*PBBBBBTHTHTBBB*

Ah, that's better.

Now where IS that tainted milk?

Work is such a bother.

Strawberry cheesecake today.

I'm eating fresh strawberries and peaches. Yum! I also had a white chocolate mocha in honor of Boo (ok, it was an iced mocha).

My day is seriously insane and my boss won't leave me alone. I was here at 7:15 hoping I'd get a ton done before she got here. She came in at 7:25. Lucky effing me.

I'm attempting to make sushi tomorrow night. Wish me luck.

Shopping!

Phyllo wrapped brie and herbs today.

I like shopping when I have a mission. Yesterday's missions? Walking shoes and Bath & Body Works.

Shoes
I went to a specialty store in Madison. They are mostly focused on running, but it was ok, they respected walkers, too. :-)

Apparently I don't pronate as much as I thought, so that was good. I tried on 12 pairs of shoes, and tried most of them out on the treadmill and sidewalk. The salesgirl was very patient. It came down to a pair of Women's Saucony ProGrid™ Triumph 4s or the Brooks Radius 6. Both felt good for very different reasons. The Brooks offered more support, but the Saucony offered more cushiony feelings. I was really undecided. I went with the cheaper Brooks. As the girl said, frankly, you can wear the best cushioned shoes on your walk and your feet will still hurt at the end of 60 miles. I decided not twisting and ankle was more important and the Brooks were also less bulky.

Bath and Body Works
*dreamy sigh* I power shopped and it was fun. Here were my grabs:
3 shower gels
2 creamy lotions
2 body butters
2 travel sized things
1 new scent trial size lotion
1 travel sized shower pouf (I've been dreaming of a smaller one and there it was for $1!)
4 packs of Wallflower refills

All for about $50. *dreamy sigh*

Grump Grump Grump Grump

Artichoke dip and bread, because it makes me feel better.

I feel like crawling into a hole today. Nothing really specific, just a series of small things weighing on my brain. It must be in the blogger water.

*grumps off*

Misery loves company. Anything make you grumpy today?

Blogger is working better...

Quesedillas for a mid-day snack!

Blogger is cooperating more these days. I can make new posts without jumping through hoops. Yay!

I love you guys. Just sayin'.

We sealed our garage floor this weekend with one of those Epoxy Shield kits. It was a ton of work to clean the garage out and then scrub the floor with the acid wash, but the "painting" was painless. I was the edger and color chip thrower. I felt like I was throwing rice at a wedding. :-) Pics to follow in the next day or two. Fascinating stuff, I know.

Serious post

Serious posts call for serious cheese. Warm brie with a pear compote and baguettes.

Babies. They are on my mind. A friend just gave birth last week to her first. Another friend is due with her second in a few weeks. MIL read Chris the riot act, telling him we are financially stable, have a large enough home and we are selfish if we don't allow her a grandchild. A grandchild is "her right."

Growing up, I always assumed I'd get married and have children. I never was around children that much when I began to get older. I was the youngest grandchild, and all the great grandchildren lived farther away or we just weren't close. I was also my parent's youngest child and all the family friends were past the age of having more children. I babysat sometimes for a job. I hated it. I liked the freedom of babysitting, but never was able to get into playing with the kids.

MIL is right, all the reasons we put off having kids in our early twenties are behind us now. However, we just went though a really rocky period and some mental health issues stemming from Chris's stressful job. Repairing our emotions and being really self aware of our behaviors have been our primary goal lately. It's not an easy, short path.

However, things ARE getting better. Maybe now WOULD be a good time to have children. But I still don't feel the desire. I like babies well enough. I never really get that yearning thing going on, but I do enjoy babies. It's the 1-8 year old phase I REALLY have trouble with. I DREAD spending more than a few days with children of this age. It's not the kids fault. I just have very little patience for things like squeeling, repeating things, nonsensical things and messy things. And it's not like I'm a stuffy prude. I just have some emotional issue with all that. By 9, it's usually getting to a point where I can find commonalities with kids and have a better relationship with them. Still not great, but better.

I've always thought maybe adoption would be good. And I have always thought controling children's behaviors (like those that bug me above) are easier when there is only one child. Chris was never in favor of either of those things and HE isn't feeling the need to have a child, either.

So I don't know. Maybe it's time to revisit all this with Chris. None of this would be entering my mind if MIL weren't so pushy about it. I understand HER yearning, but I'm not willing to do it just for her. THAT is selfish of her. I don't care if she spent half her life raising her children. That doesn't mean I have an obligation.

So this is what's seriously weighing on my mind right now. I don't know if I'm looking for advice or just wanted to get this out and organize my thoughts, but anything you have to say is appreciated. Just please try not to directly call me a selfish pig. Find nicer words.

8 Randoms

I think I was tagged by Jen(beauty) & Bravie, but I'm old now and can't remember things as well.

1. I generally only buy brown and black shoes. I'm not very shoeventurous.

2. As much as I love to cook, I think I could eat cereal for dinner each night.

4. The garage is my favorite room in my house. If you've never scraped snow, ice and frost from your car, you wouldn't understand. Sure, it's also nice for rain and hail, but the winter stuff is what I love it most for.

5. I bite my cuticles incessantly and need to stop.

6. I can't play softball. The only times I played were in gym class and a few family picnics when I was really, really young.

7. The grade school I went to is closed and my high school was torn down and rebuilt elsewhere.

8. I'm currently researching reasons why I SHOULDN'T support Obama's bid for the Democratic nom. I read his "Dreams of My Father" book this month. I have a few notions that bother me, so I'm researching them and figuring out his actual stance and if it's enough to take my support away. I suspect I will continue to support him.

Bonus Randoms!
9. Monsty mentioned something about respecting her mother and it made me think I should respect my MIL more.

10. I am just average at math. I wish I were above average. If I look at my cumulative college GPA (Bachelors plus a class), it fell to a 3.0. *pout*

Breakfast

Hashbrowns with cheddar cheese and salsa on top for breakfast.

Isn't breakfast great? Our summer plans include finding pancake breakfasts, etc to hit on the weekends. You know, those fundraising ones. June is dairy month, so there are a bunch in WI this coming month. July might be a little more difficult. It will be a fun distraction from working.

I might blog about something more serious later. I'm fine, just rolling over thoughts in my head and could use some feedback.

I'm baaaack

Fondue this morning. Grab some veggies and bread cubes and dip in.

I have had a busy last few weeks! After my final, we hit MILs to put in her garden (two weekends ago). It was back breaking labor. Then, Mon-Wed last week, I put my garden in and did a ton of yard work. I was beat by Thursday morning. However, I still had to pack for camping. We left Thursday afternoon for our annual Memorial Day camping trip. We always hit a state park for a long weekend.

This year we went to Perrot State Park on the Mississippi. It was beautiful. Last year we purchased a bigger tent and I love it. We used to have a small, low to the ground tent (all the better for keeping the warm air in), but to me, it was worth the space to get the new one. There is a certain enjoyment in standing up to change clothes instead of rolling around on the air mattress.

When we returned home yesterday, we took a nap, then hung out on the patio reading the newspaper. It was a beautiful evening.

Sigh...back to work now. I have a ton of stuff to do. That's always the bad part about vacation.

Breakfast and tv

Custom-made omelets this morning....however, they must contain cheese. What would you like?

I had a big breakfast *burp* I love breakfast. This summer, we are hitting pancake breakfasts in the region. We start the weekend after Memorial Day. :-)

AI: I didn't watch it all, but I'm pulling for Blake. I think Jordin is the MUCH better singer, but I'd like to see someone win that would play a creative part in their music. I think Jordin would just take whatever is spoon-fed to her and sing it. I'm tired of that in music.

LOST: The finale is on tonight! I'm making dinner for a guest and will name every dish and drink after the show. *giggle* You can tell I'm on vacation.

Today Show: Angelina Jolie is on shortly. She's being interviewed by Anne Curry (whom I adore) mostly because of her new movie about Daniel Pearl. I somehow missed she's playing Daniel Pearl's wife. Interview is on now...Angelina is crying recalling the Pearl family. I'm looking forward to that. John Edwards was interviewed by Matt Lauer this morning. Not incredibly rivetting.

Off to put bark down in the flower beds.....

Happy Tuesday!

Bacon and swiss puffs today.

Vacation is good. I shoveled half a dump truck worth of dirt at my MILs house last weekend. That hurt.

Yesterday I hand weeded the garden, planted the garden, got some wood out of the woods, shoveled compost, pulled weeds in flower beds and watered lots of things. I could barely move last night. I have a conference call this morning, so thought I'd take it easy and play on the computer. I have cats draped all over me.

Now, who has been misbehaving around here? I know one of you must be causing trouble this week.

Cheers!

Screw the cheese, we are having drinks.

I'm done! I think I did ok. Not stellar, but ok.

I was hoping you'd all wear jeans and a black top to my blog party today.

*hands out feather boas*

Summer planning

Really stringy string cheese today.

I'm going into panic mode about my exam tomorrow. I've done a reasonable amount of studying, but could use another week to do more practice problems.

