whatever it is, I like knowing SOMETHING else is having an influence on my life...helps me realize things happen with reason.

It's when that control freak creeps in that I have to remind myself, "Self, you always say everything happens for a reason." And I really do believe this. I think that very often when bad things are over and the pain is gone, you can look back and realize that because it happened something else was made better by it. It's not always easy to do, but I do still strongly believe that. And because I believe that, I do also believe that that higher power, whatever it may be, is the one implementing those events with reason. I found a quote the other day "Every moment of your existence has its own significance in the wider scheme of things." Fits pretty well with the thought process I'm having now.

So anyways - pretty scatter brained post...but it's definitely where my heads at now...and without all the sob story details...I'm hoping everything really does happen for a reason, that this is just a small drop in the bucket of things to come in life. And as always...in shitty situations I'm reminded what an incredible support system I've got to fall back on. I'd spend a lot more time curled up in the fetal position as my method of dealing without that system. Thanks for making me uncurl. :) (that smiley face was both well placed and necessary...by no means excessive!).

Happenings

There's lots of things happening around me right now...it's crazy how quickly time passes and how much can happen in just a short time. I'm pretty sure bullets would be most appropriate in this situation.

• My nephew turned 5 months old today. That kid is growing up so quick I can't imagine how it feels when it's your own baby. He's already eating squash people! So first things first, Happy Birthday Baby Jack! (this is what happens when Dad and Baby Jack are home alone...lots of dressing the baby up in hilarious ways).
• A good friend of many years has been induced this morning with her first baby! She wasn't due for a couple weeks but it's a good early reminder that once baby comes - your plans aren't the ones that dictate life anymore! She was induced at 8:00 a.m. and now we just sit and wait to hear...she still doesn't know the sex of the baby which amazes me! I'm absolutely TERRIBLE with surprises (my family is still SHOCKED if I'm able to keep Christmas presents a secret until Christmas Day). I just can't imagine carrying around Baby all this time without knowing what's in there! Can't wait to hear though!
• I coach a high school cheerleading squad and we're traveling to the State Championships this Saturday. The girls have really worked their butts off and seeing the improvement that happens in a few short months is quite amazing. I'm really excited for them, extremely proud of them, and can't wait to see how things end up on Saturday! (That being said - I'm also awaiting my nomination for Sainthood given that traveling to state also includes riding 3 1/2 hours each way on a coach bus filled w/ 14-16 year old high school girls - who happen to have an advance copy of the movie Twilight. Being solely responsible for 15 high school girls for even 48 hours is an incredibly draining thought. Let it be known that come Saturday night, there will be copious amounts of wine in my body).
• On Tuesday of this week a MANDATORY meeting I had to attend for work included wine and chocolate tasting. You heard correctly...my Tuesday meeting involved tasting 8 different kinds of wine paired with 16 different chocolate truffles. And, Internet people, I'm not rubbing it in, but I love me some chocolate and wine, but after about the 8th truffle...It did become work...I was forcing down chocolate...and then around the 11th one, my co-worker and I decided we'd get the general idea of the pairing if we just licked out the inside of the chocolates and got the flavor part. Proving - there is too much of a good thing. (However, the good thing in reference here is chocolate - there's always room for more wine - proven by the fact that we did go out for one more glass of wine after the tasting...we just couldn't utter the word chocolate).
• I'd like to make just one quick shout out here to the people of The Cholive. They made the delicious chocolates we had the pleasure of tasting...they started out making olive shaped chocolate ganache "olives" for sweet & chocolatey martinis...and then entered the chruffle world...they're amazing and you should demand them in all your favorite watering holes...so good.
  

What a good day.

I have a friend who is awesome.  Seriously - without you having to meet her - I can tell you, you're super jealous that you don't have this friend. 

She's that person you know (and envy a little bit) for just doing things.  She goes for it.  No matter what she's doing.  For real - this girl moved to Dusseldorf to work there for 2 years in a lab (doing science-y stuff), danced for a European Football League team (and then competed at a world competition w/ said team), then when she moved back, she followed her dream of living in California & going to med school.  The girl just goes for it.

