All aboard the Blogger Express! Never have I ever blogged on a train... until now. I am currently comin at you from on board the NE Regional en route to New York, New York. While I should probably be catching up on this week's missing paperwork, the chitter chatter around me is making it hard to concentrate. Not to mention my anticipation and excitement for the weekend ahead. Also- I haven't blogged in a while so this seems like the perfect time to catch up.
Tory and I have a fun-filled weekend of New York adventures ahead of us. We will enjoy How To Succeed In Business... Without Really Trying (starring DanRad) tomorrow night. A compromise between the Nutcracker (my preference) and Spider Man: Turn out the Dark (T's pick). I will get my dose of show tunes and Tory will hopefully be able to appreciate the satire of corporate life, and we will both get to see Harry Potter in action. Whoop whoop! My other priorities for the weekend include ice skating in either Rockefeller or Central Park (we missed out last time we were here in the winter due to peewee hockey practice), checking out ALL of the department store's holiday window displays, and hopefully eating some good pizza. I don't know what's on Tory's agenda just yet, but I am sure we will find lots to occupy ourselves with. Maybe even SantaCon.... which coincidentally happens to be taking place this weekend in the city as well.... oh crap. Check it out here.
As much as I am all about the Christmas spirit, SantaCon just seems a little bit out of my league. Stay tuned for a recap post and find out if we were able to dodge the "reindeer droppings" this weekend.
Sending you Christmas Cheer from somewhere in the mid atlantic. Choochoo!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
When the weather's fair...
I should begin this post by warning you that it is probably not worth reading. Not funny, witty, interesting. No photos (ok maybe 1... and maybe a video) or special fonts (alright, maybe italics when necessary... like now).
When the weather's fair, there is something exciting in every day. Your work day is over at 5, you're productive, successful, and moving forward. Making progress. Your relationships are sturdy, steady, and fully secure. You're loving and loved. Your friends are with you, beside you, happy, excited, and willing spend their time with you. When the weather's fair, there is something to look forward to: tomorrow, Friday, this weekend. Your to-do lists become DONE lists, you are winning, winning, winning at life.
Sometimes there's a storm. It might be a flood, a down pour, drenching and soaking every corner and inch of your sunny-day. Some days, it's blustery and uncertain. The unsteady and already fragile things in life are teetering on the edge and taunting the notion of tumbling over, crashing down, shattering into a bazllion tiny pieces with the slightest gust.
These days I just feel like a tornado has touched down and wrecked my shakily-shoddily assembled little life. I have to blame this one mostly on work and myself. I got a little comfy in my light caseload and now that things are picking back up, I am playing catch-up. Several mentor visits, 1x assessments, and adding an entirely new service area to my week has made it hard to keep up. Between visits in my car, I am returning phone calls from service coordinators, parents, and that con-foundedddddd interpretation agency I get the pleasure of working with. Between sessions at the clinic, I am catching up on notes, calling new families to schedule visits, and planning for my next sessions.
This is my job description. Soooo, I really don't know why it overwhelming me in this moment, but I.AM.OVERWHELMED.
When I get home, after food finds its way to my belly, I find a spot on the couch to log on and try, try again to catch up or stay on top. I have been failing at that task due to sleep taking priority. This has happened to me in the past. Sleeping is my ultimate avoidance behavior. I am never more tired than when I have a nice, loooong to-do list needing crossing. It is totally unintentional. Maybe my subconscious mind goes into hibernation as a way of surviving. These days I'm exhausted and in the time I am sleeping, my list suspiciously grows and grows.
But I did not write this post to complain or for pity. There are lots of things in this world that are fickle and fair weather and these things have been weighing on my mind more and more lately. I started this post with an old adage and it took on a little life of it's own. I am going to try to wrap it up with a positive spin on things.
Just because the weather isn't a fair, sunny, 72 degrees with zero humidity and zero chance of rain doesn't mean there aren't beautiful, glorious days in my future. Just because all my affairs aren't in order (although I have to pat myself on the back, our apt is still looking top-notch after the bookshelf ordeal- which is usually my first downfall), just because life's not as simple as it was a few years ago, time isn't as abundant as it was before, and friendships require more effort than they did in college, doesn't mean there aren't simple joys in today and tomorrow... and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here's a list of 16 things I am gloriously grateful for (for these 16 days of November, obvi...)
16. The new Macy's commercial starring J. Beibs that made me laugh my tail off tonight.
15. Harvest Yankee Candles
14. My tiny home that is filled with the aroma of just ONE jar of #15.
13. Home-cooked dinners 2 nights in a row.
12. Norah Jones play list on Pandora (getting me through hours of paperworking on nights and weekends)
11. Nonstop holiday music on washfm starting FRIDAY.
10. Working for a company who instead of voting on a couple of families to "adopt" this year, unanimously agreed to adopt every single one of the nominees.
9. Working in a job that is rewarding, even on it's worst days, there is at least one thing I can own and be proud of.
8. Save-The-Dates in the mail, reminding me of growing, changing, and abundant love for my dearest friends.
7. Sisterly phone calls, just when you think everyone's forgotten.
6. Tory's patience in his job and motivation to always be the provider. even if it is just for me for now.
5. Prospective lunch dates with my Dad and Tory this week and next, that will bring a welcome break from snotty, germy, cold/flu infested toddlers.
4. My silly, loving, patient, pup who lets me dress her up any old way I wish and gives me an excuse to leave the office precisely at 4:45 when I have cleaned up my room:
3. My funny, smart, ambitious, honest husband who always tries to do the right thing, is steadfast in what he believes and always gives everyone his best. I am soo incredibly thankful for him.
2. My Dad getting to spend his favorite holiday in the comforts and love of family, in his own home, in chilly weather (where there is no sand)... even if he still has to hand wash all the China ;)
1. Spending these holidays with 2 loving families- the one that has defined home for the last 25 years and another that has welcomed and loved me for me and the crazy in-law that I came to be since I was 16.
When the weather's fair, there is something exciting in every day. Your work day is over at 5, you're productive, successful, and moving forward. Making progress. Your relationships are sturdy, steady, and fully secure. You're loving and loved. Your friends are with you, beside you, happy, excited, and willing spend their time with you. When the weather's fair, there is something to look forward to: tomorrow, Friday, this weekend. Your to-do lists become DONE lists, you are winning, winning, winning at life.
Sometimes there's a storm. It might be a flood, a down pour, drenching and soaking every corner and inch of your sunny-day. Some days, it's blustery and uncertain. The unsteady and already fragile things in life are teetering on the edge and taunting the notion of tumbling over, crashing down, shattering into a bazllion tiny pieces with the slightest gust.
These days I just feel like a tornado has touched down and wrecked my shakily-shoddily assembled little life. I have to blame this one mostly on work and myself. I got a little comfy in my light caseload and now that things are picking back up, I am playing catch-up. Several mentor visits, 1x assessments, and adding an entirely new service area to my week has made it hard to keep up. Between visits in my car, I am returning phone calls from service coordinators, parents, and that con-foundedddddd interpretation agency I get the pleasure of working with. Between sessions at the clinic, I am catching up on notes, calling new families to schedule visits, and planning for my next sessions.
This is my job description. Soooo, I really don't know why it overwhelming me in this moment, but I.AM.OVERWHELMED.
When I get home, after food finds its way to my belly, I find a spot on the couch to log on and try, try again to catch up or stay on top. I have been failing at that task due to sleep taking priority. This has happened to me in the past. Sleeping is my ultimate avoidance behavior. I am never more tired than when I have a nice, loooong to-do list needing crossing. It is totally unintentional. Maybe my subconscious mind goes into hibernation as a way of surviving. These days I'm exhausted and in the time I am sleeping, my list suspiciously grows and grows.
But I did not write this post to complain or for pity. There are lots of things in this world that are fickle and fair weather and these things have been weighing on my mind more and more lately. I started this post with an old adage and it took on a little life of it's own. I am going to try to wrap it up with a positive spin on things.
Just because the weather isn't a fair, sunny, 72 degrees with zero humidity and zero chance of rain doesn't mean there aren't beautiful, glorious days in my future. Just because all my affairs aren't in order (although I have to pat myself on the back, our apt is still looking top-notch after the bookshelf ordeal- which is usually my first downfall), just because life's not as simple as it was a few years ago, time isn't as abundant as it was before, and friendships require more effort than they did in college, doesn't mean there aren't simple joys in today and tomorrow... and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here's a list of 16 things I am gloriously grateful for (for these 16 days of November, obvi...)
16. The new Macy's commercial starring J. Beibs that made me laugh my tail off tonight.
15. Harvest Yankee Candles
14. My tiny home that is filled with the aroma of just ONE jar of #15.
13. Home-cooked dinners 2 nights in a row.
12. Norah Jones play list on Pandora (getting me through hours of paperworking on nights and weekends)
11. Nonstop holiday music on washfm starting FRIDAY.
10. Working for a company who instead of voting on a couple of families to "adopt" this year, unanimously agreed to adopt every single one of the nominees.
9. Working in a job that is rewarding, even on it's worst days, there is at least one thing I can own and be proud of.
8. Save-The-Dates in the mail, reminding me of growing, changing, and abundant love for my dearest friends.
7. Sisterly phone calls, just when you think everyone's forgotten.
6. Tory's patience in his job and motivation to always be the provider. even if it is just for me for now.
5. Prospective lunch dates with my Dad and Tory this week and next, that will bring a welcome break from snotty, germy, cold/flu infested toddlers.
4. My silly, loving, patient, pup who lets me dress her up any old way I wish and gives me an excuse to leave the office precisely at 4:45 when I have cleaned up my room:
3. My funny, smart, ambitious, honest husband who always tries to do the right thing, is steadfast in what he believes and always gives everyone his best. I am soo incredibly thankful for him.
2. My Dad getting to spend his favorite holiday in the comforts and love of family, in his own home, in chilly weather (where there is no sand)... even if he still has to hand wash all the China ;)
1. Spending these holidays with 2 loving families- the one that has defined home for the last 25 years and another that has welcomed and loved me for me and the crazy in-law that I came to be since I was 16.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
De-Mentor
I'm not talking Harry Potter. I am talking Amanda DeL. DA MENTOR. Today I had- count 'em- not one but TWO mentor visits BACK TO BACK... suckas. I'm pretty sure that none of ya'll know what the heck I am talking about, and more than likely the ones who do know, don't give a hoot-nanny.