On a semingly unrelated note, What is ONE thing you really want to accomplish this summer, or a different way you want to spend your time this summer opposed to past ones?

Tick tock!

A cheddar variety tray today. White cheddar, mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, and smoked cheddar.

Two more days til my final and I'll be FREEEEEEE for the summer. Yay! I'm looking forward to my week off next week. I have TONS of yardwork to do and need to get back in walking mode for my training.

I have a cake sitting on my desk. It's from a Sweet N' Low cake mix. I made a white cake with strawberries, sugar free lemon pudding and cool whip for my last coworkers b-day (she's pre-diabetic). For this coworkers birthday, I made a white cake (I had bought two, thinking I'd double the batch last time and didn't) with a few mini chocolate chips and low sugar chocolate frosting. So, you can have two pieces. :-)

Community Supported Agriculture

Herbed goat cheese and thin, crispy crackers today.

Have any of you participated in community supported ag farms by purchasing shares? My health insurance provider offers a $200 rebate on share purchases. My sister and I are splitting a full share and are each getting the $200 rebate (total cost for a share is $470, so only a $35 investment each for the whole season-18 weeks).

We get one delivery each week June-October of whatever is in season. This will be fun! You'll have to help me find ways to use some really strange veggies. :-)

Asthma

WTF? Chris has asthma.

And he'll be getting a sleep study done soon for his snoring issues.

Ye gads.

Great Googly Moogly!

I just wanted to say that.

Appenzeller and crackers today.

I got lots of studying done this weekend. I also pulled some weeds and tried to clean the house. The laundry was stacking up and there was cat fur everywhere.

I made Scotch-a-roos (the peanut butter rice krispie treats) and tried to make them with less sugar. I used some Splenda, reduced sugar peanut butter and instead of the melted chip frosting, I used canned low sugar frosting. Meh. They aren't as good as the full sugar version, but still sugary and yummy.

I use the word "Meh" a lot.

ETA:
I'm creating a new blog for those that want to talk LUSH items. I'm always looking for trustworthy product reviews. You can find it here:
http://otlushies.blogspot.com/

Bravie is irascible.

Cream cheese danishes for breakfast with a rich cup of coffee or bright cup of tea.

TGIF. It's my last day of classes! Yay! My final isn't until next Friday, so I have lots of time to study. Chris is working overtime on Saturday, so I'm going to his office with my books and studying. Better than being at home where I'd study for an hour and wander off.

What are peeps doing this weekend? I'm resisting gardening so I can study instead. Sigh.

I remembered everything!

Gouda and grapes today.

I remembered all my stuff today! Whew!

I thought I was over being sick, but last night I hung out in the bathroom a lot. Which leads me to my totally disgusting question of the day. It's poop related. Maybe Dr. Oz will visit my blog and answer my question.

How long does waste stay in your intestinal system, on average? I'm not talking like the stuff they get out with colon cleansing. I'm talking about how much time elapses between poop development and excretion.

*grin*

WTF Happened to my Brain?

Sharp cheddar and apples today.

OMG, I'm getting so forgetful! I have too much on my mind these days.

Examples from the last three days:

Sunday: In the airport, I realized I'd thrown away (at the hotel) a very, very important piece of paper that will take a long time and a lot of people to reconstruct.

Tuesday: Got to work and realized I'd forgotten to reattach my glob of office keys to my key ring (I like to travel light), so couldn't get into my office. I also forgot to put my Palm and mailbox keys (for work) back into my purse.

Today: I remembered to put everything into my purse this morning! And then walked out the door without my purse.

Sigh.

Whew, feeling better!

Manchego and french bread today for my bloggie friends. It's been awhile since I've posted much of substance.

First, I had a nice time in SF, other than getting sick. Meeting Boo was great. I love, love, love her accent. It most suprised me that she was soft spoken. I know, whodathunk?! I'm excited we'll get to spend more time getting to know eachother on the walk, as our time together last week was very short.

My dinner with Sharnina didn't happen, as my colleagues had other plans for us and I wasn't sure when I'd be back Friday night.

Bravie and I had a lovely time at church on Saturday morning. All that shaking people's hands must have gotten me sick.

I'm feeling a bit better right now. I'm eating cooked carrots. I wasted so much food on Sunday, trying to convince myself I was hungover or just really hungry and needed to eat.

Why do so many people hate cooked carrots.

*groan*

No cheese today. I feel like carp.

I'm home and feeling horrid. I blame bravie.

Diagnosis him

Brie and sourdough today.

So tell me, what is wrong with Chris?
Symptoms are:
Loss of appetite
Sore throat
Chest Congestion
Coughing
Fever of 101, but controllable with ibuprofen (goes down, then back up again)
Chills, sweats

This has been going on for a week and has progressively gotten worse. My thoughts were strep throat or mono.

I leave tomorrow for CA, he's supposed to go fishing (it's opening weekend in WI)...we'll see if he does. I'd like him to hit the doc today or tomorrow.

I have so effing much work to do before we leave, but am stalled right now, as I'm waiting for a piece from my boss (she is the worst procrastinator evah!).

I wanted to get my hair cut, but ran out of time. I might hit Cost Cutters or something tonight. Otherwise, I'll just be droopy hair girl.

Could it BE any more beautiful?

Butterkase cubes today. Grab a toothpick.

What a GREAT weekend! The weather was gorgeous. In the high 70s-mid 80s all weekend and lots of sun.

We watched my niece all weekend. She's such a tween (12). She just started shaving her legs this year and got contacts. *giggle* So cute.

I, with nieces help, landscaped the patio. Poor Chris has been sick, so he wasn't able to enjoy much of the sun on Saturday. Two of my solar lights don't work, so I have to return one of the packs. Too bad we burned the boxes. Ooops. I also put in tikis and some grasses and flowers. I just need more flowers and bark now. Well, and to finish off the deck that will connect to the patio.

My dad came over and we enjoyed a campfire Saturday night. I need marshmallow roasting sticks (metal ones) so I can quit scouring the woods for branches.

Sunday I laid in the sun for a bit (yes, I had sunscreen on!) and took a long walk. I did a little homework on the patio, too, because it was just too nice to be inside.

Did you have nice weather this weekend?

My bath & the curve

Beer and jalepeno cheddar spread with crackers for this lovely Friday!

Heh, the math exam average? 51
We don't have our grades back yet (we get those next week), but the curve was broken down today.

So the other night I used the Sex Bomb LUSH bath bomb. I was grossed out because there were some undissolved gel floaty gobs left in the tub. Since it was a Sex Bomb thing, I couldn't help but think it looked like gobs of youknowwhat in my bath. And you thought bravie's blog was disturbing today.

Enough of my whining

Thanks to all the support, advice and banter in my last thread. There's nothing I can change now about the exam, so I'll soldier on with a good attitude.

Smoked cheddar and apples this afternoon.

I have an important concern. Why can't I find fresh basil anywhere around here over the last few weeks? All the grocery stores are out. This is very strange. I want to make some yummy Thai food tonight, but I need basil! Myabe I should look for a plant. I usually plant one in the summer, anyway. I can nurse it inside for a month.

*sob* I hate Math!

Queso dip and tortilla chips to cure my blues.

I just took a math exam (the last regular one of the semester). OMFG, what the hell?! As one kid said when we finished, "Am I in the right room?" I am going to see if there are any options, as I KNOW I (at best) only pulled a D on this.

On a better note, I have some peep meeting in progress for next week. I think I'll be joining Bravie and Boo for dinner on Thursday. I have to work all day on Friday, so I'll miss out on some other peep meet opportunities. :-(

Misc.

Chevre with garlic and chives on crackers this morning.

The Baby Shower
I forgot to tell you about the baby shower this weekend. We all know how I love showers! We played a thirty minute long candy bar game. Ok, grandma got the question about sex (answer was Skor), so that was good for a laugh! Then it was a nursery rhyme game (30 questions...I quit halfway through). Then it was "taste the babyfood." I've never tasted babyfood and had no desire to start. I looked at it as a foodie challenge and stepped up to the plate. I got 6/10. I'll consider that good since I've never had the stuff before.

Salads!
I'm very into the plan of making more salads for dinner.

Next week
Jeepers, I just got back from a trip. Time to fly out to Oakland again next week (Wed-Sun). Hopefully I'll get to play with Boo and Bravie. My plan is to visit a LUSH store this time.

Project Days
Time to do a little yard work. The patio needs to be de-ant-infested and sealed, grass around the area needs to be tilled up and made into flower beds, mulch added to all landscaping, retaining walls finished and firepit reassembled. The fire pit is too tall. It doesn't produce enough warmth. The fire stays too well contained. Thus, we are taking a layer of stone off.

Smores!
I think we shall have smores this weekend. We are watching my niece and will have a campfire. Wish I'd have bought those coconut marshmallows a few weeks ago.

Argh!

So busy! Baby swiss and mimosas this morning.

I feel like I missed out on a great weekend to walk and do yardwork. I spent all day Saturday flying back. Sunday I had a baby shower that took up half the day. I have an exam on Wednesday, so no outside time for me til after that. *pout* My tulips are blooming, though. That pleases me.

