Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Hair Cut

On Tuesday I got my hair cut. It was a drastic difference, from about half way down my back to very short. I brought these photos with me to my fabulous hair guy for reference:


I think my hair is somewhere in between the two, leaning more towards the picture of Michelle Williams, since I have the hair coming down over my forehead.
I am really enjoying my new haircut. However, I can no longer just pull my hair up into a ponytail when I don't feel like washing it, or am going to the gym. The new haircut doesn't look as good as it should unless I go through the whole styling process, so at the gym I am always self conscious.
Also, this haircut is driving me to wear make up every day. And I think I am dressing a little better too. All in all, it is a good change. Most people seem to like it, but there are still those out there who are very concerned about a woman with very short hair.
Speaking of hair, I'd like to mention my new hair product love: Cowshed Products
I used the Cowlick Gentle Shampoo and the Saucy Cow Softening Conditioner when I stayed with my sister in The Soho House NY (she has gobs more money than I do) and I loved them so much I stashed them in my bag and made her pay for them. I plan on putting them on my birthday wish list next month. Not only do they do a great job, but the packaging is very pretty.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Muppet Christmas

I was reading the blog Finslippy and she has a post up about The Muppet Christmas Carol (which apparently gave her son nightmares). A commenter posted a link to YouTube and the John Denver Christmas episode of the Muppet Show. I followed the link and watched a bit of it and, to my surprise, found myself welling up with tears. I had to stop watching.
It reminded me of the time, in high school, when someone told me that they were going to give Ernie AIDS and kill him off of Sesame Street. I had to run to the bathroom, where I promptly burst into tears.
How did I end up so emotionally attached to puppets? It can't just be me. I know other people out there in their 30's and older are still completely into the muppets. I so look forward to sharing the shows and movies with my kids.
Is there anything even remotely as cool out there now? I mean, I know Yo Gabba Gabba, or whatever that is, is cool and all, but that's not really the same thing. Will kids growing up now see Dora the Explorer on YouTube when they grow up and burst into tears?

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Girls and Boys

B and I were watching "Little People Big World," on TLC the other night and I commented once again on a trend that I have noticed with the Roloff family. It might just be me, but I think that the father on that show does not spend enough time with his daughter. And the family is always divided along gender lines. The boys go off with the father, while the daughter does something with the mom. Now, I know that this is an edited TV show and I don't know what really happens, so I hope that it is not how my family was, where there was not a choice of what the girls and boys would like to do. Boys did sports and active things, while girls shopped and cooked and cleaned. Ugh. I hope that the daughter on the show chooses to hang out with her mom, but was invited to go deep sea fishing and on all the other trips that the boys go on with their father.
Following a short discussion about this, B commented that he was surprised how his sister was using traditional gender roles in her behavior towards her two children. Our niece is always dressed in pink and told how pretty she looks. Meanwhile, they are constantly saying about our nephew, "He's such a boy!" I can't for the life of me figure out what he does that makes him any different than his sister. From what I've seen, both children have the same impulses to play with the same toys in the same way. What is different is their parents' reaction to their play. The girl is often moved away when she upsets the boy and the boy is allowed to be more rambunctious and loud. For example, we all went into Pottery Barn Kids and both children headed to the display table that had a couple of Fire House doll houses with Fire trucks and a fireman doll. Both children were playing with this set up and everything was fine until our niece made the mistake of putting her hands on the truck that her brother had been playing with. This made her brother scream, so her father scooped her up and carried her off to the "girl" section, which was covered in pink and had female dolls.
Moments later, her mother came in from another store and said to me, "He's such a boy with his trucks, and she is such a girl, always wanting pink and dolls." Or something like that, I can't exactly remember. I was so annoyed I just walked away. I have tried to have conversations with her about this and she's not really into it, so I didn't want to tell her what really happened. I just held my tongue and told B about it later.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

