Mowin'

Looking at Tim rest on our new mower, you'd think that we lived in 1930. Yes, we have a push mower and you'd understand if you saw how small our yard actually is.

However, I can't tell you how satisfying this push mower is. I love it. I love how the blade feels when it cuts the grass. It makes a fantastic 'werrrrr' sound as I cut the grass. It is not the most graceful of machines, but I like it.

Maybe this weekend will give me a chance to take a picture of Tim hanging out at the new grill we purchased.

Crab

I am super crabby today. No reason. Okay, maybe I have a reason but it is too boring and mundane to write about on my lovely, non-crabby blog.

Today, I am longing for the days in Iowa where I knew what was going on. I knew what was expected. I long for the days that I could just sit in my friend's classroom after school and crab. I have no one to crab to here.

Here are the high points to my day:
1. I am eating Thai food tonight.
2. I am going to Blades of Glory tonight.

Nor'easter

Did you hear? We had a Nor'easter. I had heard about this for about three days before the event. The weather people kept calling it a storm.

To me, a spring storm has lightening, thunder, and tornadoes. I thought the weather people were weak. It was just going to be rain.

I was so wrong. I couldn't sleep at all last night because the wind was so strong and the rain pounded on the house all night long. I woke up to see slush, snow, puddles, and muck all over the ground. Because of fallen trees and electric wires, school was canceled.

I will not poo poo the weather casters now when they tell me a nor'easter is coming. It is a mess. However, I was able to get a Starbucks today because I had the time.

Grow For Me

Daughter
Teacher
Sister
Wife
Friend
Homeowner
Cook

I can put a new role in that list. Gardener. We purchased a lawn mower, weed wacker, and a hodgepodge of gardening tools. We mowed our lawn and wacked some weeds. I hoed some dirt to make it ready for next weekend when I will be planting a variety of annuals and maybe a perennial or two.

We have a shady backyard so I have been researching shade gardens. I think I will plant some Hostas, but I am looking for ideas to compliment this perennial. I plan on some impatiens in the flower bed, but I will plant some Geraniums in hanging plants. I am also reseeding my backyard because there are some splotchy spots. I am also going to try my hand at an herb garden.

I know I will enjoy spending time at the gardening center. It is the first time and I already know that I am going to get into taking care of my yard and garden.

Unrepentant

Rolling Stone has put together a little list they call the Undisputed Guilty Pleasure Bands list.

First of all, I love a nice list.

Second of all, I feel no guilt. I do not live in an ipod of shame. Instead, I proudly checked my itunes library to see how many of these artists Rolling Stone would say besmirch my playlists.

For your voyeuristic pleasure, I have listed my opinion and number of songs by each artist that currently hangout in my itunes library.

1. Rush (0 songs)-No. NO. NOOOO! I can't stand Rush. I don't care that I love most Canadian things. I don't do Rush.

2. E.L.O. (0 songs)-My husband is a fan, but I just don't get this one.

3. Journey (3 songs)-My relationship with Journey has come full circle. My first memory is Steve Perry standing at the front of a melodramatic rock video pyramid with his fist clenched in pop glory. I hated it. Now, for nostalgic reasons, I love it.

4. ABBA (3 songs)-No one does wedding dances better than Abba.

5. Chicago (5 songs)-Keep in mind that Chicago went through their ballad stage when I was around 13 years old so I have my nostalgic self wrapped up in pining for boys to these songs.

6. Boston (2 songs)-I love the slow start to "More Than a Feeling" and then, it unabashedly ROCKS, my friends!

7. Foreigner (2 songs)-I think I have my friend Jodi for these two little lovelies. I like to pump my fist in a 1980's mocking fashion when this tune comes on the ipod in the car. It embarrasses Tim.

8. Bread (5 songs)-What kind of girl has FIVE Bread songs?? A girl who likes nothing better than be sad to "If" and the funny little plucking at the beginning of the song. Oh, I love "Lost Without Your Love" and you all should.

9. Bon Jovi (2 songs)-I thought it would be more, but this is respectable since I was a teenager during their glory days. I tended to listen to Bread instead of the hair bands of the time.

10. New Edition (0 songs)-I did have the Bobby Brown tape, but I haven't transferred my love to the digital age yet.

11. The Monkees (6 songs)-I love them. I have since I watched them on Nick at Night and memorized the theme song. My favorite song is "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You". I have memories of driving down I-29 with my friends in high school driving to graduation parties singing to the Monkees tape. Nerds.

12. Motley Crue (0 songs)-No crue. I think I was traumatized by my brother's posters that he had in his room. I thought they were scary.

13. STYX (2 songs)-When I feel like a rebel, I like to crank up "Renegade". I long to karaoke this number.

14. Eddie Money (o songs)-Shocking. I need to buy me some Money man. I loved "I Wanna Go Back" and "Take Me Home Tonight" when I was sitting next to my duel deck tape player.

15. Simply Red (0 songs)-Thank God.

16. Kelly Clarkson (3 songs)-Doesn't everybody?

17. America (0 songs)-Lists like these are great for me to rediscover songs that I love. I will now buy "Sister Golden Hair".

18. Wham (2 songs)-It is really hard for me to separate Wham from George Michael, but I will. "Freedom" by Wham is their under appreciated swan song before the solo days.

19. R.E.O. Speedwagon (4 songs)-I am proud to say that I have karaoked two R.E.O. songs. Of course, they were the sentimental ballads that every person (and you are lying if you deny this) like to sing to in the car.

20. Poison (0 songs)-I know others dig Poison, but I just don't. However, if I had to, I am sure and positive that I could sing "Every Rose Has a Thorn" since I was forced to listen to it at every junior high dance from 1989-1992.

21. Lionel Richie (11 songs)-I am going to go ahead and put my Commodore songs with Lionel. He was basically that whole band anyway. Favorite Lionel song..."Easy". I know this guy who claims that Lionel is his favorite out of everyone. Everyone. That is a bold statement.

22. Kansas (0 songs)-See, I think I would feel guilty for having a Kansas song in the collection.

23. Air Supply (5 songs)-Did you know that Air Supply had five songs? Yes, they all sound a like, but that is about 25 minutes of one great sap song.

24. Hall & Oates (7 songs)-If you know me at all, you know I love Hall & Oates. They are from Philly, you know. They are performing for Fourth of July and I am going! I would like to see a huge comeback for Hall. The man can sing. Don't argue with me about this.

25. Britney Spears (2 songs)-I do have a little shame about this one, but there is definitely a time and a place that you need to have "Toxic" on the playlist followed by "I'm a Slave 4 U". Right? Right? Don't let 'em get you down, Brit Brit.

Oh, It's On!

Barack Obama. Good.
Hillary. Good.
John Edwards. Good.

I am really excited and pleased with the democratic contenders. I am the person they are working to win. I like all three for different reasons. I don't really feel like getting into here, but I can't remember a time that I felt really excited about a candidate since Bill Clinton. As for the Republican candidates, I think it is going to be a long road because they have hitched their boat to the conservative Christians for so long and no candidates will be able to fit that mold. I think it is going to be very interesting.