I brought back some Peet's mocha sanini coffee beans and sourdough bread. Come have breakfast with me.

California Dreamin'

California brie and pears, ladies and gents.

I want to live on the west coast. I love the people, I love the landscape, I love the culture.

I went for a drive (in my fun rental car described in post chatter below) when I got in. Had some good Thai food in the business district. I parked and meandered til I found something that looked good. I then drove the Fruitvale area. Interesting international area. I'd like to eat some mexican there. Taco trucks everywhere! I stopped at an ethnic food mart to pick up some snacks for our room. The strawberries are effing outstanding.

I went on a power walk along the marina that runs by our hotel. It was chilly (windy) yet relaxing. The native plants in the park (there are so many city parks!) were gorgeous.

Tonight we asked our shuttle driver for a food recommendation in Jack London Square. He recommended Yoshi's. We had a FABULOUS sushi dinner.

So I'm full, my boss will be arriving soon and I should get some sleep. Til tomorrow...

TGIT?

...or Thank God Tuesday is Over is more appropriate.

Have some gouda cubes and breathe a sigh of relief with me.

These last few days have been killer. So much to do, so little time to do it! I have some piles cleared off my desk. I think there are only ten instead of fifteen now. I've also been a little crabby today. I engaged in some debates on OT that I probably should've just stayed out of because I'm feeling lackluster about arguing points right now.

I leave for CA tomorrow. 6:00 a.m. flight (I need to leave the house by 4:30). Ugh. My plan was to get to CA early and hit the Livermore valley for wine. However, our wine cabinet is stocked and it would just be throwing away money right now. So I'll likely get to the hotel, check in early and take a nice long walk.

I'll check in over the week, I'm sure, so behave.

I need a drink

Chevre and baguettes with mimosas!

It's been a long, busy morning already. Class, working on a presentation and creating a reading list have all be accomplished in a few hours. Whew!

I had a nice weekend, despite a rocky start.

Friday we had pizza after work at a new joint. Service was painfully slow, but it was their opening weekend. I came home and opened my LUSH box. Decided to try the Avobath.

Saturday started out with the laundry room flooding. Chris was soaking beer bottles in the utility sink to get labels off. I forgot about it, and started the washing machine...that drains into the same sink. Doh! I spent the morning cleaning the laundry room (needed to be done anyway) and the spare bathroom from floor to ceiling. Chris then left for man-day (beer brewing). I then went for a six mile walk in LOVELY weather. I vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen and installed some new candle sconces (I didn't even make any mistakes in my drilling). Then I took a long bath with my new Ne Worry Pas bath bomb. Then I watched part of Sideways. Man, that's a deep, depressing movie. I finished the evening with some grilled venison and asparagus and half a bottle of zinfandel.

Sunday was boring. It was nice out, so I did some yard work. Planted my Spring Hill Nursery purchases, moved the compost bin and helped Chris put down fertilizer. We also put down lime to hopefully help our grub/mole problem. Between the lime and moving the compost bin, I hope it helps.

Chris watched the new show Drive. Didn't do much for me, the few times I glanced at it. I watched TAR and the Food Network Awards instead (while doing homework).

Hope you had a lovely weekend. Sorry to the east coasters for all that nasty rain.

Back to work.

Steve Jobs presentation to shareholders

Bacon & blue cheese burgers for this sunny Friday!

Here's an excellent laugh.

http://www.mofunny.com/Movies/AppleIraq.wmv

Cats!

Cojack and sausage with crackers today. I'm going traditional Wisconsin on you.

Just thought I'd show some cat pics today.


Ali:

Bartleby:

Loki:

Product talk

Marinated veggies with feta today.

I have some products on my mind today.

1. Toasted coconut marshmallows.
I did not buy any yesterday, even though they were half off. They are the BEST campfire marshmallows. If were weren't expecting 7-10 inches of snow today, I might have given in. I'm just not in campfire mode yet.

ETA pic of the snow so far today. We came home early.

2. Spring Hill Nursery
I received a shipment of perennials from them yesterday. They have the best looking plants and best packaging of any nursery company I've used. I have to thank OT & Blogland for the suggestion, as I know I asked last year about catalog nurseries and received them as a suggestion.

3. Brown sugar and fig lotion from B&BW
I can't really decide how I feel about the scent. I bought it because it was one of a few major sale scents after Christmas and am using it for my work lotion. It's definitely a wintery smell.

4.Coconut Cream coffee creamer
It's not flavorful enough. I love the smell. And want some coconut cake.

5. Downy Wrinkle Release
I almost bought some yesterday (I spent $40 on paper products and cleaning products at Target yesterday...why do they all run out at the same time???), but am skeptical. Does it work?

I hope my Lush products get here today. It would be a good night for a bath.

Mean people suck

Have some chevre and french bread.

I don't like mean, arrogant people. Luckily, I don't have many of those people in my life. Wouldn't it be nice if we could round all of them up and send them to the South Pole?

Think of five people you'd like to send there.

A great weekend over

Guyere toasts with a tiny dash of nutmeg and parsley.

What an enjoyable weekend it was. Saturday afternoon we had Easter/kid's birthday party at my sister's house. It was a nice time. I got to eat deviled eggs, so it was also a tasty time.

Then it was off to my BIL's place for some family bonding. It was fine. I hate that he rarely plans food unless it's a party, so you have to ask for food if you are hungry (we arrived at 5 and it was 8, so our tummies were growling...the closest restaurants are a bit of a drive). The usual answer is "there's chips and salsa in the cabinet." Long story short, I got a grilled cheese this time and was happy. I love grilled cheese.

Sunday, since we aren't religious peeps, Chris went fishing with a buddy and I did projects around the house. Got some filing done, the regular household cleaning and painted the interior of the door in our four season room...finally. Now I want a couch in there. I want one with a chaise lounge on one end.

I took a long bath yesterday afternoon. Ahhhhhhhhhh. I want my Lush stuff now! I should be here this week sometime.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. And if anyone has the peanut butter M&Ms in mini egg form, I would take some please. *holds out hand*

Well that was a bad idea

Quiche with chevre for this Saturday morning post.

1. My relaxation at Starbuck's was carpy. They had some salsa music blaring. I felt like I was at Chi Chis. Instead, I went shopping.

2. The afternoon of cocktails was nice. Hit some local joints. Then, Pizzaria Unos, which has a great new happy hour.

3. The wine tasting was fun. I was quite chatty by that point.

4. I thought we'd just go home from there and I'd fall asleep in front of the tv. Instead we went to a new Mexican restaurant. I wasn't even hungry, but we ate anyway. The menu looked so good. By that time, I was a bit sloshed. I didn't much of the excellent dinner. Oh, and I was obviously drunk because I tried to speak spanish to the waiter. *snort*

5. Slept all the way home. Walked in the door and didn't quite make it to the toilet on time. *hurl* I so cleaned it up and took a shower. Chris had to clean up some of the yucky stuff, too. Extra points for him.

DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any of the phone calls made yesterday.

A letter to my Twenties

Dear Twenties,

I thought I'd write you a letter on our last day together.

Another decade has passed, another set of lessons learned, another set of good times, another set of bad. It's our last day together. I'm ok with that. I'm ready to let you go and hold on to the memories.

I married, I finished college. Two major landmarks in life. I guess babies and retirement are the other two big ones. Not sure if I'll ever hit the baby landmark and the retirement one is so far away. Gosh, if no babies, what else will I do in my thirties that will be a landmark? Guess I should get busy thinking of something. I hope it's not cancer, a divorce, a death or something else bad.

I suppose my Twenties had a highlight reel beyond those major events. I have been lucky to have some great job experiences. Maybe not glamourous, but they have all taught me something valuable. For example, I know what tapes work best for which applications. I also know how vendor coupons get redeemed and got to work in a popular FLLW designed building. I started working for the drain that is the State. However, I found an excellent job making a difference. It's something I always wanted to do...make a difference. I just wasn't sure I'd be able to find a job that paid enough to support my other dreams.

Speaking of those dreams, it's pretty cool that we build a house. And we have a little spot of serenity there.

What am I sad about from my Twenties? Chris and I had a few rough spots. I share some blame for that. I'll always feel bad about that. My relationship with my middle sister is getting harder to deal with each week. My relationship with my MIL has deteriorated a bit. I'm not torturing myself over any of it, though.

One of my favorite things about my Twenties? Meeting a fabulous group of people online. I seriously mean that. It has enhanced my life beyond words. The bonding, the outlet for my thoughts, the broad perspectives and caring people have meant the world to me.

And finally, Twenties, I just wanted to say thanks for all you did over the last ten years. You've prepared me to enter my Thirties in a happy place.

Love,

Me

St. Patrick's Day, 2007

-This Thursday bonus post brought to you by the spongemonkeys

Txmomma is bossy.

Brie and lobster toasts this morning. Mmmmmm.

1. We watched the first two episodes of Entourage last night. I'm giving it time to grow on me. I think the first few eps are really setting the scene.

2. Lost was a bit of a snoozer last night. I'm excited to see Sayid grill Juliette next week. I'm not a big Juliette fan.