But I am gonna 'splain you...
Today I had 2 mentor visits. Where I was the mentor. I have sought mentor visits in my last 18 months as an employed, licensed SLP. I have been the mentee for many a client, some times when I asked for it and some times when I didn't. These little episodes in my short career have certainly taught me lots- both when warranted and un.(warranted). Regardless of the context, I have always learned something about my therapeutic style, whether it was something I could improve on or something I should be proud of. I have had the great opportunity to see other, more experienced therapists at work, which has been been an eye-opener on some accounts and pretty much always invaluable to my understanding of a trans-disciplinary practice. It's been G-double O-D for me. And I've learned a lot.
But for the first time today, I was the more experienced therapist. And I am not talking years of experience. What I mean is that I had the great pleasure of working with a highly experienced motor therapist who said to her families "I don't know the answers, we need the help of a specialist." And here's the crazy part... the specialist WAS ME! (pause for drama...).
So at the request of my supervisor, I accompanied this awesome therapist on a couple of visits this morning. I was super nervous and definitely feeling the pressure. I know what parents see when I walk through the door for the first time "How old is this girl?" "What kind of training does she have?" "What could she possibly know that I don't?" I have even had the ballsiest of parents ask what type of degree is required to practice Speech-Language Pathology. I could literally see the wheels turning in their heads as they calculated how young I could possibly be. I try not to let it bother me. I've been schooled and now I've got a year under my belt. Boo-ya. I just do my best to wow them with my uber intelligence and super human strength (as I hoist their chubby two year old above my head while targeting an approximation of "up"--> super fun therapist right here).
Anyway.
So I go on these mentor visits and the PT is all "so here's a specialist in the area of language/feeding development... be sure to ask her all your questions!" WOAH- Ok, kudos to me for being dubbed specialist. I guess I have never thought of myself in that context before. Professional? Yes. Trained? Indeed. Certified? Certainly! Specialist? Well, apparently. So ask they did.
And I answered. At least I think I did. I am pretty sure it was my autonomic nervous system kicking in (you know...SNS.. fight/flight...nerd/geek...anyway...), but miraculous gems of professional, specialized goodness escaped my lips and before I knew it, parents were nodding their heads in agreement and.... dare I say it... asking FOLLOW UP questions. Which I was also somehow able to answer. Remarkable. Autonomic. Sympathetic. Do you follow?
So then I wonder... have I gotten complacent in the last 18 months with my own clients? I mean, I feel like I was a more successful speech therapist for 2 hours out of my work day today than I will be for the other 38 hours. Don't get me wrong- I really feel like I am problem solving/treasure hunting/doing my best to read a foreign map every day of my job. Some days are more successful than others. Some days I solve the puzzle/find the treasure/get to my destination. Some days are good, others are hard. Some days I win and some days I'm off the mark. But for some reason, today.... I was able to find the star on the map. I found the answers and I delivered. It was incredible and I fully credit the awesome motor therapist who gave me great backgrounds and case histories and scaffolded the structure of the mentoring visits in a way that was efficient and productive. I need more days like this in my regular routine. Just a change of pace where my services are sought urgently and not expected on a weekly or biweekly basis. Where I get to be the specialist, not the one with the best educated guess. I worked hard to obtain this career because I wanted to make a small but meaningful difference in the big world of families in my community. Today I learned that I need reminders that hard work pays off. Today I learned a lot.
Today... was a good day. I feel like a super hero.
But I am gonna 'splain you...
Today I had 2 mentor visits. Where I was the mentor. I have sought mentor visits in my last 18 months as an employed, licensed SLP. I have been the mentee for many a client, some times when I asked for it and some times when I didn't. These little episodes in my short career have certainly taught me lots- both when warranted and un.(warranted). Regardless of the context, I have always learned something about my therapeutic style, whether it was something I could improve on or something I should be proud of. I have had the great opportunity to see other, more experienced therapists at work, which has been been an eye-opener on some accounts and pretty much always invaluable to my understanding of a trans-disciplinary practice. It's been G-double O-D for me. And I've learned a lot.
But for the first time today, I was the more experienced therapist. And I am not talking years of experience. What I mean is that I had the great pleasure of working with a highly experienced motor therapist who said to her families "I don't know the answers, we need the help of a specialist." And here's the crazy part... the specialist WAS ME! (pause for drama...).
So at the request of my supervisor, I accompanied this awesome therapist on a couple of visits this morning. I was super nervous and definitely feeling the pressure. I know what parents see when I walk through the door for the first time "How old is this girl?" "What kind of training does she have?" "What could she possibly know that I don't?" I have even had the ballsiest of parents ask what type of degree is required to practice Speech-Language Pathology. I could literally see the wheels turning in their heads as they calculated how young I could possibly be. I try not to let it bother me. I've been schooled and now I've got a year under my belt. Boo-ya. I just do my best to wow them with my uber intelligence and super human strength (as I hoist their chubby two year old above my head while targeting an approximation of "up"--> super fun therapist right here).
Anyway.
So I go on these mentor visits and the PT is all "so here's a specialist in the area of language/feeding development... be sure to ask her all your questions!" WOAH- Ok, kudos to me for being dubbed specialist. I guess I have never thought of myself in that context before. Professional? Yes. Trained? Indeed. Certified? Certainly! Specialist? Well, apparently. So ask they did.
And I answered. At least I think I did. I am pretty sure it was my autonomic nervous system kicking in (you know...SNS.. fight/flight...nerd/geek...anyway...), but miraculous gems of professional, specialized goodness escaped my lips and before I knew it, parents were nodding their heads in agreement and.... dare I say it... asking FOLLOW UP questions. Which I was also somehow able to answer. Remarkable. Autonomic. Sympathetic. Do you follow?
So then I wonder... have I gotten complacent in the last 18 months with my own clients? I mean, I feel like I was a more successful speech therapist for 2 hours out of my work day today than I will be for the other 38 hours. Don't get me wrong- I really feel like I am problem solving/treasure hunting/doing my best to read a foreign map every day of my job. Some days are more successful than others. Some days I solve the puzzle/find the treasure/get to my destination. Some days are good, others are hard. Some days I win and some days I'm off the mark. But for some reason, today.... I was able to find the star on the map. I found the answers and I delivered. It was incredible and I fully credit the awesome motor therapist who gave me great backgrounds and case histories and scaffolded the structure of the mentoring visits in a way that was efficient and productive. I need more days like this in my regular routine. Just a change of pace where my services are sought urgently and not expected on a weekly or biweekly basis. Where I get to be the specialist, not the one with the best educated guess. I worked hard to obtain this career because I wanted to make a small but meaningful difference in the big world of families in my community. Today I learned that I need reminders that hard work pays off. Today I learned a lot.
Today... was a good day. I feel like a super hero.
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| super source |
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Fahrvergnügen!!!
In honor of the 36th annual Marine Corps Marathon taking place precisely in my backyard (if highrise apartment buildings had backyards...), I present to you the first-ever installment of of "Things That Will Take Me More Than 4 Hours To Complete!"
Tory and I started our Halloween Weekend off with a very very long list of things-to-do, mostly related to returning our crib to a state of safe, sanitary living. After cleaning everything from the sink basin to the baseboards, we ventured out to our über favorite store of cheap and space efficient furniture, Ikea! I mean, who could think of a better way to spend a SNOWY October evening, right?! Ja!
In our tiny space we have 2 particular areas that are a constant source of stress and clutter: our "coat closet" and the hidden corner of our living area. I am convinced that the disaster taking place in our coat closet simply can not be fixed and as long as the door is shut I do not find it hard to ignore the need for a hard hat when opening it up. But the corner full of stacks of paper, filing systems, electric cords, a basket full of mail needing shredding, dietary supplements, resistance bands, and THREE BACKPACKS (all Tory's!!!), absolutely had to be fixed before I lost my mind. Who needs three backpacks?
Of course, I had the perfect solution! We have another weird 39 inch wall in our living room that was covered with two dust-ridden silk plants and a floor lamp. Prime real estate for a nice do-it-your self bookshelf from Sweden or Denmark or wherever. So off we went to the land of Danish Disasters in the wet slush falling from the sky (in October).
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| Shoulda probably turned the lamp off. |
First, we opened the boxes and took out exactly 29,643 pieces of wood, bolts, nuts, screws, nails, and glass required to put this thing together. Apparently, this consequently spawned a tornardo in our apartment at the very same time:
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| wine required! |
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| Where in the fahrvergnügen do we start? |
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| Lucky you, Lucille! |
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| We built these sides, complete with rollie things, wheely things, and hinges with squigglies! |
Anyway, after over 4 hours of screwdriving, hammering, hingeing, and allen-wrenching, we had ourselve's a bookshelf! I wasted no time in cleaning out the "hidden corner" and sorting my findings into various piles which found homes in one of the 4 drawers that we built. Then I went to town re-organizing the over-crowded built-ins that double as bookshelves and a linen closet in our bedroom. The end result made me jump for joy!!
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| Our Creation! |
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| This tidy little hidden corner brings me so much joy! |
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| Comfy, cozy, home sweet home! |
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
From the Battery to the Gallery
Finally! We finally made it back up to New York and what a time we had. So, we didn't actually go to battery park, nor did we visit any galleries... but I've always loved John Mayer's City Love, so who cares?
I've only visited the big apple once back in 2006 and I was immediately enamored with the city that never sleeps. Being the busy vacationers that we are- Tory and I explored Central Park, swanky fifth avenue, the Financial District, Canal Street, Times Square, Rockefellar Plaza, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Carnegie Deli, the UN, annnnd, the MoMA all in a matter of 4 jam-packed, action filled days.