I'm Back

I am almost 100 percent better. It only took six days. After my one day of feeling not so bad, I sank into a painful hell. My mouth hurt so much! I took a lot of pain medicine and kept a tray of ice on my face at all times.
I thought I was doing better on Sunday, so I spent the day with my sister out of the house and tried to eat food that was not mush. Not a good idea. I paid for it on Sunday night. I felt as if I had run a marathon and then gotten beat up around the face and jaw. Owww!
But today I was out of the house, over at my sister's taking pictures of all of the things we are selling on Ebay, and I feel ok. I am even going to the gym tomorrow. I hope I don't regret that.
I'm also going back to the dentist for an update on my healing progress.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Operation

I went under today for the first time in my life to get my wisdom teeth out. It was only two of them, I had the other two out at two separate times with only local anesthesia. They were not bad at all. This time one of them was way up in my jaw still, so they put me to sleep. I was expecting that I'd go in, get the IV and then I'd start to feel relaxed. Then they'd put the oxygen mask on my nose and I'd slowly drift off. I was worried that I'd start talking while I was going under, as you sometimes see on that awful show "Dr. 90210." I was telling my friend this morning about an episode I saw where a woman was having vaginaplasty (or whatever you call reconstructive surgery on your vagina) and she was sedated but not asleep yet and she kept trying to have banter with her doctor while he was down there and he just kept saying, "Julie, go to sleep now." I was so embarrassed for her.
But back to my experience today. First, my dentist couldn't find a vein. He said that I had tiny veins that were not cooperating. You can't eat or drink before the procedure, so I guess I was dehydrated and apparently that doesn't help with the small vein problem. The dentist stuck me four times in four different areas - the insides of both elbows, the back of a hand, the side of a hand - before finding a vein that would work. I didn't feel much of that because they have a "cooling spray" that they use to numb the spot. I think that it actually freezes the area because it almost felt as if I was getting frost bite, it kind of hurt it was so cold.
Once he had found the vein and gotten the needle in, he pushed the medicine in and I felt pressure and a bit of discomfort. Then the nurse said that she was going to have me breathe oxygen through my nose and put the mask on me. I decided to imagine laying on a beach in Vietnam to relax and, hopefully, not start talking. The dentist asked if I was feeling relaxed and I responded, "Not yet." To which he replied, "Well, you will soon."
Next thing I know, I am awake and the nurse is asking if I am ready to walk to the recovery area. It was a little difficult to walk, but I remember taking the walk to the comfy chair, where they wrapped me in a blanket. The nurse had told me prior to the procedure that most people don't remember the walk to the chair, but I don't know what that says about me.
My sister warned me that I might feel really emotional when I woke up, because that is what happened to her, but I felt ok. I really wanted her to come back and sit with me, since they'd told me they were going to get her and it felt that it was taking an awfully long time for her to come back to the chair area.
I was given my pain killers, antibiotics, gauze and instructions and sent on my way. My sister stopped and bought me a chocolate milkshake from McDonalds on the way home and when I got home I took two Vicodines and my antibiotics and ate my milkshake. I expected to fall asleep, but instead I'm wide awake. I watched a bunch of The Real Housewives of Orange County (I know, I know, it's so bad - but I can't stop watching) and then jumped on my computer. When I had my gum graft, I took the meds and they made me melt into the couch and forget who and where I was. Not so much this time. Maybe I'll just take one next time and see what happens.
My goodness, so much detail in one post. Maybe I am all drugged up!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Golden Compass

Today I received an email warning me about the upcoming film, "The Golden Compass." Apparently it is based on a series of books written by an atheist (Gasp!) and will make children who watch the film become atheists too. Seriously? Weren't there concerns that Harry Potter would turn children into black magic worshipping heathens? Wasn't the Wizard of Oz going to turn us all into Communists? Shouldn't the Chronicles of Narnia have turned us all into Christians? When do people realize that getting all up in arms in these situations is ridiculous? Being exposed to opposing ideas does not make us all jump off a bridge, so to speak. How can people still be scared by ideas that they do not share? What is so wrong about discussion and debate? Talk to children about things, don't rush to shield them. Let's raise children who know how to express their ideas and concerns and can consider opposing arguments and think through how they personally feel. Not children who rush to ban or destroy anything that they do not agree with. So frustrating!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Wisdom