3. We bought Epoxy floor coating kits for our garage. Finishing off the drywall in there and getting the floor sealed is our May project. This? Will not be fun. At least we are hiring someone to finish off the drywall.

4. I have a bunch of free lunch coupons to use. Too bad I don't have a car during the day.

5. One more month of class. I can do this, right?


ETA: Better, momma? :-)

Spongemonkeys replaced by coyote

Brie with a chardonnay and blueberries, accompanied by baguette slices for you today.

Coyote at Quizno's...http://www.channel3000.com/news/11517269/detail.html

I'm going to start watching Entourage season 1 tonight. We don't get HBO, so I've never watched it. However, I love Jeremy Piven.

I would like to cook a gourmet meal this weekend. I've been out of the cooking mode for awhile, just tossing easy stuff together. Since we are not attending a family event on Easter Sunday, maybe I will make one then.

I've been feeling quite upbeat lately, although work is dragging me down a bit. My boss is gone and we have three major projects in full swing, plus all that regular everyday stuff. I feel like I'm getting pulled in a billion directions. I just keep taking it day by day.

ETA: I forgot to say something last week about the Sophie/banana thing in MTW's blog. After consideration, I DON'T feel sorry for the picking on Sophie at all. Thank you all for setting me straight on who I should feel sorry for. I feel worst for Nookie. She spend the money, time and effort into getting the banana tour up and running and spent time trying to pry it out of Sophie. Long live Nookie!

Spring Break Week

Sharp white cheddar and crackers with grapes this morning.

It's a chilly, rainy spring break week here. Boo hiss! I don't have class, which is nice, but I'm working most of the week. Yesterday I worked from home a little. The boys had to visit the vet. Taking two at a time is not fun. My hearts go out to mothers of small children trying to get in and out of non-automatic doors with children in tow. The boys were good, though.

I took a long walk in the afternoon. The sun was out for awhile, so I stopped and gazed at the creek that runs behind our house and along the road. It was quite serene.

I'm starting to read The Poisonwood Bible today. Ever read it? Thoughts?

Now, I must go book my Friday spa (ok, it's a beauty school) appointment!

Nudie Bar Friday!

Lacy baby swiss slices today.

No, really, it IS nudie bar Friday. You all might think less of me, but I'm going to a strip club tonight. I've never been to one & am ever so slightly curious. We have a friend that has been giddy to arrange the outing and won't let it drop. So, we just said yes to doing it tonight and will get it over with. I'm not excited. I'm dreading it a bit. But still, I'm curious. I think women are pretty, I like to watch dancers, I'm just not into seedy things. This is a fairly tasteful place, though (I think). I predict we'll stay an hour to make our friend happy and then bail out. I'm just feeling a little icky about this. And what DOES a woman wear to a strip joint?

A list is the cool thing to do

Mild brick and crackers this morning.

1. I'm going on a more regimented diet. It's easier to control what I eat when it's relatively the same thing for lunch each day. And not needing leftovers for lunch will help me eat less at night. No need to make big meals.

2. I want to fast forward thru April so I can start gardening. Mid-May is the earliest I can really plant anything here.

3. I returned something to JC Penny's yesterday. So many cute new spring clothes! I could use a shopping spree. I tend to be an all or nothing shopper. I rarely go shopping and just buy one shirt. I tend to shop three times a year for clothes and buy the whole season's wardrobe all at once. How do you shop for clothes?

4. Speaking of that, I suppose I should start hauling out my spring/summer clothes from storage.

5. I should get a pedicure on my birthday, shouldn't I? I should probably call for an appointment this week.

A secret

Artichoke dip loaded with parmesan just for MM today.

I can't log in through blogger, so I have to post on someone's blog before I can come and make a new post on mine. So my secret is that I sometimes post something completely stupid and boring on one of your blogs in the morning, just so I can get logged in. There usually aren't any new posts at 8 am, so I recomment on one from the previous day.

Heh, I had you all excited that it was a good secret.

On an unrelated note, to 24 fans, is this season the start of it jumping the shark, or is it just me?

The Long and Winding Road

Squeaky cheese curds-come and get em!

Friday was Chris's birthday. We took at road trip, at Chris's request, to our neighboring states. The entire trip was built around drinking and eating, by his choice.

Friday: Ate birthday lunch and drank birthday beer at Madison brewpub. Hit the road for Davenport/Rock Island/Moline/Benttendorf areas of Illinois and Iowa. We hit three brewpubs and a martini & cigar bar. The martini bar was cool. There was a great lounge singer to entertain us. Chris had some bourbon and a cigar. I had a chocolate martini of some sort and a cosmo with my favorite vodka (Ciroc).

Saturday: We hit the Rock Island Arsenal, a military base that has quite an interesting history. The arsenal museum was very cool. The base started being built during the civil war, so it was a POW camp where the prisoners helped to build the base. It was interesting to read how Confederate soldiers were guarded by black Union soldiers. You can imagine how well that went over.

Then it was a slow drive down the Mississippi Great River Road. It was a little rainy, but it was still a beautiful drive. We then hit Quincy, IL. We hit one bar (for wings) and one brewpub there. We think there was a prostitute convention in town, because we kept seeing lots of trashy women. But really, Quincy had a lovely downtown and some beautiful, big old houses.

Then it was off to Springfield, IL. We didn't get there til dusk, so there wasn't much sightseeing. All the bars/restaurants we had on our list were in strip malls, it seemed. And they were very family oriented. Bright lights, kiddos running around. Just not what we were looking for. So we found a quiet place that wasn't crowded where I delved into a horrific Springfield tradition: The Horseshoe. CAUTION: MAY CAUSE YOU TO THROW UP IN YOUR MOUTH A LITTLE. The horseshoe is two slices of sourdough bread, open face, topped with your choice of meat (I went for the bacon and tomoato combo), then covered in french fries and drenched in a cheese sauce. I ate all the bread and tomato, but had to leave some of the fries that were too soggy with cheese and the super salty bacon. It was an experience I had to try. It's like the poutine of the U.S. I will never eat it again.

Sunday we just drove home. Oh, I forgot, we had to eat breakfast at the Huddle House. Chris was excited to have his loaded hashbrowns with eggs on top.

That's the excitement in the life of Kim. After last weeks rushed pace, it was nice to slow down for the weekend. I, however, missed some good gardening weather. It's supposed to be nice for a few more days and then drop to average 50ish temps over the weekend.

It's sunny out!

Wunderbar cheese and sesame crackers today (no, I'm not making that up)!

I had my math exam and was busy with work yesterday. Glad that day is over.

I'm working from home today. Ali had to go to the vet. They have no idea what's wrong with her, so I paid for a lot of expensive tests. We'll hopefully find out more tomorrow. We realized today that she has a very tight front paw grip. We often had to pry her paws from the exam table today. I love my kitty and hope she's ok. The vet sent some liquid painkiller home with us, so she gets a squirt of that when Chris gets home.

I got as much work done this morning as I would've in a day in the office. Thus, I think I'll relax and do some projects around the house for the rest of the day. I need to vacuum up all the asian beetles roaming in the house and dead in the carpet.

@$!%^@!

No cheese. I can't afford cheese because my car keeps eating my money.

1. Tire incident in Jan/Feb (due to sliding into icy snow bank). Cost: $250
2. Cracked hose incident (due to ice chunk falling off car's wheel well in front of us) in Feb. Cost: $300
3. Flying chunk of ice off semi on interstate today cracking my whole headlight. Cost: $250 estimate

$800 for snow related incidents in three months. Cripes.

I'm focking moving. I should also mention that a girl rear-ended Chris, during a snow storm, this month when we had the truck. No damage to the truck, thank cod.

We wrote down the semi's company name and truck number. They are saying they won't pay for it. @#!$%

Look Back and Forward

Creamy swiss & bacon spread with crackers today.

We had a BLAST during our St. Patty's Day outing on Saturday. It was a group of 6-10 of us traveling throughout the city. We even made the Madison nightly news as a "group of revelers" at the Irish pub by the Capitol. We looked like dorks, but wow did we have fun. How did YOU celebrate St. Patrick's Day (lie to me if you must)?

I have an exam on Wednesday & have no idea how I'll have enough time to study. This math junk is hard. I spent all day yesterday on it, and feel like I mastered very little. If this exam doesn't go well, I might drop the class. Work is busy, too, which doesn't help. I have to survey night shift CNAs tonight, so won't be done with that til 11 pm. Yuck.

I'm looking forward to Seattle this summer. We got a Frommer's book and reading it is getting me excited. By then I'll be back in the normalcy of no school and no part-time job (that sucked up all of LAST summer).

Waaah!

My shirt won't be here on time. So today I must go shirt shopping. The shirt will not be unique, nor cool, but I must have a shirt.

Aged white cheddar and grapes today.

Unimportant TMI again (I changed the font to a light color so your eyes could skip it if you don't want to read it): I'm going on new birth control pills. It's the generic version of Seasonale. I'm very curious if this will help solve some of my girly issues. I'm also going to start having mammograms next year or the following (age 31 or 32). Finally, a doc that agrees it's a good idea to start early if I can cope with potential false-positive-type situations.