Spring Awakening

As I write this, I feel the urge to tell you that I am by NO MEANS a Broadway show expert or critic. My experience with musicals and plays are limited to my own performance in The Pirate of Penzance in the 10th grade and a few shows during trips to New York City. These shows were the big, flashy types. I have seen Hairspray, Wicked, and The Producers on Broadway, but after this week, I have a new category of musical.

I saw Spring Awakening with my friend Kecia. I had heard several things about this show prior to arriving in NYC. Zach Braff had written about this show on his blog. I had read about the show in a news magazine, but what I remembered was that the music was written by Duncan Sheik. I am a fan. He wrote "Barely Breathing", but so many more great songs after that radio-recognized tune.

Right away, I knew this musical was different than the rest because some of the audience was sitting on the stage along with the band. It was a band because the music has a definite pop feeling to it. The actors used microphones in their hands as they sang songs that sounded more appropriate for the radio today rather than the setting of early 20th century Germany. The play is based on Frank Wedekind's play about adolescents discovering their sexuality and the repressed nature of the society of the time.

This musical is not for the easily embarrassed or timid when it comes to viewing sexually graphic art. Along with some mild nudity, there are a couple other scenes that might make an audience member blush.

Although some will find flaws in Spring Awakening, I am going to say that I like it. I like the topic of the story. I liked the music. If I had to say anything negative, it would be that the lyrics were a bit vague at times. However, I never wrote a Broadway musical. Who am I? I was just a chorus girl in Pirates of Penzance!

Ghost Stories

This is me on the Philadelphia Ghost Tour. Since I don't really believe in ghosts and such, I thought I had to act the part if I wasn't going to offend the believers on this tour.

Even though I am not a believer in the paranormal, it was a fantastic event. The story teller brought a group of 12 or so around the historic streets in Philadelphia. She wore a black, flowing cape and carried a candle lantern. She told stories of old homes, buildings, and cemeteries in Philadelphia.

The most interesting ghost story detailed the history of Washington Square which is a block from Independence Hall. It was once a potter's field where over 2,000 bodies are buried from a variety of social and medical epidemics that occurred in the city. In 1793, Yellow Fever raged in Philadelphia and many bodies were buried in this square that is also where the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary Soldier lies. Caretakers would sell the bodies of the victims of Yellow Fever to medical students.

However, there was a Quaker woman who felt these acts were immoral and made her thoughts known. She continues to make her thoughts known by haunting Washington Square in the early mornings where she has been seen digging at the ground trying to save the bodies from the grave sellers.

Right in My Backyard

Along with the traditional tourist destinations in Philadelphia, I took Kecia to see Eastern State Penitentiary. First of all, Eastern State makes Alcatraz look like Club Med. It was the first penitentiary in the United States and believed in the solitary penance of its prisoners.

Eastern State looks like a castle fortress from the outside. It is in the middle of the city, surrounded by modern buildings and roads. It was built in 1829 and remained in use until 1971. Its most famous prisoner was Al Capone.

If you are in Philadelphia and want a little change of pace from all of the Revolutionary War history, Eastern State Penitentiary will do a proper job of creeping you out.

New Favorite

This is my new favorite song.

I also dig on the video because of the intense camera movements. I love the pin up girls. I also like that band is named The Fratellis, just like the villains in The Goonies!

Bum Foot

Normally, I do not go a week without posting on my blog, but this week has been anything but normal.

I started out the week by falling five stairs at my house. It was really nothing, but I did fall funny on my left foot. I didn't even think about the fall until Tuesday night when the foot really started to hurt. It only got worse since I had a field trip the next day, and of course, I couldn't NOT go. By Thursday, I was cursing whoever thought of stairs in the first place because of the pain. I broke down and went to the doctor.

If you know me at all, if I go to the doctor, it has to be bad. I go for a yearly physical and that is about it. I haven't even taken a prescription in four years. I don't have a phobia or anything. I am just a healthy person.

I use the term healthy in a loose sense of the word.

I got an x-ray today and it is not broken, but it still hurts. The recommendation was to wear tight, hard soled shoes and to stay off of it. This is going to prove difficult since my friend is coming to town for a week and we have NYC on the agenda.

I could bore you with the other details of my week, but I won't. Instead, I will give you some teasers about what I have been thinking about and therefore, will write about on the blog.

1. Why I get annoyed when people go "ahhh...how fun" when I tell them I am a kindergarten teacher.
2. The perfect recipe for pancakes and I don't even love pancakes.
3. My frustrations with cleaning old radiators, the kind that coil and stand up. Suggestions will be needed.
4. Photos of the mystery flowers in my new yard. I love that I have no idea what will pop up on any day. Right now, daffodils. My favorite.
5. My adventures with Kecia through Philadelphia and NYC. Two words, friends. Ghost Tour.

So much to look forward to reading, right?

My Celebrity Look-alikes

Want a self-absorbed waste of time? Check out myhertiage.com. They'll use face recognition software to see what celebrities you look the most like. Goldie is looking rough in this photo.

MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

Midwestern Endorsement Time

Dry skin has been the thorn in my ass for years. I found a moisturizer that I liked except it cost $30 and I had to purchase it through a beauty consultant. Because I use facial lotion everyday, sometimes twice, I was having to buy it once a month.

So, after one recommendation and some research, I purchased the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream.

I am starting to sound like a commercial. But I love this stuff.

First of all, it was recommended to me by someone who uses it because her sister is a dermatologist and it was recommended to her. All of the websites that I checked out had this as their number one facial lotion. I do not use it for the anti-wrinkle factor, but I think I am seeing a change there too. I took a picture with my webcam when I first got the imac in January. Then, I took the one from the other night. I could see a lot of wrinkles under my eyes. I know that sounds absurd since I am thirty years old, but it is true.

So, there it is. My Midwestern endorsement for the facial lotion that can be bought anywhere and for less than ten dollars.

WAWA

I am not sure if this is going to come as a surprise little fact about Philadelphia for you midwesterners or not, but Philly-folk love their convenience stores. In particular, they love Wawa. You cannot go half a mile in any direction without having a Wawa at your disposal. I have NEVER gone to a Wawa when it hasn't been busy. People use it for everything. They get sandwiches, fruit cups, shakes, coffee, ANYTHING. I once found gravy in sipable form at a WAWA. I wish I was kidding.

People rank their WAWAs. They have their number one WAWA and a back up if needed. I just don't recall the big love for convenience stores in the midwest. Maybe in Iowa, where the fountain soda flows from about 25 different spouts, but there is as much commitment and love for WAWA as if it were a grocery store. Why don't people just go to the grocery store?

I Have No Idea What I Am Writing About Tonight

I got my haircut tonight. If you are a longtime reader of the blog, you might recall that I implemented a long term hair plan in November of 2005. I was going to lose the short pixie cut that I had sported for five years or so and try for some long locks.