I'm having two wisdom teeth out on Wednesday. I have to be sedated. The dentist said that I will, "go to sleep," and wake up when it is over. I have had a lot of dental work, including an implant and a gum transplant, and I've never been put under. I'm a little freaked out.
In other news, Thanksgiving went well. I do a lot of the cooking, so I never really enjoy the meal. I am tempted to recreate it on a small scale for me and B, but we are going to Mexico after Christmas with his family, so I'm trying to shape up for that and a mini Thanksgiving would not help.
I have been driving by a new store going up on Melrose and I have a suspicion that it might be Anthropologie. A huge one. If it's not, it's a mean trick because it has the same wooden awning that many other Anthropologie stores have.
Anthropologie has the cutest Christmas things right now. I saw these "Let's go to the North Pole/South Pole" dishes that were so adorable. Christmas will be so much fun when we have kids.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Good Results

I went to the doctor earlier in the week and they took blood to run all sorts of tests on. Turns out that I have excellent cholesterol levels and my liver and kidneys are functioning just fine. However, my thyroid is doing something weird that "may portend" low thyroid function. I have to have another blood test in three months. I'm not concerned about it. In fact, I had a feeling that my thyroid isn't up to par, since it is always so difficult for me to stay thin. I had voiced this concern to B, but he always laughed and said I was paranoid. So ha!
The doctor also forced tons of prenatal vitamins on me and gave me a quick, but highly detailed, talked about trying to conceive a baby. I told her that my not being on birth control didn't really mean that we were going to be having a baby soon, but she didn't seem to believe me. I don't remember what she told me, really, just something about trying on day 10, 12, and 14. I'll have to keep that in mind when the time comes.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Purchases and Shopping

We got a new rug!!! It is life changing!!! My office/television room is no longer dark and masculine. All it took was a rug change. Who knew? Well, I did, but B was not feeling the expense of it. But I wore him down.
But now the room is a little too green and I am in search of dark brown accessories to balance it all out.
I purchased this rug from CB2:which I believe I saw on one of my favorite blogs, Oh Happy Day when she posted a picture from another lovely blog, Something Old, Something New. We got the small size, but it is just perfect!
Another fantastic purchase I made is this pair of Scanty Santa pyjama bottoms:
I only bought the bottoms and I will look much less alluring in mine than the model, but they are adorable. They were a little pricey, so I brought them home and handed them to B and told him, "You bought me these for Christmas!" He protested until he looked in the bag and decided he liked them very much.
In other news, a dear friend of mine who I have known and loved since high school was in town recently and I had the pleasure of accompanying her on a wedding dress shopping expedition. She is fabulous and is going to make her own dress, but she wanted to get an idea of what different shapes and styles looked like on her body. So off we went to Monique Lhuillier, Saks Fifth Avenue and Renee Strauss for the Bride.
I was prepared to LOVE Monique Lhuillier's dresses. I have seen pictures of her latest styles online and in magazine ads and I was very excited. Turns out, they photograph much nicer than they actually look. Except for the lace Scarlett, which was one of my favorite styles when I was dress shopping, they were all kind of meh. And our saleslady was not the best. She seemed a little too cool for us.
So we moved on to Saks. The saleslady there was fantastic. She was an older woman with long, dyed black hair pulled back into a pony tail, an accent that I picked to be eastern European, and she knew what was best for us. She put my friend F into some wonderful dresses. Her favorite was this Elizabeth Filmore gown, so glamorous!:

We then moved on to Renee Strauss for the Bride. The saleslady there tried to be very helpful, but when F would describe what she wanted, the saleslady would bring her the opposite. After a few failed attempts, I could see that F was getting frustrated, so I just headed into the racks and started pulling things I thought were closer to what she was looking for. But no dice.
It was fun dress shopping with F. I can't wait to see what she makes for herself.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