This time around, we ventured our way through NYC with some locals and viewed the city from a new perspective. I will admit that this time around, I was a little less enamored with the glamour and more privy to the layer of filth that covers just about every inch of every surface. Also covering most surfaces? Graffiti. And I never noticed all of the trash bags that lined the streets at night before this trip. I don't know how I missed it all before, but having seen it this time around... I still love that city. That filth and grime is the result of hundreds of years of hustle and bustle and American culture. It may not be as clean as Washington or as asthetically pleasing to look at, but every one of those grimey old dirty buildings has so many stories from centuries of a changing city. I think of all of the fascinating things that have happened in our nation's history and New York has been a major hub in all of it. This is the only redeeming quality needed to make up for the yuckies if you ask me.
Here are some of the highlights from NYC 2011:
10. food, Food, FOOD! So much tasty tasty! Over the weekend we enjoyed bites from: Mason Jar, Rue 57, John's Pizzeria, and Dorian Cafe. John's is the best slice I have ever had the pleasure of devouring. Ever.
9. World Trade Center Memorial. Alex pulled off an incredible stunt and managed to get us passes to see the new Word Trade Center Memorial downtown less than 6 wks after it opened. After seeing ground zero during my last trip in 2006, I can say that they have turned such a tragic, sorrowful place into a peaceful place of hope and reflection. I was so happy to be able to pay respects at this memorial and to see the monstrous new tower they are building right next door. It truly says something about the American resolve to see them erecting the new World Trade Center beside where the old ones used to stand. We aren't afraid and we don't back down.
8. Getting in trouble at FAO Schwarz. How is it even possible that among the chaos and madness of this ginormous toy store filled with millions of tots, 2 25 year old women get in trouble while playing with the babydolls. I won't go into details, let's just say we were demonstrating exactly how NOT to handle an infant.
7. Local Bars! After Pizza and lots and lots of red wine- we hit up The Globe in Gramercy for a fun night at a local 20's bar. I was immediately impressed with the place upon finding out that it was originally a brothel/speakeasy during the prohibition era. It had the coolest aluminum ceiling tiles and a kick-ask DJ. Exactly where I wanted to be after I tried and tried and tried and tried unsuccessfully to hail a cab (see below). There was quite a fantastic line outside when we got there, but after a little southern schmoozing with the bouncer... aka... talking to him until he was annoyed with us enough to let us in and get me out of his face.... we hit the bar and had a great night. I was one of about 6 non brunettes, danced with a guy with purple shoes, and was Gina's personal protector, warding off unwanted male attention with the subtlety of a jackhammer.
6. First NYC cab ride. Not that this was particularly fun, but it surely was memorable. Due to time constraints we took a cab from midtown to the World Trade Center Memorial. Our last visit to NYC, we stayed in a spot that allowed us to easily get around mostly by foot (we did a lot of walking)- only taking the subway once for our day downtown. This time there was no avoiding the NYC cab situation. We hopped in and I was in for the ride of my life. I thought my driving capacities were becoming a little wreckless after spending far too many hours in my car each week but now I know that there is at least 1 worse driver in this world than me. Later Saturday night, after a caraffe and a half of Shiraz, I insisted on hailing cabs for the 6 of us who were heading out of mid town for a fun bar hopping adventure. Maybe Dave and Gina wanted to teach me a lesson because they took me to the exact location where I was sure to never ever flag down an empty cab: times square. But boy, did I give it my best shot. I was fully in the road, arms flailing, before the finally dragged me over to Port Authority where empty cabs were lined up and we hopped right in. silly me.
5. Local "celebrities." In only 2 short days we managed to witness not one but 2 film "crews" filming music videos or fan videos for international popstars. By film crews, I mean probably someone's dad and their home video recorder and by music video I mean teeny-bopper lip syncing along to their recorded-in-the-bathroom single blasting from a boombox. Weird, but true. Twice.
4. Central Park Zoo! Central Park is my fav place in the city. T and I have strolled parts of it, but have never been to the zoo. So after an exhausting day of zipping up and down town multiple times, we made a pit stop in a coffee shop that reminded me of the "YOU DID IT! World's Best Cup of Coffee" Shop from Elf. We grabbed a couple of warm beverages and headed over to the central park zoo which is aptly designed for you to see lots of the highlights from the outside without actually having to pay to get in. We picked a few benches by the sea lions, conveniently located right by the Delacourt Music Clock and just in the nick of time! The clock struck 5 and around and around the creatures went. Super cool but kind of creepy if youre anything like me and the image of animals taking part in human activities (in this case, playing instruments) gives you the heeby-jeebies. What fun we had people (kid) watching and sipping our coffees and teas!
3. Photo-Ops with NYPD. After dinner at John's we headed to Times Square so G, Tory, and I could look like some real-live tourists. On the way there I ran into my crooner heart throb:
When we got to Times Square, we spotted a Korean Pop Star filming a fan video in which he stood in the middle of times square and korean girls walked in circles around him as he pointed to various parts of the surrounding area. Weird. But then we saw that line up of approximately 6 NYPD motorcycles with their human counterparts posing for pictures around them. BINGO. This was perhaps my lowest point of the weekend (other than busting out laughing at a photo of Tory and shattering the reverence at the World Trade Center Memorial... I felt like such an ass). I first approached the police officers and complimented them on how much kinder and friendlier they are than DC cops. He was very appreciative of the compliment and reminded me that those mean DC cops have a serious job with lots to protect. Good point. And then I asked him the following question: "So do you guys come out here to pose for pictures with tourists?" It was a complete and utter slip of the tongue. I had no intention of it coming out the way it did. I mean, just that afternoon I was paying my respects at ground zero, I know that the NYPD... any PD, really, has an important job that does not include posing for pictures in the description. He actually laughed at me and said "no" and then all 6 motorcycles drove away. I am one lucky girl, being that he could have found at least 1 reason to arrest me by that point I'm sure.
2. Outer Borrough Crashing. A.Mar's got himself some sweet digs in Long Island City, Queens. Just a quick ride on the 7 and one stop later you're at Grand Central. It was cool to have a quiet place to go "home" to in the city that never sleeps. The Queens Waterfront and Gantry Plaza Park is literally in Alex's backyard and was a nice place to walk, get some FRESH air, and see a spectacular view of Manhattan, the Queensboro bridge, and the Pepsi Cola sign. Not to mention- it was a free floor to crash on in an outrageously expensive city. Thanks BLAM!
1. Skipping on the bus passes and staying an extra 8 hours to take the 11:00pm Regional home to Union Station. We arrived at 3:30 am, road the sketchiest, most expensive "taxi" home, and crasheddddddd the heck out... for 4 hours before getting up for work on Monday. All worth it to spend a day, just like old times, lazing around, playing cards, and cooking dinner with great friends.
Autumn in New York- you were phenom. Be back soon, can't wait to see the city in lights this December!
I've only visited the big apple once back in 2006 and I was immediately enamored with the city that never sleeps. Being the busy vacationers that we are- Tory and I explored Central Park, swanky fifth avenue, the Financial District, Canal Street, Times Square, Rockefellar Plaza, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Carnegie Deli, the UN, annnnd, the MoMA all in a matter of 4 jam-packed, action filled days.
This time around, we ventured our way through NYC with some locals and viewed the city from a new perspective. I will admit that this time around, I was a little less enamored with the glamour and more privy to the layer of filth that covers just about every inch of every surface. Also covering most surfaces? Graffiti. And I never noticed all of the trash bags that lined the streets at night before this trip. I don't know how I missed it all before, but having seen it this time around... I still love that city. That filth and grime is the result of hundreds of years of hustle and bustle and American culture. It may not be as clean as Washington or as asthetically pleasing to look at, but every one of those grimey old dirty buildings has so many stories from centuries of a changing city. I think of all of the fascinating things that have happened in our nation's history and New York has been a major hub in all of it. This is the only redeeming quality needed to make up for the yuckies if you ask me.
Here are some of the highlights from NYC 2011:
10. food, Food, FOOD! So much tasty tasty! Over the weekend we enjoyed bites from: Mason Jar, Rue 57, John's Pizzeria, and Dorian Cafe. John's is the best slice I have ever had the pleasure of devouring. Ever.
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| Brunch at Rue 57 on the corner of Avenue of the Americas |
9. World Trade Center Memorial. Alex pulled off an incredible stunt and managed to get us passes to see the new Word Trade Center Memorial downtown less than 6 wks after it opened. After seeing ground zero during my last trip in 2006, I can say that they have turned such a tragic, sorrowful place into a peaceful place of hope and reflection. I was so happy to be able to pay respects at this memorial and to see the monstrous new tower they are building right next door. It truly says something about the American resolve to see them erecting the new World Trade Center beside where the old ones used to stand. We aren't afraid and we don't back down.
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| Stopped by to see the Bull while we were downtown! Now surrounded by barricades because of the darn 99% ugh. |
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| creepy. |
6. First NYC cab ride. Not that this was particularly fun, but it surely was memorable. Due to time constraints we took a cab from midtown to the World Trade Center Memorial. Our last visit to NYC, we stayed in a spot that allowed us to easily get around mostly by foot (we did a lot of walking)- only taking the subway once for our day downtown. This time there was no avoiding the NYC cab situation. We hopped in and I was in for the ride of my life. I thought my driving capacities were becoming a little wreckless after spending far too many hours in my car each week but now I know that there is at least 1 worse driver in this world than me. Later Saturday night, after a caraffe and a half of Shiraz, I insisted on hailing cabs for the 6 of us who were heading out of mid town for a fun bar hopping adventure. Maybe Dave and Gina wanted to teach me a lesson because they took me to the exact location where I was sure to never ever flag down an empty cab: times square. But boy, did I give it my best shot. I was fully in the road, arms flailing, before the finally dragged me over to Port Authority where empty cabs were lined up and we hopped right in. silly me.
5. Local "celebrities." In only 2 short days we managed to witness not one but 2 film "crews" filming music videos or fan videos for international popstars. By film crews, I mean probably someone's dad and their home video recorder and by music video I mean teeny-bopper lip syncing along to their recorded-in-the-bathroom single blasting from a boombox. Weird, but true. Twice.