I try to go a long time between haircuts to give it some growth, but that was all futile because tonight, the stylist went to town on my hair. I feel like I haven't gotten very far with the long term hair plan.

I feel a little nervous putting the picture up. I haven't posted a photo of myself in a long time. However, I am proud of my little webcam in my imac. I love you imac.

Oh, I have updated the midwestern podcast if you are hooked up.

And for some list lovers out there...my top favorite movies that I like to watch over and over....
1. Love Actually-this is a rare romantic comedy for me.
2. Fargo-"Ah, hon, ya got Arby's all over me. "
3. Good Fellas
4. The Godfather
5. A Christmas Story
6. Wonder Boys
7. Home for the Holidays
8. Something's Gotta Give
9. Scent of a Woman
10. Elf

This is What I Learned Today, Friends.

I don't need permission...

to like what I like.
to feel undone.
to want to do nothing but crawl right back into bed.
to buy sugary cereal even though I know it is bad for me.
to like sappy, melodramatic music like Five for Fighting's "Dying".
to crave a mental health day.
to send postcards for no good reason in hopes that I will receive one in return.
to stay up too late reading my very good book.
to change my mind.
to long for the good ol' days.
to get the large coffee instead of the medium.
to try again.

A Letter

Dear Mother Nature,
I have always considered myself a hearty person when it comes to your winter deliveries of snow and wind. I never mind when the snow causes mild inconveniences in my life. I have accepted that your weather decisions are yours alone.

However, I am losing patience. Right when I believed that spring was right around the corner, you deliver a sleet storm. Until Friday, I didn't even realize that simple sleet could turn into a storm. After twelve hours of sleet, I now know better. The sleet piled up into impossible-to-shovel mounds. They are so hard that when you walk on them, you don't even sink into them. I didn't even bother to shovel. I prefer my posture the way it is, thank you.

Please bring spring straight away.

What is Yummy This Week

Red Pepper Jelly over Cream Cheese
I love LOVE this little appetizer. I usually save it for when people come over, but that is nonsense. If I have the jelly and the cream cheese, I am going to eat it with some good water crackers. This is essential because the water cracker doesn't break like other crackers. You can get red pepper jelly at most gourmet food stores, but if you are without a good shop, check out this link.

Turtle Chex Mix
Have you tried this yet? Whoa. It is so tasty, but if you have portion control problems like I do, you might want to take a little and threaten yourself with severe punishment if the bag is reopened. Oh, you'll want more, but don't do it. Enjoy the caramel, chocolate, and nuts in this yummy treat a little at a time.

Top Ten Tuesday: My Job

1. Everyday, I get to drive by a pond that is home to some unusually pleasant geese and ducks. (I took that picture from my car.) We get to feed the ducks for recess when we desire to do so.

2. My job is messy. When I taught third and fourth grade, things were pretty tidy. In kindergarten, concepts and ideas are so new that there is nothing out of the ordinary to try. We painted with spaghetti the other day as we discuss Jackson Pollock.

3. I wear jeans a lot. Basically, I wear jeans because I get very dirty.

4. I have never had a reason to buy rain boots until this year because we are always walking around the campus where we discover puddles and mud. Check out my new rain boots. I almost got ones with cupcakes on it, but thought I might wear these places other than kindergarten.

5. It is rare to find grown ups that are as passionate about topics like snakes, dinosaurs, legos, princesses, and letters as kindergartners. We could all learn a lesson in passion from them.

6. The hours. You can't beat 'em.

7. I get to sing songs everyday and I have an adoring crowd that can't wait to sing a long.

8. My day goes so fast. There is rarely a minute to sit down and relax. My days never drag on and on.

9. It gives me lots of opportunities to take pictures and make imovies on my computer. If I were just making imovies of myself, I'd feel a little funny about that.

10. I have three recesses a day.

Validate the Inner 5th Grader in You

Try to name the 50 states in five minutes. Don't cheat. I got to 48 and couldn't think of Utah and West Virginia. See, now you won't forget those two states. I worked west to east. Most people have a hard time with the midwest, but I find the Northeast the most difficult.

In or Out?

I am a homebody. It has really always been this way.

Not to say that I don't enjoy a vacation or a weekend away, but in general, I enjoy being at home rather than out and about trying the newest place. A lot of it has to do with crowds. I am not anxious around crowds, more annoyed. I do not like to wait for a table. I should have been someone famous so I wouldn't have to wait for a table, yet to be famous, I would have to go out more.

Look at Lindsey Lohan. That must be exhausting. She goes out on the town every night. I wonder how she would respond if I called her up and asked if she would like to come over for some food and beer? Would she value in this?

No one would see her, but she would get some dessert.

I am to the point that it really has to be a special occasion for me to go to a restaurant on a Friday or Saturday night. Again, I hate waiting. One might start to assume that I am starving because of this hatred for waiting, but I just don't see the point when there are so many restaurants. None of us should have to wait.

Sometimes I feel a little guilty because I am 30 years old and I should be all about going out, but I am not. I am all about staying in with Tim and our cozy red couch.

Do You Do This Too?

I feel the need to do a little experiment...

Since music still works as my own little mental time machine, I thought I would take the Midwestern Position's Friday ipod Shuffle and see where it takes me.

Fallen-Storyhill
If you went to a college or university in the midwest during the 90's and you took advantage of the free entertainment at your school's student union, you might have experienced Storyhill or what they used to be called, Chris & Johnny. I was not a die hard fan, but I would take in a show or borrow a friend's CD. They are your basic whiny guys on guitar.

Holding Out for a Hero Bonnie Tyler

Even though I could go way back to my days as a child renting Footloose over and over again from the local video store, instead, I will go to the chair races of my school in Iowa. Even though I did not take part in last year's race, I was proud of my friend who chose this inspirational tune as her chair racing song.


Busta Move Young MC
I wasn't even there for this memory, but I can't help but think of my best friend in the eighth grade and how her boyfriend stole this cassette and gave it to her. All I remember is when she told me this and I was shocked, but a little glad too. Now, we could listen to it.

Neon John Mayer

I had just worked my last day in Grand Forks, closed up shop on the little trailer where I taught the third grade and needed a mini-vacation. I was stressed out because I was moving to Iowa and didn't have a job. I loaded up the CD player in "The GOLD" and headed to Minneapolis. I listened to the John Mayer CD over and over. I was so happy to be in a secluded place for five hours completely by myself. Well, John Mayer was there too.


Running on Empty Jackson Browne
I have no memory to this song. The only thing that I think about when I hear this song is when Forrest Gump is run-nin'.

Names

As you know, I am not a mom. Most of my friends are moms. Some have one little one and some max out at four little ones. Tim and I are beyond the point when people ask us when we will have a baby, which is nice. However, I like to think of baby names even if I am no where near having a baby.

Now, to normalize this obsession, I have decided to name a few objects that I hold near and dear to my heart.