November

We did absolutely nothing for Halloween. I didn't even eat candy, which is crazy since I LOVE candy.
So it is the first day of November and I am starting to feel holiday anxiety. But just a teensy bit because I am not totally crazy - yet. I am sitting here looking at my calendar and thinking of what I need to do and by when I need to get it done. People will be arriving and staying for a bit and my apartment needs to be fully decorated and clean. There needs to be a reasonable amount of photos of family members displayed in our apartment and that will require buying more frames. I have all of the dishes that I will need. Since the wedding I am prepared to entertain an army. Which is kind of sad, actually, since most of our hard earned friends moved out of town within the year after our wedding. Sigh, we miss you guys.
Back to the holidays - I have been making lists of presents that I might buy for people for Christmas and I don't think that it is ridiculous to start buying these things now that it is November. It will save me shopping head aches in the long run. I will have to have a discussion about this with B, since I will be shopping for his family as well.
On a totally non-holiday related note, I went to Crumbs today for the first time. I am sad to report that I did not like them. Not at all. I remain devoted to Sprinkles for cupcakes in the Beverly Hills area.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Good Jeans?

I recently went through a jeans crisis. I decided that I hated all of my jeans and that they didn't fit me and I was sick to death of feeling fat and fighting the "muffin top." All of my jeans were low cut and leg hugging. I started seeing trouser jeans on people and decided to investigate. I went to several department stores and tried on every pair I could get my hands on. Then I went to Anthropologie and The Gap. Here are the results:

These are the Throwback Trouser by Level 99. They fit higher on the waist and have a wide leg with a flair. I am keeping these jeans long so that I can wear them with heels. I can dress casually for work, so these pants work for a meeting or a nice dinner.

These are Faye by Citizen of Humanity. These are my new favorite jeans in the whole world. They sit a little higher on the waist, but barely, and they have a wider leg while still giving your leg a nice shape. I had these shortened so I could wear them with flats and sneakers. I wear flats a lot, so these will also work for meetings or dining out.

And the last pair that I bought was from The Gap. I tried them on and thought I liked them, but I was so put off by the high waist on these that I worried I was buying "Mom Jeans." So I brought my sister back and she agreed that they were flattering and didn't make it seem as if I was giving up on fashion all together. I have not bought jeans from The Gap in a long time and couldn't stop giggling as I handed over my credit card. They were less than $70! They have some very cute stuff on their website, so I might have to go and check it out.
As happy as I am with my jean purchases, there is a problem. I am losing weight! It's a nice problem to have (at least for me), but my new jeans might not fit me for too much longer. I guess then I will sell them on Ebay and head back out shopping.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Anniversary and Such




Our anniversary was quite nice. We spent a few pleasant days in Cambria, with a bit of wine tasting in Paso Robles and a drive up the coast to hike in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. All scheduled around the Red Sox games, of course. Then we were back and I flew off to meet my friends for the weekend.
And now I am going to post some pics from my wedding because it was fantastic!:

Thursday, October 11, 2007

First Open House

I decided to drive by one of the houses that I'd seen for sale on the MLS the other day and it turned out that they were having an open house. I wasn't sure if I could go in, or if it was just for realtors, so I parked in front of the house next door and staked out the joint for a while. Eventually I decided it was safe for me to go in.
The house was adorable. It is a California bungalow in the craftsman style, but it had been very lovingly renovated and is in great shape. I loved it. It has beautiful hard wood floors, lots of windows, a great kitchen and an enormous back yard. It even has a hot tub and an outdoor shower - which I couldn't care less about, but to B that is heavenly. It is only two bedrooms, but it has two full bathrooms, which is a bonus. We'd be giving up space, we have much more in our apartment, but we'd have a yard! Would you rather have a dining room or a yard? I do like to entertain, but most of my friends have moved away and we always do holidays at my sister's since she has a nice house already. Plus, with the huge lot, you could add on to the house, or you could build up and add a second story.
I know we won't be buying this house. B is still just entertaining the idea that we can actually afford to buy a house, but it was nice to walk into a house that is in our presumed price range and think, "Wow, this is lovely, I could totally live here."

