I am super excited for January. I was excited originally because that is my birthday month and I am turning 30. (Yes I am not panicking for leaving my 20s. I'm actually happy to be starting a new decade, but that is a new topic for a future post.)
The reason I am SUPER EXCITED is that Hubs and I are going to see Weezer at the Aragon in Chicago. This will be my sixth or seventh time seeing Weezer play live. I have gone to every Chicago show in the last 10 or so years that I was able to attend. I even got a chance to do a meet and greet where they signed my Blue Album tape insert. Yes, that is correct TAPE.
I was actually worried because it is a two date series in Chicago. The first is all the Blue Album + other songs and the second is all Pinkerton. I've heard songs from both live and they are all great. While Blue is technically my fav, I couldn't get tickets for that one. Of course, I'm not going to scoff and not see the second show and that worked out. Two tickets to paradise.
Ok maybe not paradise but Weezer-dise works. :)
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
O is for Onion, D is for Debate
Growing up my mom would saute mushrooms and onions in a bit of margarine (usually Country Crock or something similar.) We ate so many mushrooms in fact that when Hubs and I were dating he would automatically include "mushrooms" before I could answer what was for dinner that night. (We worked alternate shifts and so talked every day as much as possible and saw each other almost all weekend when we could.) It became a running joke for a long time.
Now though we have the onion debate. I don't like raw onions unless it is red/purple onion. He dislikes cooked onions. If I chop them up ity bity that will work or if it is not onion-ey tasting.
Tonight I ended up making dinner for myself and he took care of his dinner. What did mine include? A WHOLE onion... plus mushrooms, turkey meatballs (ih - frozen kind =
ok but much better when finished being cooked in the mush/onion/imitation Country Crock) and Parmesan cheese. SOOO GOOD. The house smelled of caramelized onion goodness. I was very happy and transported back to my childhood home for awhile. Then the cats knocked over something in the living room and brought be back to the current moment in time.
Is there something that takes you back to a prior moment in time when you make it? Can you eat a kind of food raw but not cooked or vise versa?
Now though we have the onion debate. I don't like raw onions unless it is red/purple onion. He dislikes cooked onions. If I chop them up ity bity that will work or if it is not onion-ey tasting.
Tonight I ended up making dinner for myself and he took care of his dinner. What did mine include? A WHOLE onion... plus mushrooms, turkey meatballs (ih - frozen kind =
ok but much better when finished being cooked in the mush/onion/imitation Country Crock) and Parmesan cheese. SOOO GOOD. The house smelled of caramelized onion goodness. I was very happy and transported back to my childhood home for awhile. Then the cats knocked over something in the living room and brought be back to the current moment in time.
Is there something that takes you back to a prior moment in time when you make it? Can you eat a kind of food raw but not cooked or vise versa?
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Therrorsday 1: Wobble Bobble
In honor of Halloween, that holiday we take pretty seriously in this household (thinking we have at least two large storage tubs and one small one of stuff for it)I am deciding to have Therrorsday. Each Thursday until Halloween will be one thing, supposed to be creepy or not, that manages to give me the creeps!
I can't stand bobble heads.
There is something unnatural, as natural an inanimate object can be really, about the way the heads move. Too wavery, too wobbly. It makes me want to grab it and keep it from moving.
Those little dogs that people put in their cars? I need to look away. It makes me feel like I'm a boat. I find my head wavering back and forth with them which doesn't help much either.
I know the whole concept is something that supposedly it a collectible but the thought of numerous ones sitting on a shelf, glazed eyes.... AHHHHH!!!!
What are your thoughts? Collectible or bothersome?
I can't stand bobble heads.
There is something unnatural, as natural an inanimate object can be really, about the way the heads move. Too wavery, too wobbly. It makes me want to grab it and keep it from moving.
Those little dogs that people put in their cars? I need to look away. It makes me feel like I'm a boat. I find my head wavering back and forth with them which doesn't help much either.