I have to clean the truck out tonight, as we are driving the crew around tomorrow. Chris is staying reasonably sober, as he's not feeling the greatest anyway. Turns out the flu symptoms were just a side effect of the pain meds, thank goodness. Don' t you have cleaning out vehicles? Well, in the summer I don't mind it so much. But it's cold out now.

Happy Thursday!

String Cheese for all!

It's been hella busy, but not so bad that I'm ready to cry in misery. Updates:

1) Chris injured his rotator cuff. Since every man I know has had this problem, I told him it was his rite of passage into old-manhood. He DOES turn 34 next week. *grin* So, he's in a sling and a lot of pain. And today? He's having flu-like symptoms. Poor guy.

2) It's new coffee creamer time! I usually drink my coffee black, but when fun creamers are available, I snag them up! I bought a Coconut Cream one for work and tried it this morning. Hm. I love the smell, I like the taste. Not sure I'd buy it again, but it's a fun diversion. The Almond Vanilla is at home. I'll try that on Saturday (we only make coffee at home on the weekends).

3) Brrrrr. I'm cold.

4) I'm ready for St. Patrick's Day this weekend, although I'm a bit dismayed my shirt hasn't yet arrived. :-(

Thanks for not leaving a cheesy mess in my blog!

In and Out This Week

I'm leaving a gigantic cheese tray today. I might be off blogland for a few days. Work is rather busy. And I hate my math prof. We are chugging along so great that he added another chapter to our exam next week. FOck!

I'll be thinking of you all! *smooch*

I was going to rant about work...

Beer cheese soup today. It's still rather cold here in WI, so a warm bowl of soup is good.

I had a work rant started, but it was rather long and boring. The basic idea is that my boss is too busy to effectively do her research, so it's all thrown in my lap. And frankly, I'm not qualified to do the really high level research methods and analysis. I can't even get a full hour meeting with her most weeks, thus, things drag out forever. She made some career decisions this week that would've made my life easier. Then recanted on them. Sigh.

*time out* Coffee spill!

So, since I'm not typing a really long rant (yeah, yeah, I know, that was long enough), I thought I'd ask you about vehicles. If you were to go shopping within your normal relative vehicle budget, what things would be most important to you, and what are some of the vehicles you'd consider? What is slightly above your budget and impractical, but you'd love to have?

Overtime is killing me.

Not mine. Chris's. I'm on salary, so my schedule often varies. I always make up for the really long days by cutting a few short over the next few weeks. However, Chris has been working overtime, and since we commute, that means I'm also up earlier and home later. It's wearing thin, but the money is nice.

I talked to Lasann last night! She's a real sweetheart. I really, really hope we meet in Seattle this summer!

Oh. Cheese. Right. Grilled mozzarella, spinach, basil and tomato sandwiches. Yum!

A few randoms

Turkey burgers with blue cheese or cheddar today. *flips burgers*

I used counting to fall asleep last night. I didn't count anything in particular, just needed to focus my mind on something else. I got a thought in my head about work and it wouldn't go away.

I need to call my sister and see how she is doing. She's finally figured out that working as a preschool teacher isn't going to provide for her and the boys long term, and that she can't be a great parent if she's around other kids all day long. She hasn't job searched for anything other than preschool and daycare jobs. Ever. But she's ready now, and I need to support her.

In other random news, I've been reading a lot lately. My three most recent reads were My Friend Leonard (Frey), The Camel Club (Baldacci) and The Mephisto Club (Gerristen). I guess I'm into clubs. I'm now reading The Book of Fate (Meltzer). I think I need some non-fiction next. I've toyed around with having a quarterly book club with my local friends. Quarterly seems very doable for people. That way, we still have plenty of time to read other stuff on our own, and nobody feels too rushed.

I present...my opinion

Parrano cheese and crispy sesame crackers this morning. It's a medium firmness cheese, but tastes like parmesan.

Three things I have an opinion about today:

Everyday Minerals
I know I mentioned I got the samples last week. I now love them. More than BM. Why? Because they have the option of a matte formula. And unlike previous "other" brands of mineral makeup I've tried, the matte doesn't make my skin look chalky. I'm in love with the matte EM foundation. And I also got some really pretty blush.

Movies: Barnyard and Man of the Year
Yuck and Yuck. Barnyard wasn't really funny at all. I laughed exactly three times. The animation isn't great. Man of the Year was ODD. It was almost a dark comedy. Not sure Robin Williams was the best choice for the lead role. I don't really recommend it unless it's on tv.

We did see a great movie on the Independent Film Channel this weekend. It was based on a true story of the Burma democracy movement and violence. Patricia Arquette (of Medium) played the lead role and was very good. She was brunette in the movie and looked good as a brunette.

What a lazy weekend it was. Well, other than my four hour Saturday morning cleaning spree. I scrubbed the master bath floor by hand (it's a big bathroom) and cleaned the shower grout. That sucked more than most things.

Yay! It's Friday!

Brie and bread today, my pretties.

We have no plans for the weekend. I'll get lots of exercising done and only have a little homework to do. Our house needs some serious cleaning, so that's what I hope to spend a lot of time doing. We'll also be watching Barnyard and Man of the Year. I also have some thank yous to write to some fabulous peeps.

*pout* Everyone is vacationing. My sister leaves this weekend for a Florida resort, Breezy is going to Hawaii, Carey is going to Mazatlan next month. *double pout* I want a warm vacation. And I so want to move to a warmer climate.

Which one?

Guinness shirts (1st for Chris, 2nd one for me):























Or, matching, personalized Drinking Team shirts? I'm having a style issue with this...baseball tees aren't so flattering on me when they aren't semi-fitted. It's either baseball unfitted, or a junior size (that's what's shown first here) that won't fit me very well at all:

I should've stayed home

Appenzeller fondue today. Dip in!

The weather was really crappy today. Chris dropped me at the bus stop so I could take the bus across town to work. Then, he didn't have to keep driving in the crappy conditions and would get to work on time. I had to wait 25 minutes for an effing bus. Grrr. And brrrr.

I told my boss last night I might stay home today, but the forcasters said "eh, it's just going to be rainy. I don't know why schools are starting late and closing." Glare ice with snow on top as we got closer to Madison.

On a brighter note, at least I'll be eating fondue with my friends here today. And my Everyday Minerals samples came yesterday. I ordered them after someone in that thread where Geg said she couldn't use BM recommended the EM. I think they are the most comparable to BM I've tried.

Comte and apples today. Comte is a form of guyrere.

I went to Whole Foods last night and got three new cheeses (no, comte was not one of them). I can't remember any of their names though & the labels only say "newitem." Bastards. I really enjoy my trips to Whole Foods, though. So many different items. And I love to smell the handcut soap logs. I also bought some tea tree oil last night. We'll see if pure oil zaps my zits any faster than the Mario Badescu drying cream (which, I now found a store locally that sells MB stuff).

I'm feeling a little blue today. Work stressed me yesterday. A single mom in my office never ASKS if she can take time off when her kid is planned off school. It just is. This year, it coincides with a major grant deadline, which means our office is busy (25% of my job is in the research office, one duty is to provide backup to staff during grant deadlines. As in "crap, someone is sick, we need backup" or "there's no way we can get all of these submitted on time unless we have an extra set of hands and eyes."). Thus, I can't take any time over my spring break off, which happens to coincide with my birthday. Why? Because I have a sense of responsibility to my job and I'm polite. She? Doesn't give a rats arse about the needs of her position.

There's some other stuff going on, too. Thus, I'm just a little blue.

In other news, I found the Neutrogena Body Microdermabrasion kit on clearance at Walgreens for $15.99. Now I need to get the face sponge, as it fits the body thing. Yay! One problem with my new body buffing routine is that I'm really noticing some ugly blue veins on my right calf.

My Friend Test

Shamelessly stolen from HD & Arkie:


Create your own Friend Test here

The Breast Cancer 3 Day

*digs out from snow storm* I present a lavish display of Wisconsin cheeses today: brie, sharp cheddar, provolone, baby swiss, meunster, kase, and brick for your pleasure. I'll even put out a little salami cheese for those of you that like that kind of thing. :-)

It's time that I start trying to raise funds for the Breast Cancer 3 Day. I've been training for about four weeks now as a little "pre-training." I start the real training next week and will stick as close as possible to the schedule until the walk is over. Six mile walks are as much as I can handle on the treadmill. It's too boring otherwise! Once the weather warms, those long walks will be easier. I wish Boo was closer so we could train together. :-(

So, I'd like to ask you to consider a donation, no matter what the size. Don't feel obligated. If you can't afford to make a donation, verbal support is always appreciated. And calf massages. :-)
http://www.the3day.org/chicago07/nolet

Thank you for your support, in whatever form it may be. *smooch*

What a weird day it was

Brick cheese and crackers today.

We had an all day "meeting" yesterday on a project. We were meeting with some long term care consumers in the afternoon. One loud woman basically was sexually harassing the guy next to her in a wheelchair. From now on, we are making a point to put her next to one of us in these meetings, not next to other consumers.