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Doings

Over the weekend we went to see "My Kid Could Paint That." It is about a child who, at three-years-old, started painting and was declared a prodigy by some people and her work started selling for thousands of dollars. Then "60 Minutes" came on the scene and declared it all a hoax. I have to say that I fall into the disbeliever camp, but I don't feel too bad about it because people got over the scandal and the child is still selling art. I would recommend this documentary.
We watched "The Dead Girl" the other night because Netflix sent it to us. I didn't really like it. Some parts were ok, but I just can't stand Brittany Murphy these days (though I loved her in "Girl, Interrupted") and she was in the final part and that just left a bad taste. I saw a photo of her and her husband the other day online and was reminded of all of the crap that he is accused of by ex girlfriends. What kind of crazy is that?
I really wish that we knew a lot less about actors these days. I don't want to know anything about their personal life. I want to enjoy the fantasy. The other day a girlfriend told me some unsavory things about Milo whatever from "Heroes" and I was just depressed. I don't watch "Heroes", but I loved him on "The Gilmore Girls," and I think he is extremely handsome. I want to be able to look at him and not think of him as an abusive boyfriend or creepy 30-year-old dating an 18-year-old.
I enjoyed seeing Rose Byrne from "Damages" in "The Dead Girl." We've been watching "Damages" and I can't decide if I actually like it or not. I find Glen Close's character a little hard to take. I find it hard to look at her face without wondering what exactly has been done to it. Anyway, I am interested in seeing where the story ends up. This week's episode was pretty good.
I managed to go to The Container Store in Pasadena yesterday, even with only 25 cents on me - which gave me 12 minutes to rush to the store from my parking spot and purchase two containers to combat clutter in my bathroom and on my bedside table. The one for the bathroom is really a file folder, but it was the only box tall enough and thin enough to fit on the back of my toilet and hold lotion bottles. Next I am going to buy this and my bathroom redesign will be complete. I know that it is super trendy, but with my anxiety issues it really appeals to me. I want it badly.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Almost Anniversary


Next Sunday I will have been married to B for one year. Wow, it does not seem as if it has been a year already. That's a good sign, right? It's been a happy year.
I really, really, really wish that we were leaving for our honeymoon again on Monday. Vietnam was incredible. I was picturing myself back at the Victoria Resort outside of Hoi An earlier today, it was a lovely daydream. Our honeymoon was fantastic. We wanted something different, a place that neither of us had been, where we could find adventure and relaxation. Vietnam was perfect and we had the most fabulous trip:

Hanoi

Sapa

Halong Bay


Halong Bay

Phan Thiet

B's anniversary gift from me came today. I hope he likes it. I'll have to try it on later and make sure that it fits. I won't give it to him until we are off on our mini break next week. It's two pieces and it's lovely and it's got my name, so I had to buy it. I got it from Eberjey, which is a great shop for more demure girls like me.
He gave me an advance gift last night, which was a total surprise. He is sending me off on a ladies weekend with some friends. An excellent surprise, but the control freak in me immediately thought, "What?! Did you check my calendar, do I need to reschedule anything?" Turns out all was clear.
We made this Whole Wheat Pasta with Pecorino and Pepper last night and it was so good. I used the Barilla Plus pasta instead of whole wheat, which worked out just fine.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

It's Been A While


Oh, so much has happened!
First, the inlaws came. We visited Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna and I am looking forward for a chance to go back. We went on a great hike but didn't get down to the beach to check out the tide pools, which I'd like to do.
Next I went to see Justin Timberlake. WOW. A seriously awesome performer. I loved it. He is dreamy. Very, very hot.
Forgot to mention that O got engaged right before we left for the wedding in Indiana. She wants to get married in May or June. I hope it's June or later. We just booked our tickets to go to Mexico for another friend's wedding in April. O was also throwing the idea of Mexico around, but I think she's changed her mind and will have it in her home town.
Good TV is back tonight. Looking forward to Earl and The Office. Hoping that Grey's Anatomy will be good again, but not holding my breath on that one.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The Guest Wore White