I know the whole concept is something that supposedly it a collectible but the thought of numerous ones sitting on a shelf, glazed eyes.... AHHHHH!!!!
What are your thoughts? Collectible or bothersome?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
I swore we bought olives
Tonight was one of those nights when my brain decides it does not want to work properly. I "lost" a can of olives of the two I thought we just bought. We hadn't gotten two, just one. It, of course, was sitting right in front of me. Hubs looked at me waiting to see if I was joking. Sadly I was not.
Since my channeling Lorelei Gilmore is on high tonight, I will leave you with something while not actual words translates to "MOOMMMAAA I'm HUUUUUNNNNGRRRRRYYYY" & "Yup me too."
Since my channeling Lorelei Gilmore is on high tonight, I will leave you with something while not actual words translates to "MOOMMMAAA I'm HUUUUUNNNNGRRRRRYYYY" & "Yup me too."
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
An Adventure in Re-learning: Wilson?? Is that you?:
I recently signed up for a local community volleyball league and tonight was the first set of games. This particular park district has had leagues like this for awhile and the friends that I am playing with have been part of it before. One other girl and I are the newbies.
I say re-learning because I wasn't the first picked in gym class pretty much my entire gym class taking era. I remember junior high was when it was a contest to see out of about five of us who would be the last pick. While I excelled in school and band, gym wasn't that great. We weren't really pushed to try and more so got pushed to the end of the line for things. Looking back I might have been able to try to stop this more but at ages 13/14 there is only so much you can do. (However if you do call title 9 on a gym teacher because he refuses to let you play w the boy in the co-ed group during softball, you will get sent to the locker room early. Proof that I may not have been good at sports but I was no pushover.)
High school wasn't much better. I later decided to take a dance class and later when my academic waver was lost (AP/Honors statuses = able to not take gym until the school got rid of it) outdoor education (rollerblading, biking, camping, wall climbing etc.) These were fun and did not include the horror of team sports. I take that back. I am great at dodge ball.
When my friends first mentioned the volleyball team I couldn't help but think back to high school and beforehand. True it is blurry now due to it being over ten years, maybe 12?, since the last time I played volleyball. I was back as the braces wearing grunge chick w Bettie Page/Gwen Stefani style bangs in gym class with my skater shoes w the Mt Dew tabs in the laces. I has to shake this off and think that this was a long time ago and yet it led to me ignoring stuff because of it.
Hubs encouraged me to join the team and my other friends were bugging me to join as well. I was on the fence for a long time.They aren't super seriously growly competitive and so I shouldn't worry about being yelled at by a team member (which had happened years ago.) These are people we see on a constant basis, good friends that I text all the time and see at least every few weeks. I was in.
Tonight was a learning experience in that while I may have missed the ball numerous times and have a bruise forming on my right knee, I had fun. If someone had help to give me they actually told me or showed me, not barked orders like some sort of drill sergent. I am actually looking forward to practice. I also found out that we are technically a C team since the league had tiers. That makes me feel better since people who are incredibly skilled at volleyball are placed together (for the most part, but I will get to that in a moment.)
We ended up playing three games with two teams. The first two counted for the league and the third was for fun. The first team were worthy opponents. They were good but we did manage to get some good points scored against them. One girl was really good and the one to watch. Overall we lost but we had fun. I managed to meet my "one good hit" quota for each game. This week is one. Next week may be one more and so on. The second team was really good. I found out about the tiers after the three games were done and were surprised that they weren't a level up. One guy consistently slammed the ball to an extent that got aggravating. There is a fine line when showing skill becomes showing off and then become a little much. Part of me wanted to ask if he was having fun annihilating the ball. Oh and they had a line coach. I am unsure if someone telling them what was going on was allowed. I just pictured it as set back in high school and didn't let them bully me. If it makes you feel good to totally crush a team with lesser skill, go ahead. I'm just here to have fun.
I don't know who we are playing next week. I am planning to do my best, try not to slide in capri pants because that doesn't work (OUCH!), and try to get at least one really good block in.