I was never one to be creative with car names. For example, my Chevy Celebrity that drove me all over Grand Forks from 1992-2000 was simply named "The Celeb". It was a catchy name. It caught on with the passengers. Well, my simple name tradition continues. We have two cars, "The GOLD" and "The BLUE". I drive "The BLUE" most of the time, however, I will always hold a special place for "The GOLD" since it was my first NEW NEW car.


Whoa...this post is starting to look a little materialistic.

I don't care. I love my crap.

What you are seeing is my very first brand NEW NEW computer that wasn't handed down or something that I had to share with anyone. I could fill it up with whatever I wanted. It is a slick machine and so deserving of it's name, APPLE. I guess Gwyneth and I have the same taste in names.

If you are a long time reader of this blog, you might recall when I had the sidebar attraction, "Obsession of the Week". Well, my rainbow mug was the first obsession. I like this mug for many reasons. First, my friend gave it to me and I like to think of that. Also, it is perfect. It holds the right amount of coffee without it getting cold when I get to the bottom. (I can drink hot liquids mighty fast!) When I open my cupboard to choose a mug, I feel disappointed when I have to use the plain plum colored mugs because MUG is gone. Yes, it's name is MUG. Nice and simple, but I know which mug I mean.

This naming strategy could be a problem. I mean, I wouldn't want to be like my friend who has a girl cat and named her GIRL CAT, GC for short. If I had a son someday, I wouldn't want to name it BOY. I think I can be more creative with my names. I am going to work on this and I will start with a new name for computer. Any suggestions.

Moonshadow

"Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides."
~Rita Mae Brown

My life doesn't offer many natural wonders other than an occasional puddle for a kindergartener to jump, but on Saturday night, I accidentally observed the lunar eclipse.

I was waiting at the train station where I would be meeting Tim. He had gone into the city for a Villanova basketball game with a friend. I had spent the day doing a little of this and that.

As I waited for Tim, I remembered that the eclipse was happening. I looked into the sky and saw about half of the moon. The moon got smaller and smaller. Tim arrived just in time to see it disappear completely. I didn't see a reddening of the moon, but I was impressed with nature all the same.

I Am Reading...

I shouldn't be in awe when I step in and out of a book store, yet I am. Heck, I even shelved those books for a good nine months of my life so I shouldn't be surprised that out of all of the books on all of those shelves, I can actually just choose one book. No more. No less.

I had finished The Glass Castle and needed a replacement for my 9:30 PM reading date each night. I have several reading niches, but I have a hard time narrowing down when push comes to shove in the bookstore. I can't buy them all. I have the same problem at the library. I have no business checking out more than one book because I am a slow reader and will not finish them all by the due date.

My process usually starts in the fiction at the beginning of the alphabet. This time I made it to the E's when I read the back of The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich. I had only read one other book by Erdrich, The Birchbark House, and I read that for a children's literature class in graduate school. However, I remember loving that book. As I read the cover and the first few pages, I realized this fit my reading needs.

I love historical fiction and this story actually takes place in North Dakota. This didn't surprise me since Erdrich grew up in North Dakota. I have read about 50 pages and still love it. This solves my problem when I am finished with this book. I will go and choose another novel by Erdrich.

Three Minutes of My Saturday

"Again with the grocery store stories, Sara?"

Yes. I can't help myself. The grocery store is a place where I experience what I can only describe as a mini bi-polar episode with the highs of a good deal and the lows of being stuck between two dueling elderly ladies fighting to get by the little stand of Quaker Oats in the middle of the aisle.

Yet, today, the grocery store just got me thinking about jobs in general. The checker did not speak a single word to me. Not a 'hello'. Not a 'thank you'. Not even a total. I even expected a paper or plastic, but I was so fearful that this man might lunge across the counter at me from his obvious angry place that I just bagged those groceries as fast I as I could.

I have been there. Grocery checking is the worst job that I have ever had. I thought it would be great. I would get to wear the funny jump suit that we were forced to wear at Hugo's Grocery Store. I would just stand, scan, and bag.

Oh no. Big mistake. I had to make a lot of small talk. If I didn't, the customers would get angry and think I was rude. If I did make the small talk, the customers that were waiting would get annoyed because I wasn't able to small talk and check at a rate that was satisfactory to them. I couldn't win.

However, I could always utter a greeting and a 'have a good day'. That was never hard. Apparently, my cashier today just could not be bothered with such pleasantries.

I Like It

Endorsement time. Sell out time. Beverage lovin' time.

I really like the berry Enviga. I have never been a fan of any kind of energy drink except for coffee and Diet Coke and some would argue they don't apply to this beverage genre. However, this berry Enviga is delicious. Bubbly, five calories, and they tell me that it helps my metabolism. All good things.

Listen Up

I have neglected the Midwestern Podcast. Don't worry. I gave it lots of lovin' today. Check it out...if you dare (and if you have the password, but if you want it, let me know). Oh, and if it asks for some annoying idisk thing...ignore and press cancel.

Reasons to Honk That Horn

A person is not paying attention and swerves into your lane. Lay on that horn.

A friend is walking down the street and you want to a.) say hello to them and b.) embarrass them by making a scene with the horn. Give it the ol' multiple honks.

You are waiting for the red light to turn into the beloved green arrow, but the wiener in front of you is on the phone/eating snack/changing a diaper/solving the global warming problem and doesn't notice. Oh! But wait! They notice only after you BLOW the horn and only she gets to go through the light. Nice.

A car drives through the red light as you are pulling into the intersection. It is not like they are going to turn around. They are obviously in a hurry and cannot be bothered to assault you with their road rage. Plus, they are going in a completely different direction than you.

Horns can be a great stress reliever. Make sure you do it when no one else is around and be sure to scream at the same time. It doesn't make you crazy to do this. It helps keep you sane.

Counting

Okay, so this is another post about food and dieting and that boring stuff, but I have to. I just have to.

I wanted to go old school today with my eating habits. I had a maple donut because I went to a different Dunkin' Donuts. My regular DD doesn't have maple. So, I had to have it.

210 calories.

Then, I was driving home from a trip to the 9,000 square foot scrapbook store and I was hungry. There was a McDonald's and an Arby's. I had to choose Arby's for the obvious reasons. I enjoyed a Beef-n-Cheddar.

480 calories.

I guess today wasn't too old school because before, I would eat these things without thinking. I wouldn't even consider finding out the calorie content of these treats. So, I have about 700 calories left to eat today without completely blowing my day. I will have to behave.

Friday Flashback

I always thought that I lived out in the open and did not suppress anything, yet I find moments when I am left screaming "oh my god" in my mind when I start to remember teenage "tragic" moments in my life.

I was reading an article on CNN.com about binge eating. I got all the way through it and remembered this moment in high school when I was stumbling through my sophomore year. I remembered the hallway. I remembered what class I was heading to, Mrs. Stenseth's English class where I would soon be flirting with the nerdy boy who sat in front of me.

But I was stopped dead in my tracks by a girl from the school newspaper. Now, this was a girl who I respected and enjoyed in many settings. Rachel was an individual who was fantastic on so many levels. She said that she wanted to talk to me regarding a story that she was working. This was just another reason that I thought she was great. She tried to make the school newspaper something important.