We went to a wedding this weekend in Indiana. The wedding was lovely despite some rain and I was standing by my table watching the guests enter the tent when a particular guest caught my eye. She was a young lady about the age of the bride and she was wearing a white dress. Not an off white dress, not a white dress with a print, but a pure white dress. Granted, it was not a full length dress, but it was white (did you get that it was white?) and it had the same fit as many simple, strapless wedding dresses do, except that it stopped right above or below the knee - I can't remember. B commented that he not only noticed that the woman was in white, but that the strapless, unstructured top did nothing for this rather large breasted woman's breasts. Of course he noticed that.
Anyway, I was shocked by this woman because when I was planning my wedding one of the first things that I learned - from theknot's wedding boards - was that NO ONE!!! but the bride wears white. Unless it's the mother of the bride or the mother of the groom or the bridesmaids and the bride has picked it out. You may say to yourself, "but that's silly and old fashioned!" Darcy Miller from Martha Stewart Weddings thought that too and look what happened to her!
I went around and gossiped about this girl to a few other ladies that I knew and they all agreed that it was odd that this woman was wearing white ("and after Labor Day!" one added). I would love to have had a discussion about it with the actual woman wearing the white dress, but I didn't know her and I wasn't drunk enough. I hope her intentions were not as evil as everyone decided they were.
Speaking of evil, while in Indiana, we were privy to the most racist conversation I have ever heard. We went out for dinner because B wanted ribs and ended up sitting next to two couples who regaled us with their extremely backwards views on Asians, African Americans and whoever else they felt like discussing. And they were not at all worried that they would offend anyone. I wish I had said something, but I wasn't sure how to handle it. If I was braver, I would have just stood up and said, "You are the most ignorant bunch of people that I have ever met and I can no longer sit here and listen to your hateful nonsense." While I was contemplating what to do, one of the men at the table got a phone call on his cell phone. After talking for a few seconds, he hung up and one of his companions asked him, "Who was that?" To which the man who had been on the phone responded, "Cletus."
Of course it was. We got out of that restaurant as soon as we could.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Birthday

We went to Craft Los Angeles for B's birthday. We are big fans of Top Chef and were very interested in trying Craft when it came to LA. I was hoping that Tom Colicchio would be there last night, but he was not. That didn't put a damper on the evening at all, however, since the decor, service and food were all outstanding. As was the company. We had a really nice time.
The pacing of the dinner was great. It was one of those times when I felt that the restaurant was actually really happy to have us there and just wanted us to enjoy the meal. We never felt rushed and the very informed staff was happy to talk with us about the food and drinks they were serving. B was very happy with the evening, which made me happy. Thank you Craft!
It was a nice end to the three day weekend, which was unbearably hot. We went to S's house to escape the heat, since she has air conditioning. The heat finally broke and I was able to sleep last night. I still have sleep to catch up on from the blazing hot weekend, so I think I shall take a nap. Naps are a wonderful luxury!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Serious Heat

It is so freaking hot out today. We don't have airconditioning and I haven't showered or anything yet today, so I can't just go out to the mall (I am still so Jersey!) or something. I can't go anywhere where I will have to mix in with the masses, since I can't wash my hair because my hair won't dry for two hours and I don't know how to use a hair dryer. My hair requires a lot of special treatment when using a hair dryer and I just don't have the patience for that. I will definitely take a shower before leaving the house today, but I will have dirty, dirty hair. Oh well.
We went to En Sushi last night. I usually really like this restaurant, but last night it wasn't so good. I adore the shishito peppers, but they were really mediocre. We always order the albacore jalepeno rolls, but we made the mistake of ordering the "Super" albacore jalepeno rolls and they just weren't that great. Hmph, kind of fit right in to my crappy day.
We stopped at Pazzo Gelato afterwards, and that sort of made up for it.
I am finding it really hard to motivate to go out right now. Maybe it won't be so bad if I stop by Lark under the guise of picking up some cookies to celebrate a friend's promotion.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Drama