4. Central Park Zoo! Central Park is my fav place in the city. T and I have strolled parts of it, but have never been to the zoo. So after an exhausting day of zipping up and down town multiple times, we made a pit stop in a coffee shop that reminded me of the "YOU DID IT! World's Best Cup of Coffee" Shop from Elf. We grabbed a couple of warm beverages and headed over to the central park zoo which is aptly designed for you to see lots of the highlights from the outside without actually having to pay to get in. We picked a few benches by the sea lions, conveniently located right by the Delacourt Music Clock and just in the nick of time! The clock struck 5 and around and around the creatures went. Super cool but kind of creepy if youre anything like me and the image of animals taking part in human activities (in this case, playing instruments) gives you the heeby-jeebies. What fun we had people (kid) watching and sipping our coffees and teas!
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| possibly the cutest picture ever. |
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| Tory referred to me as Amanda Connick, Jr. for at least half of the next day. |
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| Times Square |
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| Stoked out of my mind, clearly. |
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| Alex's apartment is to the left of the one on the background. source |
Autumn in New York- you were phenom. Be back soon, can't wait to see the city in lights this December!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
67 days, 4 hours, and 10 minutes
Every year right around the end of November, I shapeshift and become the happiest little Christmas Elf you've ever laid eyes on... and while taking part in my daily stalking web browsing rituals, I found out that Michael Buble's Christmas Album is dropping in -count 'em- ONE week AND thanks to the always reliable and dependable Perez Hilton, you can sample 6 of the tracks here.
SNOW.M.G. I am stupidly excited about this. I don't want to talk about the fact that the album is being released in the month of October- I prefer to think of it as a celebration of Christmas's arrival in just 67 days, (and now) 3 hours, and 58 minutes! That's not so far away!
No- I haven't been hitting the mistletoe pipe or sipping on the eggnog, Christmas just makes me really really really deliriously happy. I do my best to hold out until Thanksgiving Day to watch my first Christmas movie... but let's be honest- the jams are already on your local soft rock station and Elf has already played at least once a week on TBS by this point and I can't even deny the fact that I have shamelessly taken part in both of these guilty pleasures by this point.
I literally get goosebumps when I think of my Christmas movie line up. Here are the top 10 (since I know you're curious):
Ok, now I'm just plain giddy. Poor T doesn't know what he's gotten himself into. I usually veg out on the couch with my Mom and/or assorted room mates from over the years... and watch all of these at least once between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year Tory's going to have to carry some of the load, being that he is my husband and current (permanent) room mate. I'm going to have to break this news to him gently being that almost half of these movies are black and white and LOW-DEF for sure. The little geek inside him is going to die a little as I giggle with joy-omg- I'm going to have to pull out the ol' dual DVD/VHS player for some of these movies, even BETTER!
I'd better stop this before it get's out of hand, afterall it is only the 3rd week of October. I've got Halloween, T's bday, Veteran's Day, and Thanksgiving to get through before I can really let loose. Until then I will be fantasizing about cinnamon flavored candles, tights and sweater dresses, Bing Crosby, and the first snow flakes.
I will leave you with 2 pictures: our beautiful first Christmas tree:
And, just so Halloween doesn't get jealous... my first jack-o-lantern, carved over the weekend with wine, roasted pumpkin seeds, and new friends:
update: now there are just 67 days, 3 hours, and 18 minutes left! Yes, this post took me forever to post.
SNOW.M.G. I am stupidly excited about this. I don't want to talk about the fact that the album is being released in the month of October- I prefer to think of it as a celebration of Christmas's arrival in just 67 days, (and now) 3 hours, and 58 minutes! That's not so far away!
No- I haven't been hitting the mistletoe pipe or sipping on the eggnog, Christmas just makes me really really really deliriously happy. I do my best to hold out until Thanksgiving Day to watch my first Christmas movie... but let's be honest- the jams are already on your local soft rock station and Elf has already played at least once a week on TBS by this point and I can't even deny the fact that I have shamelessly taken part in both of these guilty pleasures by this point.
I literally get goosebumps when I think of my Christmas movie line up. Here are the top 10 (since I know you're curious):
10. The Santa Clause
9. The Polar Express
8. The Family Stone
7. Love Actually
6. Elf
5. Holiday Inn
4. It's a Wonderful Life
3. White Christmas
2. Charlie Brown Christmas
1. Christmas In Connecticut
Ok, now I'm just plain giddy. Poor T doesn't know what he's gotten himself into. I usually veg out on the couch with my Mom and/or assorted room mates from over the years... and watch all of these at least once between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year Tory's going to have to carry some of the load, being that he is my husband and current (permanent) room mate. I'm going to have to break this news to him gently being that almost half of these movies are black and white and LOW-DEF for sure. The little geek inside him is going to die a little as I giggle with joy-omg- I'm going to have to pull out the ol' dual DVD/VHS player for some of these movies, even BETTER!
I'd better stop this before it get's out of hand, afterall it is only the 3rd week of October. I've got Halloween, T's bday, Veteran's Day, and Thanksgiving to get through before I can really let loose. Until then I will be fantasizing about cinnamon flavored candles, tights and sweater dresses, Bing Crosby, and the first snow flakes.
I will leave you with 2 pictures: our beautiful first Christmas tree:
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| mine is the silly one on the bottom left |
update: now there are just 67 days, 3 hours, and 18 minutes left! Yes, this post took me forever to post.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Ones and Zeros
Conversation with the hubs after Thursday supper club tonight. (Note: today was a major technology day for us... T deployed a portal that he managed tonight (I have no idea what any of that means) and I sat through a work day's worth of training on how to use the new EMR system for our office.)
T: So I you wanna see what SharePoint looks like?
A: Is that what you made?
T: Yeah.
A: No, wait, that's the program that makes the thing you made?
T: Yeah (opens up website thingy... better known as The Portal)
A: Ohhh, so when you make it... is it all, like, ones and zeros?
T: What? No.
A: Oh is that what it was like at first, before *The Portals* (air quotes)?
T: At first?
A: Like in the beginning... of... programming?
T: Everything was like that in the beginning.
A: Is it is till ones and zeros?
T: Not to you. You don't see them.
A: What?
T: You're not the One.
A: What?
T: Neo.
[PAUSE]
A: Did he see the ones and zeros?
P.S. for those normal people out there and those who didn't marry a computer nerd, this is a Matrix reference.
P.P.S. yes, I am well aware that our first initials repeated spell TATAs- which means we have to be super careful with monograms- we don't want any "T&A" pillows. Also- did you know our marriage was "Manda-Tory." We've heard it all....
T: So I you wanna see what SharePoint looks like?
A: Is that what you made?
T: Yeah.
A: No, wait, that's the program that makes the thing you made?
T: Yeah (opens up website thingy... better known as The Portal)
A: Ohhh, so when you make it... is it all, like, ones and zeros?
T: What? No.
A: Oh is that what it was like at first, before *The Portals* (air quotes)?
T: At first?
A: Like in the beginning... of... programming?
T: Everything was like that in the beginning.
A: Is it is till ones and zeros?
T: Not to you. You don't see them.
A: What?
T: You're not the One.
A: What?
T: Neo.
[PAUSE]
A: Did he see the ones and zeros?
P.S. for those normal people out there and those who didn't marry a computer nerd, this is a Matrix reference.
P.P.S. yes, I am well aware that our first initials repeated spell TATAs- which means we have to be super careful with monograms- we don't want any "T&A" pillows. Also- did you know our marriage was "Manda-Tory." We've heard it all....
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Fun, Family, and Dancing at the Budding Wedding
On September 22, 2011 my dear cousin Nickie married her love, Johnny, at a gorgeous beach ceremony in PCB, Florida. Following days of rain and 100% humidity- it was truly a gift from God that by 4:00 on Thursday evening, the clouds had cleared and the temps had lowered making for a truly beautiful wedding followed by a hilariously fun and exciting reception. So hilarious, in fact, that it really can only be described in pictures. So without further ado...
WEDDING DAY PART 1: GET READY!
WEDDING DAY PART 1: GET READY!
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| Maids' and flower girl's (works in progress) |
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| Fun BM project: bling out your beachy wedding shoes! |
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| She heeded my warnings to have a good meal beforehand! |
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| How gorgeous is this bride? |
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| take some time to admire the dress! |
WEDDING DAY PART 2: TIE THE KNOT!
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| Vows! |
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| You make me wanna say "I do, I do, I do do do do do do dooo doooo!" |
WEDDING DAY PART 3: DANCE!
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| Aunt Deb learned how to Push It |
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| I learned how to RUMBA! |
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| Look what was hiding in the garter? |
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| Oma learned how to Superman... or is it crank that soulja boi? |
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| annnnnnd how to Dougie |
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| Who brought the Dancing Queen? Oh wait, that would be my husband! |
So if you couldn't tell, Tory had a great time. Just kidding, everyone had an awesome time... but especially Tory.
Best wishes to you, Nickie and Johnny. You have a beautiful life ahead of you with each other and your incredible family. Cherish each other always! Love you!
P.S. After Tory taught my age-less Oma how to Superman and Dougie, the groom thought she might wanna learn the Stanky Leg. She did, but I didn't manage to catch that one on camera due to uncontrollable laughter. I have the coolest Oma ever!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Fun Falling Off The Wagon
Well, friends, I have officially fallen off the proverbial wagon. I mean this in nearly every way possible. In the last few weeks I have somehow managed to fall behind in lots of very very important aspects of life; namely completing work documents in a timely fashion, maintaining the 10-miler training schedule, and keeping our crib in decent shape.
In my own defense- I managed to get myself into a bit of a pickle by volunteering for some extra work requiring LOTS of extra paperwork at the office. I seriously over estimated myself, as did our scheduling staff because in a matter of 10 working days I did 7 different evaluations all requiring reports. Translation: weekly notes are seriously suffering. Whoooops.