So, the repressed memory...

She tells me that she was given my name when she told someone that she was writing about eating disorders. I was taken aback because I was far too chubby to be anorexic and I was not bulimic, so I was surprised. She continues by telling me that she was told that I was a binge/over eater.

Stunned. Offended. Confused.

Sure, I liked food. I enjoyed eating and talking about food. That has not changed. This was a cruel joke that someone was playing on me, right? Someone must have told Rachel this information knowing that she would search out a story and never consider that she was a pawn in the joke.

I didn't even ask who had told her. I just told her that I was not a binge eater and I couldn't help her with this angle.

I look back on this small moment in high school and feel thankful. I am thankful that I never spent much time on weight, eating, dieting, or any of that stuff that people deal with in high school. If this as traumatic as it gets regarding high school body image stuff, I got off lucky.

Wax On, Wax Off

Like everyone, I have a few dirty little secrets. Today, I will confess one of the dirtiest.

I rarely, almost close to never wash my car. I let the dirt and grime build up to an embarrassing amount. It doesn't bother me if I can't see out of my windshield because that is what windshield spray and wipers are for. I might get a little annoyed when I get my pant leg dirty because it rubs up against my dirty car, but for the most part, I can live with the filth.

Well, today, I tried to break this bad habit and took my car to the car wash. There was just enough salt and grossness on my cute CR-V to warrant a good cleaning.

It isn't that I am cheap, but I would much rather spend that $12 on something great...oh, I don't know, maybe some pizza or an eyebrow wax. Part of my avoidance is because I am always so confused at the car wash. Under carriage. Waxing. Rust something-or-other. I have no idea if I get what I pay for. I just play the odds usually and take the middle package. The men at the car wash are usually nice, but I get worried that I will leave my car in drive when it should be in neutral or that I will make some car wash faux pas like turn my wheel when I should just sit there and do nothing.

Don't even get me started on the inside of my car.

Supernanny to the Rescue

I love that Supernanny. Maybe it is that I do not have children of my own, but everything she says seems to make so much sense to me. I know that teaching is very different than having your own children, but I have been in power struggles before with kids and kids always win.

There are always two types of parents on Supernanny. The parent who enters the power struggle and wants to win and will behave badly to win and the parent who simply has given up. The Supernanny comes in and takes the blame off of the children and show the parents their role in the chaos.

I wonder what parents think of this show. Maybe I am naive to think this show is helpful.

Today's Highs and Lows

High
Snow Day! I got up at my regular time, checked the computer, and the magic words appeared! I still showered and got ready for the day because I was going to Iowa today!

Low
I couldn't get on an earlier flight to Iowa even though I had the day off because all of the flights were booked from yesterday's cancellations.

High
I was still going to Iowa.

Low
I check on my 7:35 PM flight to Iowa and it is canceled.

Low
I call the airline four times before they stop hanging up on me after being on hold for five minutes each time. That is 20 minutes of my time, people.

High
I get booked for the first flight out of Philadelphia tomorrow morning.

The Glass Castle

My reading habits really ebb and flow. I sometimes can't get enough books read and sometimes, I want nothing to do with literary endeavours. Lately, I have been reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I forget how much I enjoy memoir and will find a personal story like this and remember.

It isn't Shakespeare and it won't be taught in the classics class in high school, but it is compelling all the same. The Glass Castle is a story about a family that does not live by any social rules, but rather, they live through neglect and hardships forced upon them by parents that suffer their own demons. The demons of self-indulgent philosophies, alcoholism, and what seems to me was ideas of grandeur plague these parents to the point that they cannot take care of their children.

More than anything, I get angry at these types of parents but that is my first instinct. I have to remember that they are probably mentally ill in some capacity. The story takes place twenty or so years ago, but this type of neglect is still going on. Just this weekend, a young mother and her four children were killed in Philadelphia because she was staying in an abandoned row home and using a hodgepodge of heating tools. The house burned down with the family inside. Is this neglect from the mother or the community? It's tragic on so many levels.

I recommend The Glass Castle for a quick weekend read. Let me know what you think.

Bothered

Why on the one day that I want to travel in four months, it storms. I am annoyed in a big way. I want to go and see my pals in Iowa and snow is my new enemy. Not just snow, but sleet and ice. I will get there. Some way. I will get there.

There is fun to be had in Iowa that I can't have here.

I am wishing and praying for a snow day tomorrow so I can try and catch an early flight. That would be fantastic. I have to work at not stewing about it though because when it comes down to it, I can't do a darn thing about it.

I know I haven't been bloggin' up a storm lately. I am not really sure why. I think part of it is that I am pretty busy. Another part of it is that I haven't done anything too interesting lately. All that will change soon. I will be action packed.

On Notice: Grey's Anatomy

Tim and I were eating at a Chinese restaurant on Friday night when five senior citizens came in and were seated right next to us. They were around 75 years old. One of the men yells across the table, "So, did you catch Grey's Anatomy last night?"

I couldn't help overhear since he was yelling so his hearing impaired friend with a hearing aid could hear him.

I found this so funny. I thought this was a show that young people watched, but viewers of all ages have been duped.

This is a judgement I have placed on viewers and episodes of ABC's over-rated television show "Grey's Anatomy".

Please do not be offended. You can hate on "Galactica" if you want. Many do.

This is how I see it. I watched season one every Sunday night. I had great hopes that they were building towards something meaty and meaningful, but I was disappointed when all season two held was more cheating, more all-up-in-each-others' business episodes. I can appreciate that if there wasn't the cheating and the in-each-other's business, there wouldn't be a show. But it drives me crazy.

I am not judging this without watching it. I watched it in reruns this summer and the characters drive me crazy. They act as though they are running through junior high hallways rather than hospital hallways. They are overly concerned about life's events that they have caused. They have not learned the simple idea of action/consequence. They have the "woe is me" down, but fail to realize their problems are self-induced.

I don't even think the writing is clever or thoughtful. I like watching television with flawed characters. I watch The Sopranos and what is more flawed than cheating, whacking, sining Tony Soprano, but something is different. In The Sopranos, things happen. Events unfold. In Grey's Anatomy, each week is just like the last. Izzy is baking. George is pining. Meredith is confused. Christina is angry and competitive. Everyone is having sex. I could skip ten episodes and I guarantee you that it would be the same as just listed.

Don't be mad. If you want to rip on my shows, go ahead and write a blog post about it.

Podcast

If you haven't already checked out the Midwestern Podcast, I have now made it harder to do.

I have made it password protected because I am not a lawyer and I have a feeling that sharing songs that I do not own the copyright to somehow...well, illegal. However, I feel that I want to share the music that I love with other people. I am actually doing these artists a favor. Maybe I will share a little known artist and then, they will sell more records. However, I don't think they'll see it that way.

You can still check out the Midwestern Podcast on the sidebar of this blog by emailing me. I will give you the password and login and you can listen all you'd like. Email me at saraleann76@yahoo.com.