In case you are wondering, banana chocolate chip muffins are the preferred type of muffins among our morning group. Followed by cranberry orange and blueberry. Lemon poppyseed wasn't as popular as I asumed. The lowfat blueberry? I was the only one that ate one.

Out of Office Thursday

Please hold my calls. Bob is in charge of the cheese.

Meatloaf and other randoms

Little cheese pizzas today. I've had a pizza craving.

1. I'm making meatloaf tonight. Paula Dean made me laugh, but had a good idea. Line your pan with bread to soak up the grease (thus, the loaf won't sit in the grease). Then she proceeded to put bacon and cheese in her meatloaf.

2. I love grocery shopping. I love to browse the products. I love to price compare and read labels. I picked up some healthy snacks to have at work (that's been my downfall lately...unhealthy work snacks), but forgot the bag at home. :-(

3. I think I've figured out my next career move, but it's going to be a matter of finding open jobs. I'd like to work as a training coordinator (I do some of that in my job already). I would like to stay in the healthcare industry, but since I'm not a nurse, etc., those positions are almost non-existant for me. Thus, I'll continue to look at State positions and other industries. I'm considering getting a distance ed. certificate. Work would pay for the program and it's all online here at the UW. Not sure if it will benefit me that much, but it wouldn't hurt.

4. I watched last week's LOST last night. Very weird. I love Desmond, though.

5. I need a vacation, but it doesn't look like that will happen til May. I'm going to take a big chunk of time off to garden and landscape.

February is sponsored by the letter T

Sharp white cheddar and crackers today.

T? Why T you ask?

T is for tires, which I told you about a few weeks ago.

T is also for transmission. Yesterday, in the thick of traffic, a car let loose some ice chunks from its wheel wells right in front of us. It was unavoidable that we "clunked" right over them. Well, last night, on the way home, the car was not going into gear when we were driving along. I just said "Maybe we should turn around and go to the mechanics" when it permenantly wouldn't stay in drive. We limped off the road and transmission fluid was everywhere. We assumed it was cracked in the ice debacle that morning. However, towing guy didn't see a crack. Might have jostled the transmission enough to blow a seal, though. Either insurance or the warranty should cover it (minus our deductible, though, for insurance), but still, it sucked.

Bruschetta with some strips of shaved parmesan for you today.

I can't wait til spring. I'm sick of having limited social things to do because it's cold and snowy out. I just read MM's blog and was so jealous of her picnicing.

I want to move.

Let's move!

Little toothpick skewers of provolone, pecornio and salami.

Ok, let's pretend we all get to retire in a few years and get to move. Where are you retiring to and why? Or, are you staying right where you are?

Let's pretend again. North America has kicked you out. You must move somewhere else. Where are you going?

Jobs I would consider

Nibble on some baby swiss and let's ponder our careers.

If education wasn't an obstacle, what jobs would you seriously consdier? Try to make it something you could actually do at this point in life with your previous experience.

1. Staff Development Coordinator for nursing homes.
I'd likely need a nursing degree for this.

2. Events Coordinator
I have the education and some low level experience. However, the entry level pay sucks. And I'd have to work a lot of odd hours

3. Kitchen store owner
I'd love to own a little boutique store that sold cookware and gadgets, plus a few gourmet food items. We have one in Madison that I'd love to mirror in the small town I live in. It's a touristy town that would benefit from this business. However, this? Would be incredibly risky.

4. Bakery worker or owner
Fun! Long hours, and again, incredibly risky to be an owner. Low pay to be a worker.

5. Something student oriented at the university
I need to consider jobs in housing, orientation, advising, etc.

*peeks out*

Will some nice warm grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches make up for my absence?

It's been an overwhelming week.

#1: MIL came to visit for multiple days
This meant her 2 year old lab was also in tow. Our three cats hate the dog. The dog is a real chewer and constantly on your heels. MIL shut our bedroom door the morning she left because he was chewing on Chris's slippers. Well, she locked a cat in (from 8 am until we got home at 7:30 last night). Poor kitty bladder. Mind you, she'd be reminded to check for cats the day before when she did this. I'd bore you with the million other odd stories, but basically she's in la la land and this stresses us all.

#2 Math exam
It was today. I studied a ton. I think it paid off. We'll see next week when the grades come out.

#3 Conducting nurse education programs this week
We've had to develop and deliver and education program in the short span of two weeks. We have another next week, but at least all the prep work is now done. We had to drive south in the snow storm yesterday. It was horrendous. Lots of accidents right in front of us.

#4 Every other project amping up
We have two other projects that have major activities going on. Looks like my California trips are going to be April 18-22 and May 3-6. And then probably two more yet this year. Whew!

#5 My boss will be retiring in 3 years
This terrifies me. My job is on soft money tied to her research. I could probably pick up a permenant position within the School of Nursing, but I really don't like my workplace. I just like MY job. I also don't think I want to work for the university UNLESS I GET MY MASTER'S. Only having my bachelor's is like this little black cloud that follows me. Everyone here is so educated and that shuts me out from a lot of the good positions. I just got this by sheer luck of having worked for her previously. She's talked about us developing a consulting business. That would be a great career move for me, but a huge financial risk in the short run.

So that's what is going on in my world. It's a little more calm since this afternoon. Chris and I are heading out for our Valentine's Day outing this evening. Oooh, that reminds me, I need to go wish the Swami's a Happy Anniversary!

A cook's confession

Proscuitto and port du salut this morning.

I love to cook. Love it. I experiment with some weird stuff, but there are a few basic things I've never made at home. Last night, I made lamb.

We have a little organic, local foods store in my home of Spring Green. They had some lil' lamb chops for a reasonable price. Chris was going to a meeting last night (it was a potluck), so I knew I could make whatever I wanted for dinner. Since Chris wasn't ever thrilled about lamb, this was opportunity to experiment.

I rubbed them with some rosemary, thyme, mustard seeds, smoked salt, paprika and pepper. Browned them in a skillet and threw the skillet under low broil for about 14 minutes (flipping halfway).

It turned out near perfect. Next time I'd go for 12-13 minutes, as they were getting on the medium-well side of medium.

Such exciting news I bring, huh?

Last Night's Debacle

Cubes of emmenthaler and edam today. E cheeses.

Tuesday's are Chris's late night at work, so I take the bus over, walk to his office, grab the car and run errands. It was still very cold and a fresh coat of snow was on the ground, so he came to pick me up at the bus stop. Well, as he came over the hill and tried to stop, he slid in the car and bumped off a solid snowbank. We didn't think much of it. We drove back to his office to drop him off (just a few blocks) and I went to the grocery store a few more blocks away. Then I went across the street to TJ Maxx. Yep, I got him some new workout pants and me new socks.

I went to pick Chris up around 5:45 because he let his group out early. As soon as I pulled onto the street...thump thump thump. Hm. A few blocks before his office it hit me. The effing tire is flat. It was so slushy and sleety, that it didn't immediatly dawn on me why steering sucked.

Sure enough, a dead flat tire. The hit to the snowbank had wreck the tire completely. No time like in below zero temps to change a tire. And the roads were so terrible we didn't want to drive with a spare on, so off to get new tires we went. We needed new ones anyway. Sigh.

At least they weren't brand new tires we wrecked. Kind of glad we put off getting new ones. And at least it happened in town, not on the highway in the middle of the country.

New Workout Wear Needed!

String cheese today. Low fat available for dieters.

Not me...I don't need new workout wear. Chris does.

Close your eyes and picture last night's outfit:

1. Bright yellow t-shirt that he uses for working around the house.
2. Dark green sweatpants, usually used for loungewear
3. Slip on brown shoes from Land's End...usually used for working in the garage, etc.

The silly boy has not "worked out" in ages. His tennis shoes are Nikes circa 1995. They aren't horribly worn. For some reason, he chose to forgo the shoes. I frankly think he needs new ones. He does't own a pair of athletic pants or shorts. Whenever we hike or ride bikes, he's always worn denim shorts and tshirts with hiking boots.

Sigh. He'll surely hate that I posted this. However, it's for his own good. He needs some prompting to wear appropriate workout wear. I'm going to buy him at least some athletic pants tonight.

I hate blogger and other musings

NACHOS! We were going to have nachos yesterday, but the poor half bag of tortilla chips was all broken in pieces. Instead, we had quesedillas. But I'm still in the mood for nachos. I'll even use baked chips and low fat cheese for us dieters.

I am having a hard time logging into blogger. If I make a comment on someone's blog, then go to blogger.com, I can make a new post on my blog. If I try to create a new post directly from my blog, I don't see a link to do so. If I log in to blogger cold turkey, it gets stuck and won't actually log me in. Hey blogger, wanna play rock, paper, scissors? *throws rock* (thank you Bud for that moment).

Da Bears lost. This pleases me.

Chris and I bought a new weight set. It's a dual stack system. We did lots of shopping around. With a budget of around $500, Bowflexes were out of our range. Plus, I didn't really want a Bowflex. To much to figure out and hooking and unhooking for my liking. I guess I'm impatient. So we looked at stack systems that were smooth and multifunctioning. Wieder systems sucked for smoothness. The Marcy brand was our fave.