And thankfully, she blogs all about it.  (So I can vicariously "go for it").  Lately her blogs (whether intentionally or not) have ended with "What a good day."  As I read through posts of her playing on the beach w/ her friends, rock climbing with her roommates who were strangers and now friends, volunteering to teach arts and crafts & snowshoeing/gambling in Reno, I realized, this girl MAKES good days.  

So I'm adopting some of these philosophies.  I need to go for it...more.  Less concern about what might happen, and just DO it.  I need to MAKE good days.  It's so easy to get caught up in the negative, concerned with what didn't happen instead of what did...

I'm making it my goal to try to make each day one in which upon it's ending, I can say to myself, "what a good day."

Thanks JT :)

Recipe of the Week

I've made a conscientious effort to make more of my meals at home and in doing so, make more of the meals I make at home healthier. I always hated cooking for just myself but now that I've got that man of mine, cooking for two is much more fun! I thoroughly enjoy cooking for more than one person.

(Side note: I hate with a passion cooking for myself for a number of reasons, a couple of which are: I eat while I cook and therefore am bored with it by the time the food is done and I'm not an avid leftovers eater, plus telling yourself what a great meal you just cooked is kind of sad).

Given that I want to cook more, I realized I have to expand my recipe collection from the 5 standard meals I was familiar with making prior to this. On Monday I tried a pasta w/ broccoli rabe & salami recipe by Rachael Ray that was terrible. Seriously horrible. It looked bad and tasted worse. On a positive note - we had a light dinner that night and felt good about that!(given that we each took about 3 bites before we realized we couldn't choke down a full bowl & threw away the leftovers)

I did TOTALLY redeem myself last night though. I found this recipe on Food Network from the show Healthy Appetite. I made a few provisions to make the recipe easier, faster, and more likable for me...At any rate - totally tasty and good for you! A great combo!

Easy Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas

1 tbsp canola oil

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 c.)

8 oz. white button mushrooms (about 3 c.)

3 cloves garlic, minced (I always use the stuff from the jar - I know fresh tastes better - but I can't stand my hands smelling like garlic for the next 3 1/2 weeks).

2 c. cooked chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast (Cheat: I used a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shredded the breast meat - easy peasy!)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

2 c. baby spinach leaves, sliced into ribbons (or if you're cooking this for me, no spinach at all)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

4 (10in) whole-grain flour tortillas

1 c shredded Mexican cheese mix or cheddar

1/2 c. salsa

1/4 c. reduced fat sour cream

Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushroom water is evaporated and they start to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic & cook for a minute more. Add chicken, cumin, chili powder & oregano & stir until all spices are incorporated. Add spinach, salt & pepper & cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 mins.

Lay 1 tortilla out & sprinkle w/ 1/4 c. shredded cheese. Spoon 1/2 chicken & vegetable mix on top of cheese. Then cover w/ an additional 1/4 c. cheese. Top with another flour tortilla. Heat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Place quesadilla in pan and cook 3 mins. Flip & cook an additional 3 mins until lightly browned and cheese is melted. Repeat w/ second quesadilla. Serve w/ sour cream & salsa.

Few side notes: We used a panini maker to cook them, worked great! Also - our quesadillas were stacked and we had enough to make 3 instead of just 2.

Enjoy!

I'm going to try to share a new recipe each week...don't worry I'll keep the salami vomit pasta ones to myself and only share the good ones!

Goals in blog writing.

After reading that last post I realize I also have some goals in my blog:

1) Don't use smiley faces.  Seriously if you've ever gotten an e-mail from me, they're LACED with smileys.  So damn annoying, I know.  (especially when the smiley face comes through a friend's e-mail as a "J"...took months for her to figure out why I had randomly thrown the letter J in throughout my entire e-mail!).  (you should know that I'm ACTIVELY not using smiley faces and already in the past 2 posts have deleted quite a few before posting...)

2) Stop writing novels.  I'm a wordy person, this I know.  I'm trying not to write short stories for each post.  Perhaps I'll have to adopt the bullet format in future posts to keep words concise...and to keep readers - no one wants a 7,500 blog post to peruse through in the a.m.