There is something satisfying about that THWUNK noise when you are the reason the ball is sailing away and over the net.
I say re-learning because I wasn't the first picked in gym class pretty much my entire gym class taking era. I remember junior high was when it was a contest to see out of about five of us who would be the last pick. While I excelled in school and band, gym wasn't that great. We weren't really pushed to try and more so got pushed to the end of the line for things. Looking back I might have been able to try to stop this more but at ages 13/14 there is only so much you can do. (However if you do call title 9 on a gym teacher because he refuses to let you play w the boy in the co-ed group during softball, you will get sent to the locker room early. Proof that I may not have been good at sports but I was no pushover.)
High school wasn't much better. I later decided to take a dance class and later when my academic waver was lost (AP/Honors statuses = able to not take gym until the school got rid of it) outdoor education (rollerblading, biking, camping, wall climbing etc.) These were fun and did not include the horror of team sports. I take that back. I am great at dodge ball.
When my friends first mentioned the volleyball team I couldn't help but think back to high school and beforehand. True it is blurry now due to it being over ten years, maybe 12?, since the last time I played volleyball. I was back as the braces wearing grunge chick w Bettie Page/Gwen Stefani style bangs in gym class with my skater shoes w the Mt Dew tabs in the laces. I has to shake this off and think that this was a long time ago and yet it led to me ignoring stuff because of it.
Hubs encouraged me to join the team and my other friends were bugging me to join as well. I was on the fence for a long time.They aren't super seriously growly competitive and so I shouldn't worry about being yelled at by a team member (which had happened years ago.) These are people we see on a constant basis, good friends that I text all the time and see at least every few weeks. I was in.
Tonight was a learning experience in that while I may have missed the ball numerous times and have a bruise forming on my right knee, I had fun. If someone had help to give me they actually told me or showed me, not barked orders like some sort of drill sergent. I am actually looking forward to practice. I also found out that we are technically a C team since the league had tiers. That makes me feel better since people who are incredibly skilled at volleyball are placed together (for the most part, but I will get to that in a moment.)
We ended up playing three games with two teams. The first two counted for the league and the third was for fun. The first team were worthy opponents. They were good but we did manage to get some good points scored against them. One girl was really good and the one to watch. Overall we lost but we had fun. I managed to meet my "one good hit" quota for each game. This week is one. Next week may be one more and so on. The second team was really good. I found out about the tiers after the three games were done and were surprised that they weren't a level up. One guy consistently slammed the ball to an extent that got aggravating. There is a fine line when showing skill becomes showing off and then become a little much. Part of me wanted to ask if he was having fun annihilating the ball. Oh and they had a line coach. I am unsure if someone telling them what was going on was allowed. I just pictured it as set back in high school and didn't let them bully me. If it makes you feel good to totally crush a team with lesser skill, go ahead. I'm just here to have fun.
I don't know who we are playing next week. I am planning to do my best, try not to slide in capri pants because that doesn't work (OUCH!), and try to get at least one really good block in.
There is something satisfying about that THWUNK noise when you are the reason the ball is sailing away and over the net.
Monday, October 4, 2010
More than just letters: HLS & HLBs
On May 19th I did one of the bravest things I've ever done. I sat in front of my laptop and opened a webpage. I was a bundle of nerves tied with a bow of excitement.
Tapping of keys.
Deep breath annnnd exhaaaaaaaaale.
Click of a Submit button.
I had just signed up for the Healthy Living Summit. I had registered to attend a conference with 200 people who were technically strangers. I'd only know later that I'd know someone in attendance in real life as well.
I did it because I was inspired by the other blogs I had been reading. It was their own words, thoughts, hopes, fears, successes and failures. I was inspired by their progressions from couch potatoes to runners (both for their own enjoyment as well as to raise money for charity.) I was inspired to try the recipes accompanied by mouthwatering photos. I didn't change my meals to limit calories. Rather I started adding MORE interesting things to it such as some vegetable I thought was odd before such as kale or something as simple as flaxseed.