Oh, today was filled with drama. It sucked. But it is all over and I voiced my thoughts instead of keeping them to myself, so that was good. Don't really feel like going into what it was all about.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Monday

I didn't end up buying anything from Macy's. We went to Costco instead and I bought a white sheet set there for about $65, which is a good price. I hope the quality is decent.
I bought white towels from Bluefly.com, along with a pair of great accent pillows for the living room couch. They have great prices on housewares.
I have to go back to Costco because I saw that they had Hanky Panky underwear 3 for $33, and that's a good deal.
We had one successful recipe this weekend and one complete, but tasty, failure. The failure was B's attempt at pizza on our pizza stone. He had some issues transferring it to the stone once it was rolled out and made. He became quite frustrated and called out, "Well, honey, this is pretty much all dorked up!" So I went in and calmed him down and turned the mess into a calzone. It was delicious!
We had great success with the Grilled Chicken Kebab recipe from Cook's Country.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Plans

We have made some plans. First, we figured out what do to when the inlaws are here. We are going here.


And for our one year anniversary we are going here.
We really wanted to get out of town for a few days but didn't want to spend too much money. We found both of these hotels and really great rates at: travelzoo.com
I originally wanted to take a longer trip to the Oregon coast, but it's not a good time financially or with B's work schedule. So I will make plans and we will do that some other time. I would say for our next anniversary, but I don't know that the weather is great in Oregon at that time of year, so I don't know when that trip will be. We already have some trips planned for next year, both to Mexico for a family trip and our friends' wedding. I'd also like to rent a house on Cape Cod for a week next summer.
Less interesting plans for this weekend include a trip to Costco for paper items and whatever else we might come upon, and a trip to Macy's. They are having a home sale and I am desiring some white sheets and these:I'll have to see what B says about buying more stuff.
I also desperately need to clean up around the apartment and get organized. Laundry, magazines, mail, it all seems to be piling up around me. That just makes me feel crazy.

Successful Recipe of the week: From The Splendid Table (sign up for emails at NPR online)

Supper Salad with Paprika Onions

The Onions:

  • 1 medium to large red onion, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons sweet paprika (Hungarian, if possible)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup rice, cider or wine vinegar

Salad:

  • 4 big handfuls mixed salad greens (could be romaine, bibb, curly endive, leaf lettuce, oak leaf, arugula, and/or spinach), washed and dried
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup shredded Asiago or sharp cheddar cheese, or cooked edamame (green soybeans)
  • 2 cups cooked meat, fish, poultry or other protein (this could be take out chicken, barbecue, leftover roast, marinated tofu, or leftover sauté. Heat up with any sauce or pan juices if you have time. Those extra flavorings are pure gold in this dish.)
  • Good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
  • More vinegar, salt and pepper, if needed

1. In a 3-cup nonmetal bowl, combine the onion, paprika, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cover with a paper towel and microwave 3 minutes on high.

2. Meanwhile combine all the other ingredients, except the olive oil and extra seasonings, in a large bowl.

3. Once the onions are done, add to the salad with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss and taste. The salad will probably need more vinegar, salt, and pepper. Taste your way to a pleasing balance. Serve heaped on dinner plates.




Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Naked Man with Cat

Driving home from the gym just now, I noticed the traffic slowing and a couple of cop cars blocking a side road. Then I noticed a naked man with a cat on his shoulders walking down the sidewalk, followed by several police officers with some kind of guns drawn. I'm assuming they were stun guns or something and not real guns. The man was not stopping. The cat was amazingly calm - my cat would have clawed the crap out of me and jumped off and ran. The cat was beautiful, too. I think it was a bengal or some kind like that. Beautiful markings.
I wish that I could have stopped to see what was going to happen, but I had to keep going. I'm going to see if it comes up on the news.
I also learned that the Pinkberry near me doesn't open until 12 noon. That seems odd to me. I would think that people start wanting Pinkberry around 11 am. I know I did.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Not a Mrs.