Not in ND Anymore

I am always surprised when I am given a reminder of where I live now.

This morning as I was drying my hair, Tim walked into the bathroom and handed me the phone. It was my administrator telling me that we had a two hour delay. I looked out the window and saw about an inch and a half of snow on the ground. It is times like these that I remember that I am no longer in the Midwest where the snow piles are high and the temperatures are low. Very low.

I was standing in line at Victoria Secret waiting to purchase when I was forced to watch an unfortunate display of customer anger. The customer was trying to return something and the situation did not require her yelling at the cashier or pounding her palm over and over on the counter. She would turn around and try to gather support from the other patrons, but she could not. I was so embarrassed for this woman that I had to walk away. When I returned, she was telling the cashier that she didn't know anything and that she should be trained better. Thankfully, the woman stood up for herself and ended up putting the customer in her place in a clever way. Again, I don't like in the Midwest anymore.

I am not saying that I find a lot of rude people like this woman, but I see more emotions in general here. People don't hide their frustrations or anger like we do in the Midwest.

Window Shopping

I think I have turned into a true homeowner nerd. I never thought I would get so excited about new windows.

I can't wait. We knew that when we purchased a home that we would have to make a big investment like this. We thought it would be new kitchen cabinets or re-doing a bathroom, but instead it is windows. I prefer this on so many levels.

I don't have to make any difficult decisions. I have a choice of three kinds of windows. That is easy. Our house is over 65 years old so things have gotten a bit drafty and we feel more than ever over the past week. Brr.

Whoa. This post is super house boring.

So Worth It

Most women get waxed. In one form or another. I didn't start this beauty ritual until I was 23 years old, yet I can't help but hold a firm belief that I was neglectful of my looks prior to my first trip to the salon for a nice wax of the eyebrows. Why didn't anyone tell me that I had a slight uni-brow? Oh, well, that is for another time.

When I had short hair, I would get my hair cut every month. With each trip, I would get the eyebrows waxed. It was a nice reminder that this needed to be done. I was a very hands-off person when it came to the maintenance of the eyebrows. I depended completely on the stylist to keep them looking nice. I didn't pluck. I just held out until my next appointment.

Well, now with this long term hair plan, I do not get to the hair salon as much as I should for the eyebrow waxing. I can't stand to pluck. I do it, but I am not good at it. I avoid any places on the eyebrows that could cause an imbalance in my life.

Today, I decided that I could not wait until my next haircut for a wax. I went in and laid down on the table. Inez, the lovely waxer, took one look at me with her magnifying glass and knew things were going to get ugly in there. I had to make some excuse quick for how unruly my two eye caterpillars had gotten.

"It's been a while. I have been pretty busy."

All Inez said was, "I'll say."

I felt like she was about to open the door and scream, "WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE WAX!" like the little Asian woman did in The 40 Year Old Virgin. I hate being shamed at the beauty salon, but this was completely deserving of a shaming.

Well, I made it through a rough waxing and plucking. Lesson learned, my friends. You can skip the dentist appointment, you can put off doing your taxes, and you can certainly avoid phone calls, but DO NOT MISS YOUR WAXING APPOINTMENT.

Recipe: Pumpkin Crab Soup

1-24 oz. can of pumpkin
6 cups chicken stock
1 large onion, sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 pound crab meat
6 oz. skim milk
pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet and add onion. Saute for 5-8 minutes. Add cumin, cayenne, and basil. Stir for a minute. Pour in chicken stock and add pumpkin. Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes. Add crab meat and simmer the soup for 3-5 minutes. Add milk and stir. Serve!

I use the crab from a can. It tastes just fine in the soup. You could use heavy cream for a creamier soup rather than skim milk. I am serving my soup with popovers. Yum!

I Love People

The grocery store provides endless forms of entertainment for me. I had to stop by the customer service counter for a money order this afternoon. I was behind a woman who was getting a rain check for an item. I have never seen someone get a rain check at a grocery store before.

I continued to pick up a few things for dinner and then, unwisely chose a checkout aisle. I found myself behind the same rain check woman. She was standing there with her coupon purse filing the unused coupons. When she finished and it was time to scan her groceries, she argued every third item's price.

I am not kidding. I am not exaggerating here, folks. She asked the checker about three times whether or not her super card had scanned because the prices were not as low as they should be. The check assured her that it all comes off in the end. Throughout this dabacle of a checkout, the coupon/rain check lady asked the checker to void items when they were too high.

It didn't matter that it was 5PM. It didn't matter that she was holding up the line. It didn't matter that she had a choice what she put on the check out belt. She was going to shop the way she wanted to shop. I couldn't help respect this woman's frugal nature, but come on.

Final straw, she had paid and groceries were bagged and she decides she doesn't want one of the items. No. No way. You are going to have to go to the back of the line or back to customer service, my frugal friend.

The checker agreed with my mental assessment of the situation. THEN, the frugal/rain check/coupon/arguing/returning lady felt bothered. Hey, join the club.

Angry

I know. I normally stay away from topics that are 'hot button issues', but something happened tonight as I watched the national nightly news.

A new military rehabilitation hospital was opened for injured military veterans in Texas. They showed these amazing tools to aid the veterans and made a point of saying that it was completely funded by private donations and not "your tax dollars".

First of all, any of us should be happy to use our tax dollars to fund such a place. It is the least we can do for the men and women who have been permanently changed in body and spirit for this war.

They showed the men and women, disfigured and maimed from combat. I just felt so angry. I felt so angry at this administration for spinning this war. For spinning the lives of these people to a point where they no longer have arms, legs, or facial features.

I don't have to understand all the details and intricacies of the war to feel justified in my anger. I remember my uncle telling me at the beginning of the war that Iraq would become a hotbed of terrorism because of our actions. I didn't believe him.

I can't help but ask the question. If my uncle knew this would happen, wouldn't you think that the administration's thinkers and planners would know the same?

On a lighter note, I really like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. You can watch it online for free.

Oh, I Do That Too

I guess it would be safe to say that I go through phases with music. A few years ago, I was really into John Denver. However, all the music that I had was on my old computer (two computers ago) and it didn't transfer to this new computer. Today, I downloaded "Rocky Mountain High".

I love this song.

"Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door"

Hmm...I think we'll go with this. I love music for 70% lyric and 30% melody. I know that is insulting to the musicians of the world, but I just really like a good turn of a phrase. For example, "Cannonball" by Damien Rice.

"there’s still a little bit of your taste in my mouth
there’s still a little bit of you laced with my doubt
it’s still a little hard to say what's going on"

Good stuff.

However, there are songs that must MUST have the melody to make the lyrics powerful. "Bell Bottom Blues" by Eric Clapton is such a song. It isn't just the lyric or the song, but his voice sounds as if he is dying, but in the good way. The good way that makes you believe that he is desperate for this woman to take him back.

"Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I’d gladly do it because
I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day, please."

Oh, Heck! Why don't you just listen to it for yourself on my new Midwestern Podcast!