As for the 10 miler training- as you recall, I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago, blah blah blah. I gave myself a week off-setting T and I another week behind (making the total 2). I ran 4 miles last weekend- the 6 mile week- and had an amaziiing run. Tory mapped a new route through Crystal City and Pentagon City so there was lots of new scenery and mostly flat road. I really had every intention of catching up a week this weekend by running 5 (this week is a light 4 mile week), really I DID! But we spent Saturday night at the in-laws' and ended up going down to Mount Vernon to see my little sister-in-law play soccer this evening. We binged on some McDonalds in the car and by the time we got home running was the farthest thing from our minds. Junk food might be good for your soul every once in a while but it is terrible for your motivation and fitness. So as 8:30 rolled around T and I pinky swore that we would DEFINITELY run our 5 tomorrow night after mani/pedi's with my fav spring bride-to-be, LMT(E). Let's hope the pinky swear holds true because we are going to be in big trouble in a few weeks if we don't get our butts in gear!
I don't even know what to say about the state of my apartment this evening. I don't know how we got to this point with 2 hampers full of laundry, 2 loads of clean laundry on the dresser, a half-full dishwasher and half-full sink basin of dirty dishes, nothing to wear to work tomorrow, and remnants of halfway unpacked duffles from weekend/weekday trips the last few weeks. I guess we'd better spend the time we aren't spending running tonight working on this situation. A picture is really required for anyone to truly understand the disarray but I am far too embarrassed to expose my inner slob to the blogosphere so, you'll have to use your imagination.
So what HAVE I been doing the last few weeks when I haven't been taking care of my grown-up responsibilities?
Well, there was wine. Lots and lots of wine. First, the Great Grapes! Wine festival in Reston last weekend with some of my favorite wine tasting girls! Beautiful sunny and warm weather after a week of nonstop rain made this such a fun day of quality-girl time with some JMU alumni I seriously enjoy! Exactly 1 week after this event, I went to an end of summer Wine-Tasting work party where I had the distinct honor of winning the prize for MOST WRONG ANSWERS in a blind wine tasting. I am thinking I should have tasted more... and of course, this must mean I need more practice... i.e. more wine festivals?! YES!
There were also some of my favorite fall recipes- inspired by all of the rain and cool weather. This one makes lots of effort to be healthy. No butter, no cream, 2% milk cheddar cheese, 98% Fat Free, healthy choice Campbell's Cream of Chicken, roasted chicken breast, and mixed veggies make a tasty Chicken Pot Pie. The crescent roll pie crust is the one indulgence!
I also started reading (and nearly finished) an incredible book that I happened upon in Target one afternoon. Heaven Is For Real is the quick, easily read, true story of one tot's trip to heaven (and back)! This little boy's simply-stated descriptions of heaven, angels, and Jesus match what we know to be bibical-ly (is that a word?) accurate. His dad's narrative explains these consistencies in a way that is both friendly to a nonbeliever and descriptive enough for those who believe and are familiar with the Bible. So far, this book has put to rest many of the human, naive fears that I sometimes experience when thinking about eternity. What little Colton Burpo has to tell the world is simple: Heaven is beautiful perfection, it is the REAL dwelling place of God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, and death is nothing to fear for those who are prepared to enter heaven's gates. I love this book, so far. Read.it. Also, you can consider this my unofficial, first-ever, for real, book review. :)
So while the state of my affairs these days leaves a lot to be desired, I must say that I have had quite a bit of fun falling off the wagon. I am going to try to regain a little bit of control in the next 48 hours- including running my 5, submitting some important paperwork, and cleaning up the surface of this pigsty. The only reason I am really feeling the urgency to do any of this is because....
In my own defense- I managed to get myself into a bit of a pickle by volunteering for some extra work requiring LOTS of extra paperwork at the office. I seriously over estimated myself, as did our scheduling staff because in a matter of 10 working days I did 7 different evaluations all requiring reports. Translation: weekly notes are seriously suffering. Whoooops.
As for the 10 miler training- as you recall, I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago, blah blah blah. I gave myself a week off-setting T and I another week behind (making the total 2). I ran 4 miles last weekend- the 6 mile week- and had an amaziiing run. Tory mapped a new route through Crystal City and Pentagon City so there was lots of new scenery and mostly flat road. I really had every intention of catching up a week this weekend by running 5 (this week is a light 4 mile week), really I DID! But we spent Saturday night at the in-laws' and ended up going down to Mount Vernon to see my little sister-in-law play soccer this evening. We binged on some McDonalds in the car and by the time we got home running was the farthest thing from our minds. Junk food might be good for your soul every once in a while but it is terrible for your motivation and fitness. So as 8:30 rolled around T and I pinky swore that we would DEFINITELY run our 5 tomorrow night after mani/pedi's with my fav spring bride-to-be, LMT(E). Let's hope the pinky swear holds true because we are going to be in big trouble in a few weeks if we don't get our butts in gear!
I don't even know what to say about the state of my apartment this evening. I don't know how we got to this point with 2 hampers full of laundry, 2 loads of clean laundry on the dresser, a half-full dishwasher and half-full sink basin of dirty dishes, nothing to wear to work tomorrow, and remnants of halfway unpacked duffles from weekend/weekday trips the last few weeks. I guess we'd better spend the time we aren't spending running tonight working on this situation. A picture is really required for anyone to truly understand the disarray but I am far too embarrassed to expose my inner slob to the blogosphere so, you'll have to use your imagination.
So what HAVE I been doing the last few weeks when I haven't been taking care of my grown-up responsibilities?
Well, there was wine. Lots and lots of wine. First, the Great Grapes! Wine festival in Reston last weekend with some of my favorite wine tasting girls! Beautiful sunny and warm weather after a week of nonstop rain made this such a fun day of quality-girl time with some JMU alumni I seriously enjoy! Exactly 1 week after this event, I went to an end of summer Wine-Tasting work party where I had the distinct honor of winning the prize for MOST WRONG ANSWERS in a blind wine tasting. I am thinking I should have tasted more... and of course, this must mean I need more practice... i.e. more wine festivals?! YES!
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| CAGR enjoying a sunny fall girls day out! |
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| Homemade Chicken Pot Pie |
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| Invite Guests! |
I also started reading (and nearly finished) an incredible book that I happened upon in Target one afternoon. Heaven Is For Real is the quick, easily read, true story of one tot's trip to heaven (and back)! This little boy's simply-stated descriptions of heaven, angels, and Jesus match what we know to be bibical-ly (is that a word?) accurate. His dad's narrative explains these consistencies in a way that is both friendly to a nonbeliever and descriptive enough for those who believe and are familiar with the Bible. So far, this book has put to rest many of the human, naive fears that I sometimes experience when thinking about eternity. What little Colton Burpo has to tell the world is simple: Heaven is beautiful perfection, it is the REAL dwelling place of God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, and death is nothing to fear for those who are prepared to enter heaven's gates. I love this book, so far. Read.it. Also, you can consider this my unofficial, first-ever, for real, book review. :)
So while the state of my affairs these days leaves a lot to be desired, I must say that I have had quite a bit of fun falling off the wagon. I am going to try to regain a little bit of control in the next 48 hours- including running my 5, submitting some important paperwork, and cleaning up the surface of this pigsty. The only reason I am really feeling the urgency to do any of this is because....
THURSDAY IS THE SEATON-BUDDING WEDDING IN PCB!!!
Translation: celebration of love with my wonderful Peppers family, warm sunny beach weather, and 2-day work week for me! Also- MommaH is staying over Tuesday night to catch the flight out Wednesday morning with us and I should probably spare her the horror of knowing that her newly wedded daughter and son-in-law can barely maintain the tiniest of households.
Cheers to the Budding's, ya'll!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Foodie at Heart
Today was a blustery, rainy, 65 degree September day. And.I.Loved.Every.Second.Of.It. Tory gets so annoyed with me when it comes to the changing of the seasons. The first warm day of spring and I am ready to get into my bikini and sit on any patch of grass for a little bit of sunshine, but 2 days into the hot hot heat of summer I am complaining and ready to celebrate Christmas and unpack my coats and sweaters. Come December and the ice and snow, I am just begging for the 98 degree summer days. The truth is, I am a fickle lover of the seasons. I love them all and revel in the first days of every single one of them until the sweating or chapped lips get old and then I am ready for the next change.
But fall..... oh, fall. Every year, I say fall is my FAVORITE season. I love all things purple and orange. Pumpkin is the only flavor of dessert or coffee that piques my interest (except pie... blech). And boots. Can we talk about the ultimate most uber favorite accessory of them all. A solid pair of leather boots can get you through at least 25 outfits and most of your girls nights out of the season. I really don't think I ever get tired of fall. The changing of the leaves, yellow, orange, and red. Cool, crisp, dry air. Spaten Oktoberfest. A DAILY EXCUSE TO WEAR SCARVES. As much as I adore boots. I absolutely couldn't live without scarves. Even in the summer, I searching for the slightest hint of a breeze as an excuse to wear a light and airy piece of cotton around my neck. Wool, knit, cotton, crochet, or pashmina, you name it... I will work in into my wardrobe. I have contemplated agreeing to Tory's multiple requests to move to Monterey because I know the weather there is EXACTLY conducive to wearing a scarf nearly 365 days a year.
I love fall. I love it. And in an unofficial celebration of it's coming upon us... Tory cracked open his first 6-pack of Spaten Oktoberfest and I cooked up my first batch of Chilli and Cornbread of the season!
As much as love the changing of the seasons, especially those that bring crisp, comfortable, pleasant weather, the truth is....I love food... year ROUND. I have been to some amazing restaurants living in this fabulous city but T and I have both decided that comfort food (known to some as soul food) is where our hearts lie. I 'd say that I appreciate a really nice cut of meat more than your average girl... Ray's The Steaks/Mortons was my restaurant of choice for my bday...I have been ordering filet since I was in elementary school. But seriously, I swear I am not a food snob... because I LOVE comfort food. Please serve me something made in a casserole dish with cheese and potatoes at our next dinner party. The truth is, I think food brings people together. 4 months married and I am already becoming domesticated. Don't be offended if I insist on you coming to our place for dinner time after time, its not that I think you're a bad cook. It's that I have just realized that I love to cook. And I really love to feed people. Nothing is more fun to me than cooking family recipes (or creating new ones!) for my friends and seeing them enjoy and demolish them. I am really starting to appreciate the joy of feeding others. It really is an unmatched feeling, when someone appreciates something that you concocted from recipe or to taste. It is a compliment to my talents as a cook and host. can only imagine how much of a problem this could become as the holidays come around and there are many many many mouths needing feeding. Am I going to live to regret these words? Anywho-for now, this chilly fall weather gives me just the excuse I need to COOK and eat a whole bunch of the comfort food that I love and add another inch or two to my waistline.