Assembly? Ugh. There were a lot of pieces. We had one part that we put together and took apart three times because either the directions sucked (first time) or we sucked (second and third time). Tonight? We'll be having our first strength training session in the basement with ourselves...and the ever observant cats.

Fix that Pop Up

A nice sharp cheddar and grapes this morning.

I posted this in my comments section of the last post, but it bears repeating here.

I changed an option on IE & that pop up is gone. Granted, it will be gone for all sites, but I don't care.On Tools, Internet Options, Security, Customize levels, scroll down to "Display Mixed Content" and change from "prompt" to "enable"

Happy Groundhog's Day!

Speaking of Oh Piffle.

I think many of us had to "upgrade" to the new blogger over the last few days. *grumble*

I think peeps MIGHT need to update their links (some of mine aren't working, including my own to my blog).

Randoms

Fresh mozzarella, basil and tomatoes today. I had a huge craving for it last week and indulged all weekend.

A few peeps in my calculus lecture stay for the lecture section right after ours. It's the same lecture, they just need that extra dose. How smaht! If I had the time, I'd do it. I spend so much of the hour trying to keep up with notetaking, that I miss half of what the prof says.

In other news, I walked for 45 minutes last night. Tomorrow, I'm starting my 1 hr walks. That will have to suffice until spring, when the weather is better. I don't think I can stay on the treadmill for over an hour. Booooring. And I'm not sure it's good for the longevity of my treadmill motor.

Tonight, I need to go to Target. Is there anything you need?

2/14/07

Plans are made. We have a two year tradition now.

Priceline made me pay a little more this year for a room. We are at the Extended Stay Deluxe for $40.

On the agenda:
Buffalo Wild Wings for um, wings. And people watching. There's a big window where you can watch college kids on dates walking by, or groups of girls eating ice cream in 10 degree weather.
Paul's Club (our favorite bar downtown) for fancy drinks
Wherever else our lust takes us

It's kind of the anti-valentine's day dinner and date, but it's hella fun with no fancy expectations.

Math Rant

Reblochon, a soft, creamy French cheese, with fresh breads this morning.

I suck at math. I can do and understand math...it just takes me more time than some people. I have to really think about a complex problem...even talk it out to myself sometimes. Thus, homework is great. I have all the time in the world. Some problems I breeze through, others take me a bit more time to conceptualize.

That being said, I HATE GROUP WORK. We have a discussion section for my calculus class. Today, our TA made us get in groups and do a challenging worksheet. I had a smarty pants in my group that talked through the problem before I even had my head wrapped around step 1. It just confused me more and stressed me out. I'm a lone math person. I sometimes need to visit profs for office hours because they went too fast for me in class.

This is the only subject where I'm like this (well, except for my one attempt at computer programming).

It's frustrating, but I'll get through.

I got nuthin'

Parmesan toasts this morning.

Hm, not much going on here. We painted our four season room this weekend. It's a warm, dark tan. I'm anxious to get some furniture in there.

The 3 Day

Extra bonus post (if you want cheese products, look at the post below).

Have you seen the ads for the SGK Breast Cancer Foundation 3 day walk?

I was excited about the prospect of this, and then saw you must raise $2200 to participate. *gulp* Then I thought, "Hm. I can do that." Then I thought, "I need someone to do this with me."

http://www.the3day.org/site/pp.asp?c=pmL6JnO8KzE&b=2182495

Anybody willing to take this crazy leap? There's a big list of major cities, and I'm willing to travel.

*puppy dog eyes*

TGIF

Strawberry cheesecake for us this morning.

It's been a hectic week with classes starting. I'm learning how to fit everything in, slow but sure.

I worked from home yesterday, and at 3:00 I closed up the computer and sat down to watch some tv. I was inspired by the home shows to do something. I've been needing to continue some kitchen paint above the cabinets (it was only in the breakfast nook and under the cabinets. So Behr's Chianti (think warm, brick red) is now even more prominent in the kitchen. We love the color and bringing it above the cabinets made a real difference.

In related news, the cats like to climb ladders and sit right below the step I'm on.

In unrelated news, we have to go out for Chris's partner's birthday tonight.

RIP Lil Frank

A cheesey cheese tray of cheddar with salami bits, cojack and swiss.

I was on the bus last night and noticed Lil Frank had been imortalized by someone on the bus. RIP Lil Frank, 1996-2006, was written in three spots in the back of the bus. I started to think about who Lil Frank might have been and made up silly stories about Lil Frank in my head. I'm sure Lil Frank was really some girl's brother, boyfriend or good friend. However, in my mind, Lil Frank was the friendly ambassador of the bus and all the riders were sad he was gone. Thus, the bus was the appropriate place to memorialize Lil Frank.

So, where should we memorialize you?

I think I would like to be memorialized on a foam cheesehead. I don't care whose cheesehead it is, but someone should put RIP Kim on their cheesehead.

Tuesday Ramblings

Cubes of Jarlsburg and Provolone for your snacking pleasure. The provolone is my way of spoiling Carey.

I think I'll make a LIST!

1. E-Bay
My random stuff (a funky curling iron, pieces of lia sophia jewelry, a mini loaf pan, etc) is netting me about $100. I have more to list this week. I didn't want too many auctions running at once. Chris put some items up. Mostly new and used photography lighting stuff that was given to us years ago by step-MIL. She's an artist and used it long ago, but not anymore. It was basically dusty stuff in a big box. Chris cleaned it up, put it on e-bay and we'll make at least $175 off it. More likely $250.

2. Taxes
I know, the theory is you shouldn't use the gov't as a your savings account. We should be happy with our $500 Federal return. However, I get jealous of those people that get thousands of dollars. And I'm not having children to get more money back.

3. Bedroom Furniture
I haven't had a bedroom set since the veneer set I had as a teen. Our matresses are on the floor. We really need to bite the big one this year and get something. Maybe once our big tv purchase is paid off at the furniture store (December) and another 0% interest thing comes along there. Sigh.

4. Class
My calculus class is going well. It's only day 2. :-) Check back in a month and we'll see my state of mind.

5. Breakfast for Dinner
I made a fritatta last night for dinner. Breakfast for dinner rocks. Due to dieting, I should've left out the hashbrowns. But I was good the rest of the day, so I didn't. If it were just for me, I would've made them from sweet potatoes, but Chris doesn't like sweet potatoes. *sigh*

6. Jogging
I still need to get fancy shoes. However, the small tax return isn't helping that. With our tax return we also need to get our passports. Not cheap. I need breathing help. Boo in training? Monsty? Who was our other runner? Zombie? When I have my mouth closed, I'm good. When I go to open mouth breathing later in the run, I feel like I'm not taking enough air all the way into my lungs. It kind of stops in the back of my mouth and then I breathe out. I have to imagine there is a more effective way of breathing when you are running. Also, at what speed are you "running" rather than "jogging"?

*burp*

Cabernet infused cheese spread and crispy flatbreads today.

We arrived at Fleming's and checked our coats. Now, I have been to a few very high end restaurants and have never encountered this: The woman that seated us offered us black napkins because our pants were black.

Our dinner for four started off with two wine flights (a red and a white sampler of three wines each). The men had beer. We settled on a bottle of Wente Zinfandel from the Livermore, CA region. They had champagne and cabernet infused cheese spreads for snacking. We started to feel a bit neglected by waitstaff, as our drinks took a long time to get there. Wines: $12 or so for flights. $40 for bottle. Beer????

For appetizers, we ordered the salmon bruschetta and crab cakes. The bruschetta was amazing. The crab cakes were average. I had better last week at a brewpub. Should've listened to HD. :-) Appetizers were about $12 each for reasonably sized servings (not large, but not tiny). The lobster tempura was closer to $20 and I was outvoted.

From there on out, the staff was a little more attentive. Chris had the blue cheese encrusted strip. I had the seared, rare tuna, my sister had a surf & turf like combo, and my BIL had a bone in ribeye. Chris's steak was AMAZING. My tuna was good, but needed more of the sherry vinegarette on the plate, as rare tuna isn't "juicy" per se. Steaks and seafood were $25-35 (no sides).

For sides we had the mashed potatoes with cheddar and jalepenos, the mashed potatoes with gorgonzola and the tomato, mozz & basil salad. The veggie medly was what I wanted, but it was $25. Yikes! Other sides were around $8-10. They came served family style, which was cool. And we got chilled forks for the salad. :-)

For dessert we all shared the chocolate mousse cake and the peach cobbler. The peach cobbler was very average. The cake was divine. I never saw the dessert prices, but given our total, I'm guessing around $8-$12 each.

Total bill for four: $307.

Would I go again?

For the blue cheese steak and fish (with extra vinegarette)? yes. For some appetizers? Yes. For the Fleming's potatoes? Yes.

For dessert? No. For a plain steak or plain seafood? No. For drinks? No.

I could probably do a dinner for two with one appetizer, one drink each, one steak, one fish and one side for around $100 for a special occassion and be very happy.

Night of Gluttony

*lays out fancy cheese tray from restaurant*

I'm not sure I'll be able to take the pressure tonight! I think I'll be pushing for the lobster tempura (provided it's not like $50) or the Salmon Bruschetta as my choice for appetizer.