Back From the Scrap

I have returned from Scrap Camp and although I did not develop some new mad skills, I did get a lot accomplished. I was, again, called out on a few things.

First, I am a very fast scrapper. I do not rely on pre-made layouts so I do not spend time searching for the perfect layout. I do my own thing which cuts down on time. The women who are all Creative Memories diehards were amazed at my speed of scrappin'. I was also judged for using brads and eyelets on my pages. They felt that they would damage the pages, but the do not. They embellish and give the pages depth.

When I first arrived, I was a little overwhelmed by the women and their love for Creative Memories. I have shared my opinion of Creative Memories in the past and this is it...They have great tools. They have matching paper. They do not have nice stickers or letters. There is cuter stuff in the stores. But their tools are amazing. The women had EVERY Creative Memories pen, tool, and case. I have more of a hodge podge set up.

I share a hotel room with two complete strangers, but it was as if I had a single because these women stayed up until 4:30 AM and 6:30 AM scrapping. No way. I was in bed a little after midnight. They are hardcore. I am worthless with all endeavours after midnight. Like Cinderella, I guess.

Well, you can check out some of the pages that I finished this weekend. I counted. I did over 30 pages this weekend. That is a lot, my friends!

Scrappin'

I am off to scrap camp. I will be gone for the whole weekend cutting, cropping, gluing, and arranging a multitude of photos on lots of patterned paper. Some might wonder why I need to dedicate an entire weekend to such an endeavour. The answer is this...I don't. I just want to. I am taking this weekend to do something that I really enjoy. I have rarely met any people who share my enthusiasm for the craft of scrapbooking, but I think I might meet a few scrappin' fools this weekend.

I look at this weekend like I would look at a golf weekend for the guys or a shopping trip for some ladies. You won't hear from me for a few days, but when I return, I will be filled with stories from the camp.

I'll Be More Careful

Like most mornings, after I get my beloved medium hazelnut with milk and sugar, I plugged my ipod into my car radio. I put the bad boy on shuffle and let the music gods smile down on me. At that exact moment, I am blissfully happy. It is this moment where I am at the beginning of a day that could take lots of different turns, good and bad, but at that moment, all is right and good in the world.

As the ipod started to shuffle, Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" came on the radio. This song was my secret anthem from last year. It seemed like I had bad day after bad day. I started to reflect about this during the car ride. I normally don't sit and get thoughtful about pop song lyrics, but you know the one that says, " You're faking a smile with the coffee to go". Well, I get that. I get that idea that a person just has to go through the motions sometimes to get to that good day.

Damn that "Bad Day" song! I had my coffee and my ipod and it was bumming me out! So, I quickly hit the next song and thankfully, Duran Duran came on. No one can be bummed to a little "Rio".

Don't Hold Back

I love when people comment on my blog. I like to hear what people have to say even when it might disagree with me. What I find the most fascinating about the anonymous comments are their tone. People who sign their name to their comment are more likely to write something with a bit of a laissez-faire attitude. The whole "you dig what you dig and I'll dig what I dig" attitude. The anonymous commenter has more of an edge. I never write anything that I could be cut too deeply by this edge, but there is a little more judgement and, I will go ahead and say it, criticism in these comments.

I was at work and received a comment from someone. Who, I can only fantasize about. It must have been someone who was catching up on the blog or someone who stumbled on the blog. I like to believe it is someone who is lurking and reading my blog, but my review of The DaVinci Code simply drove this person to comment. Maybe it was a frequent signed in reader, but their assessment of my thoughts were so out of line that he/she needed to be as clear as possible with his/her thoughts. He/she told me it was the worst movie he/she has ever seen.

Again, I love a good mystery comment. It almost makes me feel like I should be more opinionated on my blog just to have more contrasting anonymous comments.

Game Night

Besides our family Thanksgiving, we had our first social gathering at our house last night. My friends, Amy and Wes, came to town from NYC. I picked them up on the train and we enjoyed some savory snacks before the other guests arrived. Later, the crew from Borders came over. After some brief introductions, we had dinner and got our game on.

I tried to make a dinner that would be somewhat healthy. I made chili and baked potatoes. I had no idea that chili on baked potatoes was a new thing to some people, but it was a big hit. I did not make such a healthy dessert. I found this recipes at allrecipes that used ice cream sandwiches as the main ingredient. You have to check it out the Hot Fudge Ice Cream Bar Dessert. It was so easy and the presentation was quite nice.

Despite the fact that I am trying to eat healthy, I had a piece of dessert. It is the first thing in three and a half weeks that has not been a healthy choice. I will allow myself that. If I wouldn't have enjoyed a piece, I would have had a huge craving and binged on something even worse. I packed up three to-go containers just so we wouldn't have leftovers.

The games started with Apples to Apples, my new favorite game. I appreciate that the players/friends were decisive and quick with their choices. I hate games that are slow, except Scrabble. I discovered that I might be the weak link when it comes to another favorite, Catch Phrase.

Fantastic fun.

15 Minutes

It is amazing that fifteen minutes will make such a difference in a person's day. I was running late on Thursday for no particular reason. The line was longer at the coffee shop. As I was waiting to turn right onto a very busy street in Philadelphia, the man behind me started honking his horn for me to go.

Where did he think I was supposed to go?

So, I did nothing. I waited for my turn. Actually, I am lying a little. I was waiting for both lanes to be free. I know that is annoying for the man behind me, but I have to cross both lanes into the left turning lane in a quick way in order to get to work. Otherwise, I have to go the very busy and congested way.

He honks again. At this point, he has a point, but I just want to get to work my normal way. I can't take the driving guilt. I go and end up going the long and congested way.

Big mistake. It ends up being so chaotic and angry, them...not me. I will never be 15 minutes late again.

A Corner Has Been Turned

Hello neglected ones!

I am not sure what I have done with my time since Saturday, but it certainly hasn't been spent blogging. Let's see, I have started this new thing where I go to the gym after school. The gym is free and great and there is no reason but stupidity that I haven't used it until now. I am trying to avoid all of my gym failures in the past. In order to keep the momentum with the gym, I will reflect on what has led to such failures in the past.

1. Ugly Workout Clothes - I cannot spend my time worrying about how I look while I am working out. Everyone is there and gross in some way. Either it is the gross grunting the unnecessarily large muscle man makes every time he finishes a lift or the middle aged man who is working out in his slacks. We are all gross.
2. The Numbers - I can't look at the calories that I have burned. I can't look at the time that I have left on the treadmill. I can't look at the clock on the wall. The only number that I am at all allowed to consider is the weight that I started at on December 28 and that is the reason that I am on the treadmill in the first place.
3. The Others - I will not compare myself with this tight, little 21 year old with roller derby shorts and pig tails running at top speed next to me.
   
4. The Excuses - I can have none. I have agreed with myself that I will get to the gym for four days this week. I will make a weekly deal with myself that if I do this, I will buy a new magazine for myself to enjoy the next week at the gym. Magazines seem so extravagant.
   