Subtext: I am pretending that tomorrow's weather won't return to 80 degrees because, of course, I know the truth that here in the good old Virgin-i-a.... the nice cool weather doesn't hit until somewhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving. I am ok with pretending for now though.
Can't wait for homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. :)
PS Side note: but as we all know; food, wine, and music go hand in hand, so next time you're cooking Chilli. Try a glass of Malbec and Norah Jones or Amos Lee playlists on Pandora. You won't be disappointed. Food. Music. Wine. These three things (plus the grace of God) make the world go round and round.
But fall..... oh, fall. Every year, I say fall is my FAVORITE season. I love all things purple and orange. Pumpkin is the only flavor of dessert or coffee that piques my interest (except pie... blech). And boots. Can we talk about the ultimate most uber favorite accessory of them all. A solid pair of leather boots can get you through at least 25 outfits and most of your girls nights out of the season. I really don't think I ever get tired of fall. The changing of the leaves, yellow, orange, and red. Cool, crisp, dry air. Spaten Oktoberfest. A DAILY EXCUSE TO WEAR SCARVES. As much as I adore boots. I absolutely couldn't live without scarves. Even in the summer, I searching for the slightest hint of a breeze as an excuse to wear a light and airy piece of cotton around my neck. Wool, knit, cotton, crochet, or pashmina, you name it... I will work in into my wardrobe. I have contemplated agreeing to Tory's multiple requests to move to Monterey because I know the weather there is EXACTLY conducive to wearing a scarf nearly 365 days a year.
I love fall. I love it. And in an unofficial celebration of it's coming upon us... Tory cracked open his first 6-pack of Spaten Oktoberfest and I cooked up my first batch of Chilli and Cornbread of the season!
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| first ever cast iron corn bread! |
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| 7 ingredient, 2-bean, HEALTHY chilli. |
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| Enjoy! |
As much as love the changing of the seasons, especially those that bring crisp, comfortable, pleasant weather, the truth is....I love food... year ROUND. I have been to some amazing restaurants living in this fabulous city but T and I have both decided that comfort food (known to some as soul food) is where our hearts lie. I 'd say that I appreciate a really nice cut of meat more than your average girl... Ray's The Steaks/Mortons was my restaurant of choice for my bday...I have been ordering filet since I was in elementary school. But seriously, I swear I am not a food snob... because I LOVE comfort food. Please serve me something made in a casserole dish with cheese and potatoes at our next dinner party. The truth is, I think food brings people together. 4 months married and I am already becoming domesticated. Don't be offended if I insist on you coming to our place for dinner time after time, its not that I think you're a bad cook. It's that I have just realized that I love to cook. And I really love to feed people. Nothing is more fun to me than cooking family recipes (or creating new ones!) for my friends and seeing them enjoy and demolish them. I am really starting to appreciate the joy of feeding others. It really is an unmatched feeling, when someone appreciates something that you concocted from recipe or to taste. It is a compliment to my talents as a cook and host. can only imagine how much of a problem this could become as the holidays come around and there are many many many mouths needing feeding. Am I going to live to regret these words? Anywho-for now, this chilly fall weather gives me just the excuse I need to COOK and eat a whole bunch of the comfort food that I love and add another inch or two to my waistline.
Subtext: I am pretending that tomorrow's weather won't return to 80 degrees because, of course, I know the truth that here in the good old Virgin-i-a.... the nice cool weather doesn't hit until somewhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving. I am ok with pretending for now though.
Can't wait for homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. :)
PS Side note: but as we all know; food, wine, and music go hand in hand, so next time you're cooking Chilli. Try a glass of Malbec and Norah Jones or Amos Lee playlists on Pandora. You won't be disappointed. Food. Music. Wine. These three things (plus the grace of God) make the world go round and round.
Monday, September 5, 2011
ATM Time, Hooah!
Well friends, it's about that time of year again- time for the 27th Annual Army 10 Miler. The starting line of this race is less than a mile from my crib and is the largest 10-mile race in the US! This year will be my 2nd year running and I am so excited- for so many reasons!
1. This my first race running as a DeLong. I registered 2 weeks after we were married- before my name change even became official. This was the first time I used my new last name and it was so exciting!
2. The race is in October- which means a nice cool, crisp morning for running. No smoldering humidity, no freezing rain. I am counting on a beautiful fall morning this year, just like last.
3. This is the most inspirational race I have ever taken part in. It is impossible to quit and give up when wounded warriors are running past you. There are no bands or performers on the course, but you don't need them. The soldiers sing cadence to keep you moving. Amazing.
I am also a little nervous for a few reasons.
1. I have been training using Hal' Higdon's 15-k training schedule, the same schedule I used last year and have used successfully in the past. But this year, motivation has been a little bit of a challenge for me. I used to look forward to the long weekend runs, knowing I'd feel awesome afterwards. This time, I dread them and rearrange the schedule in order to do them at the last possible moment. I think I am dreading these runs because I am not nearly as conditioned as I was this time last year. Which brings me to reason #2 that I am nervous:
2. My last road race was last December. Since running became a hobby of mine I have done a decent job of keeping a race on my calendar every couple of months. The distance wasn't as important as just having something to hold me accountable. I would keep running to stay in shape all to avoid whimping out on a race I'd already paid for. My method worked, and I managed to maintain or improve my time until of course last year's ATM (see reason #3 to be nervous). I haven't run since December. I'd love to blame this on planning a wedding but there really is no reason other than maybe just being burned out. Truth is, running used to be a huge stress reliever for me. I probably should have done more running during wedding planning. When I run in October it will be almost exactly 10 months since my last race. I am definitely not in my best shape. Not feeling super confident.
3. Last year I was in the midst of a serious stomach situation on ATM Race Day. I won't go into details- but the morning of the race the situation was under control enough that I decided to run. I felt miserable through each of those 10 miles and was in bed for the rest of the day waiting for my insides to flee my body. My time suffered a little bit and I vowed that I would beat my 2010 time in 2011. I am a little worried that my lack of conditioning until about 6 weeks ago is really going to impact my ability to achieve that goal I set for myself. Nothing makes me angrier than falling short of my own goals.
4. Last week at work I took a nasty spill off the front porch of a client's home and sprained my ankle. Nothing too serious but swelling, pain, and road rash had me in the urgent care clinic that evening. A few x-rays and an ankle-splint later (I decided to risk it and pass on the rather expensive crutches) I was sent home with orders to stay off of it for 10 days (I WISH!) After much protesting, Tory has convinced me not to run on it since then. I think he has been right about this so far- it feels ok during the day but is usually pretty sore, stiff, and swollen in the evenings. I'd like to do some low-impact cardio, but so far all I have gotten away with is walking the dog. This week should have been the 5-mile week... the halfway point. I haven't done the 5 mile run and the OCD maniac inside of me is terrified that I will completely fall off the wagon if I don't maintain my schedule and routine. I am eager to get going again, just to prove to myself that a few days off hasn't ruined any progress I made in getting myself back into running shape.
So the long and short of it is basically that I am so excited for this race to come around again, but I am really worried that I am going to fall short of my goal of a better time than last year's. Most of the reasons for possibly falling short are my own fault and the result of lacking motivation and discipline. When race day comes, if I am not ready to run, I'll have no one to blame but myself... and that stinks big time. I am going to try to get moving again this week and remind myself that even a short run is better than no run at this point. In the mean time- I will be doing some serious ab ripper-x and praying for the best.
1. This my first race running as a DeLong. I registered 2 weeks after we were married- before my name change even became official. This was the first time I used my new last name and it was so exciting!
2. The race is in October- which means a nice cool, crisp morning for running. No smoldering humidity, no freezing rain. I am counting on a beautiful fall morning this year, just like last.
3. This is the most inspirational race I have ever taken part in. It is impossible to quit and give up when wounded warriors are running past you. There are no bands or performers on the course, but you don't need them. The soldiers sing cadence to keep you moving. Amazing.
I am also a little nervous for a few reasons.
1. I have been training using Hal' Higdon's 15-k training schedule, the same schedule I used last year and have used successfully in the past. But this year, motivation has been a little bit of a challenge for me. I used to look forward to the long weekend runs, knowing I'd feel awesome afterwards. This time, I dread them and rearrange the schedule in order to do them at the last possible moment. I think I am dreading these runs because I am not nearly as conditioned as I was this time last year. Which brings me to reason #2 that I am nervous:
2. My last road race was last December. Since running became a hobby of mine I have done a decent job of keeping a race on my calendar every couple of months. The distance wasn't as important as just having something to hold me accountable. I would keep running to stay in shape all to avoid whimping out on a race I'd already paid for. My method worked, and I managed to maintain or improve my time until of course last year's ATM (see reason #3 to be nervous). I haven't run since December. I'd love to blame this on planning a wedding but there really is no reason other than maybe just being burned out. Truth is, running used to be a huge stress reliever for me. I probably should have done more running during wedding planning. When I run in October it will be almost exactly 10 months since my last race. I am definitely not in my best shape. Not feeling super confident.
3. Last year I was in the midst of a serious stomach situation on ATM Race Day. I won't go into details- but the morning of the race the situation was under control enough that I decided to run. I felt miserable through each of those 10 miles and was in bed for the rest of the day waiting for my insides to flee my body. My time suffered a little bit and I vowed that I would beat my 2010 time in 2011. I am a little worried that my lack of conditioning until about 6 weeks ago is really going to impact my ability to achieve that goal I set for myself. Nothing makes me angrier than falling short of my own goals.