I did know that walking in alone on the friday of HLS I wouldn't technically be alone since these women, and men I'd later realize, were all there for the same reason. The focus was on a happy healthy life. I knew taking a picture (or several) of my food before devouring it would be the norm. I knew that as a brand new runner there would be dozens of people who had once been in the exact same place and be able to give advice and honest answers.
That friday morning the excitement kept any fear at bay as I headed to the hotel. My babble level was set on high but it was due to being able to meet people in person that I had followed be it via blogs or tweets, comments on posts or a set of "must finds" created due to more frequent contact.
As a newer healthy living blogger, I am aware of that WOW factor in meeting a bigger blogger. I use the term bigger blogger not to set them up as some sort of elitist group but rather as in a more establish one in numbers of posts and followers. While someone might want to see them as larger than life, I use the local music scene to put it in perspective. The rockstar that is being fawned over and nervously asked for an autograph could easily be a person you have known since college or even before that.
They.
Are.
Real.
People.
This, even with my babbling tendency when super excited about something, was how I approached each and every fellow blogger I met. I may have had an awkward meet or two (or four) but I also had happy shrieky moments and genuine hello hugs.
Real people.
REAL.
No Photoshop.
No use of "angles."
Often clad in tank tops and yoga pants to be comfy not to send off some sort of "look at me!!!" vibe.
That weekend I learned a lot about myself, about others, about life in general. I came away from it with new friends (or rather blends - blog friends) that I honestly look forward to seeing next year. These are people that if I am in their town I know we'd meet up and of course do the shrieky huggy hello deal.
The positive impact that these bloggers and the Healthy Living Summit weekend made on my life no one can ever take away. The truth can be altered. Words can be taken out of content. Filters can be added and edits made to change the positive light from these inspirational moments and people. The 200+ people in attendance know this and so do the bloggers who pour their hearts out, no matter how many times they post, know it. The thousands of readers reading the thousands of posts out there know this.
People might try to put a negative spin on this community because they don't know it and do not understand the strength hidden within its posts. They might hide in our midst with smiles on their faces but dark motives in their hearts. They might try to increase their worth by attempting to decrease ours. We have the proof, the support, the friendship and the respect for each other. We have each others blogs in our readers, emails in our inboxes, tweets in our follows, texts in our cellphones. We have the smiles on our faces when we think of each other.
We have the power within ourselves to cook a healthy and tasty meal that leaves everyone in a food coma, properly train for and complete a race, or vow to never pick up or purchase a particular magazine ever again.
Tapping of keys.
Deep breath annnnd exhaaaaaaaaale.
Click of a Submit button.
I had just signed up for the Healthy Living Summit. I had registered to attend a conference with 200 people who were technically strangers. I'd only know later that I'd know someone in attendance in real life as well.
I did it because I was inspired by the other blogs I had been reading. It was their own words, thoughts, hopes, fears, successes and failures. I was inspired by their progressions from couch potatoes to runners (both for their own enjoyment as well as to raise money for charity.) I was inspired to try the recipes accompanied by mouthwatering photos. I didn't change my meals to limit calories. Rather I started adding MORE interesting things to it such as some vegetable I thought was odd before such as kale or something as simple as flaxseed.
I did know that walking in alone on the friday of HLS I wouldn't technically be alone since these women, and men I'd later realize, were all there for the same reason. The focus was on a happy healthy life. I knew taking a picture (or several) of my food before devouring it would be the norm. I knew that as a brand new runner there would be dozens of people who had once been in the exact same place and be able to give advice and honest answers.
That friday morning the excitement kept any fear at bay as I headed to the hotel. My babble level was set on high but it was due to being able to meet people in person that I had followed be it via blogs or tweets, comments on posts or a set of "must finds" created due to more frequent contact.
As a newer healthy living blogger, I am aware of that WOW factor in meeting a bigger blogger. I use the term bigger blogger not to set them up as some sort of elitist group but rather as in a more establish one in numbers of posts and followers. While someone might want to see them as larger than life, I use the local music scene to put it in perspective. The rockstar that is being fawned over and nervously asked for an autograph could easily be a person you have known since college or even before that.