When I was younger I thought I'd grow up and get married and one day be a Mrs. Well, I grew up, I got married, but apparently I'm not a Mrs. I decided to keep my maiden name, since that's my name and I don't really understand changing it (but the kids will have his last name, I don't really care about that). Turns out that if you keep your maiden name, then you are still a Ms. That just seems strange to me. If I am married, why can't I be Mrs. MaidenName? I think I'll write my name with a Mrs. from now on, despite what address etiquette says.
Also, I am an awful online Scrabble player. I tried to play against the easy robots on Scrabulous and they kicked my ass. I played a regular player as well, also in the easy room, but I think she was just looking to raise her rating, because that was a massacre too. And I'm not a bad speller, nor do I have a terrible vocabulary. I was totally embarrassed. I searched on Google and found a Guardian article about how badly people cheat on Scrabulous and that made me feel a little better. I guess I have to find normal players to play against. I'll get my husband to go on and play him. Or I'll just stick to Weboggle, where I am at least mediocre and not god awful.
And, the inlaws are coming: third week of September.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Weekend

This weekend was the Sunset Junction festival, so we kind of felt stuck in our house. We decided not to go to it this year because it was incredibly hot. We actually have never been to it in the three years that we have lived in our apartment. We escaped the heat on Saturday by heading to the mall in Burbank. My husband bought some things to aid him in his new found passion, which is grilling, and I bought some work out clothes. I hate work out clothes. I would love to just work out in shorts and a tee shirt, or even sweatpants and a tee shirt. But the people at my gym dress so nicely in their matching work out gear and I don't want to feel any more self conscious than I already do, so I wear black spandexy things and tank tops. I hate working out. But I hate being pudgy even more.
Sunday we went to see Superbad. My husband laughed more than I've ever seen him laugh in a movie. I really enjoyed it too. It was funny and sweet and refreshingly not misogynistic. Michael Cera is adorable in this movie. Are there any movies of this genre with female leads? I couldn't think of any. Some funny ladies should write one.
Last night I couldn't sleep and I started watching some Lifetime series with Jason Priestly (who I adored on 90210). I had to keep the volume down and I couldn't really follow what was going on, plus Priestly is not so much fun to look at these days. Anyway, it got me thinking about all the Lifetime movies that I've enjoyed in the past and why they don't just run those all the time, instead of the crappy series that always seem to be on. Some of my favorites: The Betty Broderick Story - actually, pretty much anything with Meredith Baxter Birney is alright by me. Except for the one she did with Swoosie Kurtz - Swoosie's daughter sleep with Meredith's husband - that one was not so good. The Ted Bundy one with Mark Harmon - that was fantastic, the one about the Hillside Stranglers is pretty good too. Oh, and the Valerie Bertinelli movie in which she tries to get custody of her sister's baby after her brother in law murders her? Brilliant.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Starting

I have anxiety issues, so I wasted way too much energy on the should I, shouldn't I business of starting a blog and it was driving me crazy. So I am starting one today.
I was an avid diarist all through high school and most of college. That all ended when an ex-boyfriend decided to cut his classes for the day, sit in my dorm room and read all of my diaries. He even had the nerve to be pissed at me for what I had written. He was an ass. But he was very cute.
I have been trying ever since then to get back to keeping a journal, but it hasn't happened. Oddly enough, I have also spent quite a bit of time worrying about what to do with the journals I already have, hidden in my house. So much of the content in my journals is incredibly embarrassing. I wonder why I started them at all and what the heck I am supposed to do with them. I definitely don't want future generations reading them. Especially certain entries that I am thinking of right now. I might have to dig them out early next week while my husband is at work and tear out a few pages. That would make me feel better.
Anyway, now I have a blog. I am still anxious about it, so we'll see how long this lasts.