For dinnner, I'll have Chris get a big steak so I can have a few bites. Then I'll get either the salmon or tuna. Lamb was also way up on my list *waves at Mystic*

For sides, I'm still torn. It will likely depend on what everyone else wants, since we're all open to sharing sides (I hear they are huge sides). I'm thinking Fleming's potaotes and season's best vegetables are high on my list. But that corn sounds delish, too. I'm looking for something I wouldn't make at home (I make grilled asparagus a lot and can't see how their version would differ much from mine).

For dessert, you are all convincing me I should go with the creme brulee. I like creme brulee.

I'll report back with a full belly and the scary total of our bill. Thank cod for the $150 gift certificate.

Dessert

Now, this is particularly complicated. Since we'll likely only have two desserts at the table, I only get to lobby for one. Normally, I would choose chocolate The mousse cake sounds delish). However, I know Chris really likes peaches. And key lime anything is usually a good choice. I think Chris and I will likely be negotiating the peach cobbler and chocolate mousse cake. Maybe the key lime will be our compromise.

Sigh. Such a terrible problem to have.

Entree and 2 sides

Nolay and I will each order a side and share. Which two should I lobby for? And should I get fish while Nolay gets a big steak (so he can give me a few bites)...or since it's a steak joint, should we both get steaks?

Help Choose My Dinner-Appetizers

I am going out for a fancy dinner tomorrow night. We have a $150 gift certificate and are dining with another couple that has a $75 gift certificate. Thus, we'll be partaking in appetizers, entrees, sides and dessert (not to mention lots of drinks!). Help me pick some good items. I'm so indecisive.

We are going to Fleming's Steak House and Wine Bar. http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/

I can't copy & paste the menu, so please visit the site.

This post is the appetizer post. Please post your two favorite choices from their appetizer menu. We are not getting the seafood tower, as I hear it's $90.

This or that

Muenster, string cheese and longhorn colby today. It's a wacky mishmash of cheese.

1. Movies or Music?
2. Milkshake or Malt?
3. Lessons: Skydiving or Ballroom Dancing?
4. White or brown gravy?

shopping and drinks

Have some light brie and whole grain baguette.

I'm about ready to take off for the day (more research project recruiting), but thought I'd post about our weekend. We have an annual get-together with another couple. This year, we decided to do Saturday around Madison shopping and eating/drinking. Then on Sunday it was off to the Dells area for shopping and drinking/eating. We hit the Mt. Horeb Mustard Museum and a nice chocolate shop. We hit some great brewpubs and a bartender found us charming and gave us free crabcakes. We watched football and ate wings at BW3s. We hit an outlet mall and got lots of shirts for under $10 each. We hit Kohl's and got two new nice jackets for Chris. A CHAPS pea coat and a faux leather lightweight zip up for Chris. Total for both? $85.

I'm feeling well dressed and well fed. Caramel Bailey's and coffee is my new sinful favorite.

I love Amazon!

Appenzeller (a style of swiss) and crackers today.

I put some books up for sale on Amazon yesterday. Two of the seven sold within thirty minutes. Yay!

This is motivating me to get stuff together for ebay. Monday would be a good day for that since I have off work. Do you have stuff you should put on e-bay?

ETA: Make that four of the seven books. Yay!

Scaaaary Dream

I blame Boo.

Oh...have some no-bake light cheesecake with strawberries. You can have my slice. My dream ruined my appetite.

The dream started out rather innocently. I was in college on a field trip to this island of Christmas decor. We were walking around the island, talking to the locals about their holiday traditions and their individual decor displays. Next thing I know, we are meeting up at a mall for the evening. I was hanging out with some trendy boys and girls that took me into some funky shops. Next thing I know we are at a dance club and my instructor...Bobbby Flay...was dancing with me. And in a really, um, intimate manner. Then I got stuck in a closet with some friends, where there was a bag of John Deere and Leinenkugel's sinage/memorabilia. I stole some for Chris (apparently I WAS married), then waited til our friends found us. Then I found instructor Bobby Flay passed out in a hallway.

Apparently I have a hidden celebrity crush on Bobby Flay...or not.

A bunch of nothing

You must eat all the provolone in my fridge. I made my boss a sandwich tray last night (yeah, I'm doing the traditional 'give a grieving family food' thing) and there is leftover provolone. I want to eat it all, but can't.

I seem to be avoiding Chris's nasty cold. He took some of those "shorten my cold" drugs. Today is supposed to be the last day of his cold. We'll see. His colds usually last a long time, so shorter would be good.

Question: Do sleep with your hair down, or put it up somehow (headband, ponytail)? I'm just curious.

Stress Monster, Go Away!

Grapes, dill havarti and sharp cheddar today (you're welcome, Swami).

Do any of you get the January blues? I'm starting to feel them. :-(

Chris used Stir Elton for the first time last night. Unfortunately he insists on using the Toll House recipe that NEVER turns out right for him, so they weren't so good. He still enjoyed his time with Stir.

I jogged my fastest mile last night on the treadmill..10.58 min. Still pathetically slow, but hey, I'm a fatty, cut me some slack.. I also had to do a little treadmill maintenance. I was worried it was breaking. Turned out to be a piece of plastic rubbing against something. No biggie.

MTW, a morning dj was talking about people at his health club brushing their teeth while naked. Do you swish with mouthwash at your club while naked?

Jerky!

Gouda, pepperjack and jerky!

*knows Boo will run away from this post*

We spent ALL weekend making venison jerky. Usually, we process the "scrap meat" into hamburger, breakfast sausage, jerky and summer sausage. Well, this year we still have a ton of burger and summer sausage left, and aren't that thrilled about our recipe for breakfast sausage, so EVERYONE decided they wanted jerky. We grind the meat, add seasonings, roll it into sheets and put in the smoker. We did 75% of it in the smoker and are finishing the rest out on the dehydrator at home today. It's a really long process and we had about 60 lbs of meat to do. Ugh.

So today I share with you some REALLY good jerky in the following flavors:
1) Smoked Inferno
2) Smoked Pepper & Garlic
3) Smoked Sweet & Hot
4) Sweet & Hot (a spicy teriyaki)
5) Jerk

It just dawned on me...

Laughing cow wedges in assorted flavors: Original, Light French Onion and Light Garlic & Herb. Grab a wedge and some crackers. Or just take a wedge and throw it at Boo. She's guilting me into counting calories for a few days. *pout*

I just realized that Chris and I have never experienced a death together. All of our family deaths occured before we were really together as a couple. Thus, we've never attended a funeral together. Luckily, we haven't had friends pass away since we've been together, either. In fact, I've never had a friend die.

I know we are getting older and one of these days we'll be hitting funerals at the rate of, well, Augie (wait, that wasn't meant to be an "old" joke). Sigh. I wonder how we'll be with all that, especially when it's a parent. Going through my mom's death was really rough for me, but I was young. I quite fear my father's decline. Luckily he's very healthy right now.

Brushing your teeth

Have some calcium rich cheedar and swiss today.

Tell me about your teeth brushing habits. Do you run the water while you brush? Use a cup, swish and rinse? Floss & mouthwash every time? Use lots of toothpaste or a little? You get my drift.

Content

Have some fontina and smoked cheddar with apple slices.

Chris did all the dishes last night without being asked. Even hand washed the things that require hand washing. How cool is that? I call that starting the new year on the right foot.

I've been reading a lot of magazines lately. It soothes my soul.

I've been making sure we have some quick meals around the house so I don't stress when we get home late. Normally it would call for a frozen pizza, but I'm trying for some healthier options. Soup and sandwiches can make a good dinner and lunch the next day.

*sips coffee* I'm relaxed now. When my math class starts on the 22nd, I know I'll feel the frenzy, so I might as well prepare now.

Happy New Year!

Fondue, veggies and bread cubes today to celebrate the new year. Grab a fork & dip in!

I hope everyone had a fabulous, long weekend. The Packers & Badgers both won their games, so it was a good football weekend. Although, there was some sadness. *holds Breezy for comfort* It doesn't sound like Favre will be back next year. Did anyone else see the game & watch his tearful interview at the end? When Driver carried him off the field, I said "uh oh." When his tears started streaming I said, "Waaahhaaaa!" *shares box of tissues with Breezy* There's still hope, but it's only a glimmer at this point.

I would tell you all about my NYE, but see resolution #3 below. I hope everyone had great parties or cozy nights on the couch.

Kim's New Year's Resolutions

1. Eat healthier: Eat fewer calories, eliminate junk food as much as possible, buy more organic foods, eat less red meat, drink less alcohol.

2. Continue exercising: This includes making a doctor's appointment to figure out a solution to my right leg problem. I roll my foot to the outside & it causes lots of pain when jogging. More about that with my Bloggest Losers.

3. Talk less about why my in-laws annoy me: Bite my tongue about my BIL, SIL, MIL, FIL. They are good people, although with lots of quirks, and don't always deserve the sh!t I talk about them. Sometimes they do, but me talking negatively about them has become a bit of a habit.

4. Spend more time with my sisters, doing sister things.

5. Really consider going back for my Master's or a certificate program.