They.
Are.
Real.
People.
This, even with my babbling tendency when super excited about something, was how I approached each and every fellow blogger I met. I may have had an awkward meet or two (or four) but I also had happy shrieky moments and genuine hello hugs.
Real people.
REAL.
No Photoshop.
No use of "angles."
Often clad in tank tops and yoga pants to be comfy not to send off some sort of "look at me!!!" vibe.
That weekend I learned a lot about myself, about others, about life in general. I came away from it with new friends (or rather blends - blog friends) that I honestly look forward to seeing next year. These are people that if I am in their town I know we'd meet up and of course do the shrieky huggy hello deal.
The positive impact that these bloggers and the Healthy Living Summit weekend made on my life no one can ever take away. The truth can be altered. Words can be taken out of content. Filters can be added and edits made to change the positive light from these inspirational moments and people. The 200+ people in attendance know this and so do the bloggers who pour their hearts out, no matter how many times they post, know it. The thousands of readers reading the thousands of posts out there know this.
People might try to put a negative spin on this community because they don't know it and do not understand the strength hidden within its posts. They might hide in our midst with smiles on their faces but dark motives in their hearts. They might try to increase their worth by attempting to decrease ours. We have the proof, the support, the friendship and the respect for each other. We have each others blogs in our readers, emails in our inboxes, tweets in our follows, texts in our cellphones. We have the smiles on our faces when we think of each other.
We have the power within ourselves to cook a healthy and tasty meal that leaves everyone in a food coma, properly train for and complete a race, or vow to never pick up or purchase a particular magazine ever again.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Strawberry Apple Oat Muffins based bliss
I woke up this morning in the mood to bake. With it being windy and damp this morning, I had no yard work keeping me from making the house smell amazing due to the mouthwatering goodness baking in the oven.
I had found the Oat Applesauce Muffins on the Quaker website a ways back. It looked basic but tasty. This morning I realized that I didn't have regular applesauce and so changed things up a bit.
We had a brand new jar of chunky strawberry applesauce in the pantry so that took the place of the plain applesauce. The strawberry/apple/oat combo is one that I have had before and it quite common so I knew it wouldn't end up odd tasting. Since the applesauce wasn't unsweetened as listed in the ingredients, I lessened the brown sugar about an 1/8 of a cup (measuring cup I was using didn't had small increments.)
They turned out AMAZING! The addition of the strawberry taste was perfect. The chunky applesauce added to the texture so much that I don't know if I'd use anything but that type. It was sweet but not overly sweet.
Hubs and I had two of these beauties for breakfast this morning.
I had to have the "model muffin" for this shoot. Not that it would have gone to waste since Molly was utterly confused on why there was food in the window. (It was the best light at the moment. I know you all understand.) She was verrrrry close but no deal. Good thing she knows the word "NO!"
I had found the Oat Applesauce Muffins on the Quaker website a ways back. It looked basic but tasty. This morning I realized that I didn't have regular applesauce and so changed things up a bit.
We had a brand new jar of chunky strawberry applesauce in the pantry so that took the place of the plain applesauce. The strawberry/apple/oat combo is one that I have had before and it quite common so I knew it wouldn't end up odd tasting. Since the applesauce wasn't unsweetened as listed in the ingredients, I lessened the brown sugar about an 1/8 of a cup (measuring cup I was using didn't had small increments.)
They turned out AMAZING! The addition of the strawberry taste was perfect. The chunky applesauce added to the texture so much that I don't know if I'd use anything but that type. It was sweet but not overly sweet.
Hubs and I had two of these beauties for breakfast this morning.
I had to have the "model muffin" for this shoot. Not that it would have gone to waste since Molly was utterly confused on why there was food in the window. (It was the best light at the moment. I know you all understand.) She was verrrrry close but no deal. Good thing she knows the word "NO!"
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