4. Last week at work I took a nasty spill off the front porch of a client's home and sprained my ankle. Nothing too serious but swelling, pain, and road rash had me in the urgent care clinic that evening. A few x-rays and an ankle-splint later (I decided to risk it and pass on the rather expensive crutches) I was sent home with orders to stay off of it for 10 days (I WISH!) After much protesting, Tory has convinced me not to run on it since then. I think he has been right about this so far- it feels ok during the day but is usually pretty sore, stiff, and swollen in the evenings. I'd like to do some low-impact cardio, but so far all I have gotten away with is walking the dog. This week should have been the 5-mile week... the halfway point. I haven't done the 5 mile run and the OCD maniac inside of me is terrified that I will completely fall off the wagon if I don't maintain my schedule and routine. I am eager to get going again, just to prove to myself that a few days off hasn't ruined any progress I made in getting myself back into running shape.
 |
| Happy Ankle |
 |
| Unhappy Ankle |
 |
| REALLY Unhappy Ankle |
Monday, August 29, 2011
Misplaced Phanatics
OK as promised:
2 weekends ago, T and I decided to hit National's Stadium to see them play the Phillies. After babysitting his sisters the night before while his parents went to the game (which was rain delayed and ended somewhere around 1 am), we thought we owed it to ourselves to enjoy 9 innings of America's favorite past time, Ben's Chili Bowl, and a coupla brewskis.
Much to our dismay the Saturday night game was SOLD OUT. As far as I know, this is unheard of. The Nationals are my jam and all, but seriously... it is pretty much guaranteed that you can buy your $10 ticket, sneak into the 130's, and enjoy the game like a stow-away all without the blink of an eye.
Surely this is some kind of mistake we thought. So we called the box office.
Hi, um.. I think you guys might be having technical difficulties with ticket sales on your website. Yes, uh, well the only tickets that are being offered to me are $350.00 a person and there aren't even 2 seats together. Oh, it's not a mistake? The game is sold out?! CLICK.
So we did what any sane couple would do and hit stubhub, hoping to nab some last minute tickets. The first thing I learned from this phun experience is that last minute planning and "nabbing" is expensive. We ended up RIDICULOUSLY overpaying for the tickets. Alas, Tory is a Phillies Phan.
2 hours later we are enroute to metro and I am really starting to look forward to a hot dog and some chili cheese fries. It takes us about 5 seconds of standing in the underground station to realize that catching a train any time in the next hour is hopeless-something about track maintenance. Back up to the street we go to catch a cab. As we are walking up the escalator I am looking around and noticing lots of Big White "P's" blazing on the chests of men, women, and children alike. By the time we got to the top, I was starting to fear we'd be entering uncharted territory.
SKIP the ridiculously traffic-acious cab ride and fast forward to walking through the stadium to find our seats (which turned out to be pretty good, but absolutely not worth the cash). Everywhere I look the P's are glaring at me. I am wearing red, but my t-shirt says "WASHINGTON" in fancy script across the chest. These P's are really starting to intimidate me as I realize how outnumbered I am in my own city.
Now, I've heard some things about Philly Phans. I have heard the rumors that they are obnoxious, guido-esque, foul-mouthed, and usually intoxicated. They have no fear and say precisely what they choose in their most eloquent manner. I'd heard all these things, but considering that the most annoying fans I have really had exposure to are usually those routing for Pittsburgh (any sport, really), I figured I could handle a couple of obnoxious Philadelphians.
WRONG. Lesson numbers 2 and 3. A "couple" might actually turn out to be thousands and the worst of them are sure to be sitting in the 2 rows behind you (something related to Murphy's law I am sure).
Long story short, we endured hours of bantering and-LUCKY US- sitting right behind right field, we got to hear poor Jason Werth get harassed all-phreakin-night. "JA-SON WERTH-LESS" when he runs on to the field, "JA-SON WERTH-LESS when he runs off the field" "JA-SON WERTH-LESS when he's up to bat." "JA-SON WERTH-LESS" when he catches a fly ball. "JA-SON WERTH-LESS" when the ball is hit to short stop?! (True story).
Seriously. What did JA-SON ever do to you? Make millions? Ask to be traded so he would only have to encounter such heathens a few times a year when his team plays yours. By the 4th inning every time I heard "JA-SON WERTH-LESS" I screamed in my head "YOU-ARE STU-PID." Mature, I know.
So you would think that the arrival of the entire US Navy into our section right beside and in front of us would elicit some reverence and adult-like behavior, right? At least for the 30 seconds that God Bless The USA blared from the speakers..., nah! This seemed to be the perfect opportunity for them to drink more "Americans" (yes, they were still selling the red, white, and blue cans from 4th of July) and even buy a few for the troops, who were in uniform and repeatedly and politely turned them down. And don't get my started on the girls. If I were a hammered, single, girl from Philadelphia trying to catch the eye of a handsome sailor, the last thing I would be doing would be screaming obscenities to Jason Werth at the top of my lungs. Although, I will give them credit, they were drawing lots of attention to themselves.
Alas, the by the 7th inning the inevitable happened. In a fit of glory and phanatical pride, the drunk snooki-double behind me lept to her feet with joy at....something..... and her entire 22 ounces of America went dripping down my back. Rage. The men beside me looked at me in horror. Their jaws in their laps, eyes wide, wondering what would happen next. I am pretty sure steam was shooting from my ears, my hands were certainly balled into fists. And just when I was gathering myself to drop kick her back to the city of brotherly love..
From somewhere in the back our section, it began.... E-A-G-L-E-S EAGGGLLLLSSSS! And it spread. And it didn't stop. For the rest of the game.
Dear Phillies Phans,
This is an open letter. I do not understand you. I am perplexed by the fact that you are a city in Pennsylvania because you'd seem to fit in better in New Jersey. You are out of control. You harass athletes who used to play for your team for no real reason. I am sure all of your ridicule has them crying all the way to the bank, I don't know why you waste your breath and sacrifice your dignity. Do you have class? Who raised you? Listen, I appreciate a good American Beer just as much as the next gal, but the ones you buy at any sporting event are way way wayyyy too expensive to casually throw onto the people sitting in front of you. You just wasted, like, 8 bucks. It's ok though, you'll buy another. What else are you going to spend your money on? A box of black hair dye? Some furry boots? Maybe you should go buy some manners.
You and your neighbor to the west have basically ruined the state of Pennsylvania for me. All you have going for you is Hershey Park and maybe the Flyers. We'll see about that though.
How did all of you get here, anyway?
Amanda.
P.S. To the few exception to the Philadelphia, and alright, Pittsburgh rule, I am so sorry that you are constantly brought to shame by these hoodlums. I know you aren't all like this. I don't really hate your cities or your teams, and obv I don't hate you. While it's rare that I would route for Pittsburgh (don't want to be thrown out of the D clan just yet), unless the Nationals are playing them, I generally route for the Phillies. And 95% of the time I will route for the Flyers (unless they're playing the capitals). I pretty much always route for the E-A-G-L-E-S because I love my husband and value my marriage. I will just think twice before going to a game versus a Philadelphia team, especially here in my home town.
2 weekends ago, T and I decided to hit National's Stadium to see them play the Phillies. After babysitting his sisters the night before while his parents went to the game (which was rain delayed and ended somewhere around 1 am), we thought we owed it to ourselves to enjoy 9 innings of America's favorite past time, Ben's Chili Bowl, and a coupla brewskis.
Much to our dismay the Saturday night game was SOLD OUT. As far as I know, this is unheard of. The Nationals are my jam and all, but seriously... it is pretty much guaranteed that you can buy your $10 ticket, sneak into the 130's, and enjoy the game like a stow-away all without the blink of an eye.
Surely this is some kind of mistake we thought. So we called the box office.
Hi, um.. I think you guys might be having technical difficulties with ticket sales on your website. Yes, uh, well the only tickets that are being offered to me are $350.00 a person and there aren't even 2 seats together. Oh, it's not a mistake? The game is sold out?! CLICK.
So we did what any sane couple would do and hit stubhub, hoping to nab some last minute tickets. The first thing I learned from this phun experience is that last minute planning and "nabbing" is expensive. We ended up RIDICULOUSLY overpaying for the tickets. Alas, Tory is a Phillies Phan.
2 hours later we are enroute to metro and I am really starting to look forward to a hot dog and some chili cheese fries. It takes us about 5 seconds of standing in the underground station to realize that catching a train any time in the next hour is hopeless-something about track maintenance. Back up to the street we go to catch a cab. As we are walking up the escalator I am looking around and noticing lots of Big White "P's" blazing on the chests of men, women, and children alike. By the time we got to the top, I was starting to fear we'd be entering uncharted territory.
SKIP the ridiculously traffic-acious cab ride and fast forward to walking through the stadium to find our seats (which turned out to be pretty good, but absolutely not worth the cash). Everywhere I look the P's are glaring at me. I am wearing red, but my t-shirt says "WASHINGTON" in fancy script across the chest. These P's are really starting to intimidate me as I realize how outnumbered I am in my own city.
 |
| Our seats, and the star of our section, Jason Werth. |
Now, I've heard some things about Philly Phans. I have heard the rumors that they are obnoxious, guido-esque, foul-mouthed, and usually intoxicated. They have no fear and say precisely what they choose in their most eloquent manner. I'd heard all these things, but considering that the most annoying fans I have really had exposure to are usually those routing for Pittsburgh (any sport, really), I figured I could handle a couple of obnoxious Philadelphians.
WRONG. Lesson numbers 2 and 3. A "couple" might actually turn out to be thousands and the worst of them are sure to be sitting in the 2 rows behind you (something related to Murphy's law I am sure).
Long story short, we endured hours of bantering and-LUCKY US- sitting right behind right field, we got to hear poor Jason Werth get harassed all-phreakin-night. "JA-SON WERTH-LESS" when he runs on to the field, "JA-SON WERTH-LESS when he runs off the field" "JA-SON WERTH-LESS when he's up to bat." "JA-SON WERTH-LESS" when he catches a fly ball. "JA-SON WERTH-LESS" when the ball is hit to short stop?! (True story).
Seriously. What did JA-SON ever do to you? Make millions? Ask to be traded so he would only have to encounter such heathens a few times a year when his team plays yours. By the 4th inning every time I heard "JA-SON WERTH-LESS" I screamed in my head "YOU-ARE STU-PID." Mature, I know.