3)  Write like I talk.  I like to think I'm somewhat of an entertaining person when I talk - so I'm aiming to write more like I talk and less how I think people want the words to sound.  Less deep intense, more funny & real.

If you see a 9,000 word vocab & emotion laced e-mail with a buttload of smiley faces - you know I've lost track of my blog goals.

New Start, Clean Slate

I really love the start of a new year.  I'm not sure why it is that it takes the new calendar year to spark such desire for change and improvement to the masses, but come 1/1 of any year, we're moved to do so.

I know there's varying feelings on this motion towards progress in ourselves.  Some love it, some loathe it.  Some embrace the "clean slate" while others pessimistically view this as a time to set yourself up for failure.  Wherever you may fall in that spectrum I do think it's refreshing to know that there is a time each year when it's totally acceptable to admit flaws you'd like to improve on, acknowledge things you didn't get accomplished in years before, and make goals to change what you didn't do/say/think in the previous year.

Ever since I was a kid, we as a family would set goals.  It didn't matter what they were but we always set 1, 5 & 10 year goals for ourselves.  So maybe I'm just well versed in goal setting.  I also am a real big fan of lists.  Something about crossing off an item on a list makes me feel incredibly accomplished (even if that item was as as easy peasy as "check e-mail").  

I only wish that there was a way to bottle up the get up and go I am overwhelmed with come the first of the year.  So far so good, I'm eating better...going to the gym...getting to bed somewhat earlier...then again, we're only one full week into the new year!

My overall resolution for 2009 is to try to force myself out of my comfort zone more often.  Ever since moving back to WI after school in MN, I've been very comfortable and rarely stepped outside of what I know and am familiar with.  It doesn't have to be major events...the other day my brother & I went to see Slumdog Millionaire at Downer Theater - a movie I didn't know much about in a theater I've never been to.  Done and done.   I'm also quite positive this uncomfort zone will bring plenty of hilarity and blogworthy stories.

More to come on that front.

My very first post.

Over the past year or so, I've started reading blogs here and there.  It started with one blog.  I had googled "Alli" to see what people were saying about the then, brand new weight loss pill.  It lead me to someone who was blogging their experience.  Through that blog, I found another...and another...and another.  Then found out a couple of good friends have their own blogs and started reading theirs.  Now I have a steady list, blogs I read when I start my day.  Everyone is writing with a different purpose.  Some to share their experiences, some to stay connected with family & friends, some to promote a new business.  At any rate, they're all blogging and sharing with the world. With me at my desk each morning.  With whoever is interested in hearing what they've got to say.

I've considered the idea for a while now.  At first it was for other people, but then I second guessed whether anything I had to say would be interesting enough for other's to get hooked.  Then, after the fleeting and numbered days of 2008 passed, I realized a few things.  Time really does fly by.  Call it cheesy, cliche, whatever you will, but it goes fast.  And I am always looking forward to what's next...which has led me to somewhat over look the details of life.  I figure blogging can help me remember those little details that shape what ends up being another year of my life.  

The blog itself is based on two things...both, coincidentally, concepts my dad has provided me with (among countless other lessons).  First, it is what it is.  2008 had a lot of rough patches, and I know they were not unique to my family.  As a family business, all working together, we've adopted this as our motto.  It is what it is.   Take things as they come, for what they're worth and figure out how you'll react to it.  

Secondly, one of my favorite quotes he's shared with me, "Reach for the highest, strive for the best, live day to day and to God leave the rest."  It's a thorough, all encompassing quote that I've relied on in all aspects of my life.  Really, the live day to day part is what's influencing this blog.  

Take life for what it is and life it day to day.  It's the best you can do and the most you can hope for.  So among many other goals (to be discussed in later posts, I'm sure), that's the overall goal of this blog.

I'm sure some posts will be funny, some educational, some in the form of a highly anxious rant, and others deeply rooted with emotion.  At any rate, I hope they'll all be interesting and a good recap for me to look back on in 2010.  (yikes!  Really are we that close to being a decade into 2000's??)