So you would think that the arrival of the entire US Navy into our section right beside and in front of us would elicit some reverence and adult-like behavior, right? At least for the 30 seconds that God Bless The USA blared from the speakers..., nah! This seemed to be the perfect opportunity for them to drink more "Americans" (yes, they were still selling the red, white, and blue cans from 4th of July) and even buy a few for the troops, who were in uniform and repeatedly and politely turned them down. And don't get my started on the girls. If I were a hammered, single, girl from Philadelphia trying to catch the eye of a handsome sailor, the last thing I would be doing would be screaming obscenities to Jason Werth at the top of my lungs. Although, I will give them credit, they were drawing lots of attention to themselves.
Alas, the by the 7th inning the inevitable happened. In a fit of glory and phanatical pride, the drunk snooki-double behind me lept to her feet with joy at....something..... and her entire 22 ounces of America went dripping down my back. Rage. The men beside me looked at me in horror. Their jaws in their laps, eyes wide, wondering what would happen next. I am pretty sure steam was shooting from my ears, my hands were certainly balled into fists. And just when I was gathering myself to drop kick her back to the city of brotherly love..
From somewhere in the back our section, it began.... E-A-G-L-E-S EAGGGLLLLSSSS! And it spread. And it didn't stop. For the rest of the game.
Dear Phillies Phans,
This is an open letter. I do not understand you. I am perplexed by the fact that you are a city in Pennsylvania because you'd seem to fit in better in New Jersey. You are out of control. You harass athletes who used to play for your team for no real reason. I am sure all of your ridicule has them crying all the way to the bank, I don't know why you waste your breath and sacrifice your dignity. Do you have class? Who raised you? Listen, I appreciate a good American Beer just as much as the next gal, but the ones you buy at any sporting event are way way wayyyy too expensive to casually throw onto the people sitting in front of you. You just wasted, like, 8 bucks. It's ok though, you'll buy another. What else are you going to spend your money on? A box of black hair dye? Some furry boots? Maybe you should go buy some manners.
You and your neighbor to the west have basically ruined the state of Pennsylvania for me. All you have going for you is Hershey Park and maybe the Flyers. We'll see about that though.
How did all of you get here, anyway?
Amanda.
P.S. To the few exception to the Philadelphia, and alright, Pittsburgh rule, I am so sorry that you are constantly brought to shame by these hoodlums. I know you aren't all like this. I don't really hate your cities or your teams, and obv I don't hate you. While it's rare that I would route for Pittsburgh (don't want to be thrown out of the D clan just yet), unless the Nationals are playing them, I generally route for the Phillies. And 95% of the time I will route for the Flyers (unless they're playing the capitals). I pretty much always route for the E-A-G-L-E-S because I love my husband and value my marriage. I will just think twice before going to a game versus a Philadelphia team, especially here in my home town.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
iPad blogging
iPads were not built for blogging. Stay tuned phor a post about our phun-philled night of baseball later today when I phinally pheel like getting my butt off the couch and over to the desk for some typing that does not resemble a tyrannosaurus rex.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Wife Card
Last week for my 25th birthday I had the honor of receiving my very first "wife" card. I got lots of super cool new toys for my birthday (hello iPad2!) but as silly as it sounds, the wife card was by far the biggest and most pleasant surprise.
Tory is notorious for picking...interesting birthday cards for me. Usually they fall into one of two categories:
#1 funny cards that you are likely to get for your cousin or receive from a crazy aunt or uncle. Let me paint a picture: the first birthday card he gave me:
Cover: "for your birthday I got you a shiny new lincoln!"
Inside: a penny.
#2 the cutesy girl-friend card.... aka the card with the black and white photo of 2 little girls shopping in big hats on the cover. The kind of card you get your girl-friend (not your girlfriend!) The last birthday card I received from T had a photo of 2 little girls with huge sunglasses on and oranges stuffed in their shirts... Cute, but not what you expect to receive from your fiance!
I give Tory a really hard time about his birthday card selection but its really all in good fun. In fact, for the longest time, he never even included cards. For the girl who spent half of undergrad working in a Hallmark store... cards are a special, meaningful, essential part of gift giving.
This year he completely nailed it.
1. The front of the cover says "To My Wife.... I love being with you"
2. The couple is riding a bicycle built for 2 (hello new hobby of ours)
3. The words on the inside literally said it all.
I won't go into details about the message inside. I don't know if this was the first card he picked up or if he read 25 before picking this one, but I don't even care. He couldn't have chosen a better card to describe our love and zest for life and new adventures every day.
This silly little piece of cardstock was the coolest thing I received for my whole birthday and I will cherish my first wife card for as long as I live. Here's to infinitely more wife cards in my future and Tory's first husband card this fall!
P.S. I also received my first daughter-in-law card which was also pretty cool!
Tory is notorious for picking...interesting birthday cards for me. Usually they fall into one of two categories:
#1 funny cards that you are likely to get for your cousin or receive from a crazy aunt or uncle. Let me paint a picture: the first birthday card he gave me:
Cover: "for your birthday I got you a shiny new lincoln!"
Inside: a penny.
#2 the cutesy girl-friend card.... aka the card with the black and white photo of 2 little girls shopping in big hats on the cover. The kind of card you get your girl-friend (not your girlfriend!) The last birthday card I received from T had a photo of 2 little girls with huge sunglasses on and oranges stuffed in their shirts... Cute, but not what you expect to receive from your fiance!
I give Tory a really hard time about his birthday card selection but its really all in good fun. In fact, for the longest time, he never even included cards. For the girl who spent half of undergrad working in a Hallmark store... cards are a special, meaningful, essential part of gift giving.
This year he completely nailed it.
1. The front of the cover says "To My Wife.... I love being with you"
2. The couple is riding a bicycle built for 2 (hello new hobby of ours)
3. The words on the inside literally said it all.
I won't go into details about the message inside. I don't know if this was the first card he picked up or if he read 25 before picking this one, but I don't even care. He couldn't have chosen a better card to describe our love and zest for life and new adventures every day.
This silly little piece of cardstock was the coolest thing I received for my whole birthday and I will cherish my first wife card for as long as I live. Here's to infinitely more wife cards in my future and Tory's first husband card this fall!
P.S. I also received my first daughter-in-law card which was also pretty cool!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wine, Blogging, and Golden Retrievers
After an evening full of cooking family recipes (Granny's Pork Tenderloin), having a good time, sharing great food with even better friends, and a glass or 3 of wine, I am feeling rather emotional.
Since I have spent the last 24 hours (and was up until 3 am last night with insomnia- also lending to my current emotional state), once again treating my blog's ailing identity crisis, I naturally felt compelled to take to the blogosphere for a little bit of entertainment.
Mistake #1: the 3rd, and most fatal, glass of Chardonnay. Once the pork tenderloin and made-from-scratch mashed taters stopped flowing... so should have the wine.
Mistake #2: opening up my laptop and work email to respond to an "uber important" message from ethis afternoon, that in reality could have waited until tomorrow.
Mistake #3: The most fateful mishap of the evening, mistake #3, began with a diversion. A previously open window glared at me from my desktop. I had to do it. I needed to revisit my current muse and re-read the stories of Copernicus and Rabittens. I ended spending the next 2 hours cross referencing blogs (and laughing a lot) until finally arriving at this: husband to one. father to three. stranger to millions.
To be fair, this blog only first caught my attention based on the fact that it was authored by a married man with children and the subject matter of the most recent post. Apparently some family in some far off land (I think it was New York), rescused this poor little critter who had undergone some kind of neglect involving a 10 food chain and sharing his dirty water bowl with some farm-grown rats. Telling Dad captivated me with the gazillions of photos of the precious little mutt and the adoring way he refers to his wife, quietly indicating that she's the real hero in this dog's rescue. So I read, and read.... and read a while longer. And then with a little bit of cross-referencing frenzy I dug up this jewel in Telling Dad's crown:
Since I have spent the last 24 hours (and was up until 3 am last night with insomnia- also lending to my current emotional state), once again treating my blog's ailing identity crisis, I naturally felt compelled to take to the blogosphere for a little bit of entertainment.
Mistake #1: the 3rd, and most fatal, glass of Chardonnay. Once the pork tenderloin and made-from-scratch mashed taters stopped flowing... so should have the wine.
Mistake #2: opening up my laptop and work email to respond to an "uber important" message from ethis afternoon, that in reality could have waited until tomorrow.
Mistake #3: The most fateful mishap of the evening, mistake #3, began with a diversion. A previously open window glared at me from my desktop. I had to do it. I needed to revisit my current muse and re-read the stories of Copernicus and Rabittens. I ended spending the next 2 hours cross referencing blogs (and laughing a lot) until finally arriving at this: husband to one. father to three. stranger to millions.
To be fair, this blog only first caught my attention based on the fact that it was authored by a married man with children and the subject matter of the most recent post. Apparently some family in some far off land (I think it was New York), rescused this poor little critter who had undergone some kind of neglect involving a 10 food chain and sharing his dirty water bowl with some farm-grown rats. Telling Dad captivated me with the gazillions of photos of the precious little mutt and the adoring way he refers to his wife, quietly indicating that she's the real hero in this dog's rescue. So I read, and read.... and read a while longer. And then with a little bit of cross-referencing frenzy I dug up this jewel in Telling Dad's crown:
Needless to say I sobbed through the entire post and read through at least half of the comments. If I'd gone for glass #4 I would have added "just let her sleep in your bed" to the list (but I am also feeling rather shy tonight).
Read it and weep, my friends.
P.S. As I laughed hysterically and then wept into my empty wine glass, T sat beside my stupified and finally asked me if blogging was now going to become an actual hobby. I informed him that, no, infact, internet cross referencing is my hobby and has been for a few years now (thanks to Wikipedia). Married 3 months and he still has so much to learn! :)
P.S. As I laughed hysterically and then wept into my empty wine glass, T sat beside my stupified and finally asked me if blogging was now going to become an actual hobby. I informed him that, no, infact, internet cross referencing is my hobby and has been for a few years now (thanks to Wikipedia). Married 3 months and he still has so much to learn! :)
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