Hearth Makes a Home?

This is what used to be our fireplace.

When we made an offer on the house, we had an inspection done. It revealed that the house needed a new hearth for the fireplace. The sellers are paying for our new hearth because it was falling through the floor into the basement.

Today, masonry guy is here breaking up the old hearth, pouring the cement, and making my house very dusty. I was going to clean while this was happening, but what is the point.

However, I will be very glad when it is finished.

Songs

Isn't it weird how my random ipod Friday shuffle would play two songs with the name SARAH in it? I think so.

Do readers check out the list? Do you say, "Oh, I love that song!" or "I don't know that song. I will check it out," or "Man, I hate that song"?

Grocery Lady

I must have a face that says, "She'll talk to you even if she has no idea what you are talking about". It happens to me all of the time.

I was standing in line at the deli counter at the grocery store. One of the good/bad things about Philadelphia is no one knows me. I can stand there in my pajamas if I want to and not have to worry about who sees me. I can stand there with a complete staring contest with the honey ham behind the glass. No one will notice me or bother me.

Well, the other day, this woman who was around 90 years old was having an in depth conversation with the deli guy about turkey and prices. I couldn't help hear. She was yelling. Then, she turns to me and makes eye contact. Oh no.

"She is going to start talking to me," I think to myself in a social panic. It is not that I don't like elderly people, but elderly people just do what they want. They don't care what your plans are. For example, I wanted to get my meat and get home because I was mildly starving.

As she starts talking to me about how she has been coming to this supermarket for 19 years, she grabs the completely off limit upper chub of my upper arm! She holds on for dear life as she asks me for directions to the Eckard Pharmacy across the street. Then, she tells me about how she has a pacemaker and is so close to the hospital if it quits working that she'll just walk on over.

At this point, I know I am bruising on the arm chub and the meat guy is showing me his angry face because I have the next number and three people are waiting for me to wrap it up with this woman. I give him the signal to take the next customer and I'd get a new number. Oh, boy! Then, she started telling me how young people are not polite anymore like me. I think she would have taken me home if I hadn't been slowly pulling away from her literal grasp.

Well, we wrapped up the one sided conversation and she was on her way. I felt bad for her more than anything. I am sure she was lonely and just wanted to talk to someone. I am glad I could be that person even if I had no choice.

Issue of the Day: Time Zones

I wonder if I will ever get used to the eastern time zone.

There are so many things that just feel wrong. I feel like I should be watching prime time television at 7PM, but it doesn't start until 8PM. I am starting to wind down for bed around then. Most newscasts do not even start until 11PM. By the time I finish, it is 11:20! That is just not going to happen on a school night.

I have always been the girl who goes to bed at 10:20. Even in college, I would chose my roommates based upon two factors:

1) Do they have a television? If they do, they are out. I can't stand having a television in my bedroom.
2) Do I see them up early in the morning and do I see them getting ready for bed around the same time I am getting ready for bed?

If you passed these initial skill sets, then, we'd move onto questions 3 and 4:

3) Do they come home or do they stay with a boyfriend? I liked to have my room mates come home. I hated when room mates would walk in at all hours of the night or morning and wake me up. They called me "the ogre" in my senior year because I hated having my sleep interrupted.
4) Do they sweat the small stuff? Are they dramatic and crying all of the time? Do they break up with their boyfriends every other week? If they did, they were out. I had no time to be anyone's counselor.

The bonus question for being my room mate, are you tidy? You don't have to be a clean freak and I preferred if you weren't. I just did not want grossness in my room.

It kind of sounds like I had all of the cards. I didn't. They had to want to be my room mate too. However, the older you were, the more seniority you had in choosing rooms. The most coveted of rooms were the carpeted rooms. I inhabited one of the two carpeted rooms all senior year with my room mate, Jill. Jill was a great room mate. She fit all of the descriptions above.

Since we've moved out here, Tim likes to stay up for the news. I against this. I like to go to bed at the normal 10:20 even if it means missing out on some shows or the news. Maybe I'll have to switch all of my clocks to reflect central time and things will be set right in my world.

A New Gem

I went to this fantastic restaurant last night. It was called Sang Kee Asian Bistro. It was perfect because Tim was in the mood for Chinese and I was in the mood for Thai. Sang Kee has a fusion of all Asian cuisines.

It was the first time that I had been to a restaurant since changing my eating habits a little over a week ago. When we eat out, we usually go around 6PM. This helps us avoid the evening rush and we are home to have a full evening together. Last night was the exception.

We walked into the restaurant and it was packed. I thought for sure we'd have to wait, but the hostess walked us to a small table for two. However, it was one of those trendier places where you are almost eating with strangers because your tables are so close.

I like any Asian restaurant that serves you hot tea along with your water. It is such a nice treat before your meal. We ordered some Hot and Sour soup. This soup had tofu in it and it was a nice touch because I was very hungry. After our soup, Tim had seafood pan fried noodles and I had beef chow fun which is soft rice noodles with beef, bean sprouts, scallions, and a flavorful sauce. It was hard to tell how healthy this meal was, but I felt satisfied and it has to be better than a cheeseburger, right?

Entertainment?

I hate when the media forces something down my throat.

Wait. I should rewind. It is true that no matter how often a dear friend refers to Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood as the "news", it really isn't the news. Maybe it is the plunging cleavage necklines of the hosts or the man in the turned up collar that is telling me something is breaking news, but I just can't buy it.

Now, I buy it enough to tune in when my body and mind go into slow down mode right after supper. It is the time of day that I want nothing more than to sit in front of the television and watch something. Usually, there will be a rerun or two on, but usually it is the entertainment industries excuse to hear themselves talk that I tune into. Why do I do this? It only leaves myself annoyed at celebrities and more annoyed at myself for watching.

So, back to my point...

Donald Trump. Rosie O'Donnell. Why should I care that these two egomaniacs don't like each other? Shame on me for watching.

The baby bump...doesn't anyone in Hollywood know that sometimes people get chubby instead of PG? Maybe Halle Berry is just having a bloated day rather than procreating this earth. Let's give her a break please.

Then, the lowest of the low...Lindsey, Paris, Nicole, and lately Britney...your skirts are too short, your waists are too small, and you have wasted more precious ink and airtime than I care to think about. Girls, get yourself a 12 step program or at least 12 doughnuts.

See...even I am wasting my precious blog space writing about this garbage. Go ahead, shame me.

Damn You, Pile of Pancakes

It is amazing what your mind will do when you are trying to be conscious of what you eat.

I don't even like pancakes, yet as I drove past an IHOP today, I saw pictures of them in the window and man, I wanted them. They looked so good. They still look good.

But, my self-control won that battle. I just hope it can win the war. I drove home and had some leftover spaghetti and sauce, applesauce, and water.

I stopped at Dunkin' Doughnuts to get my regular morning coffee today. However, the nice woman who takes pride in knowing what I want was shocked when I told her that I was switching to skim milk rather than cream. She asked if I was sure and I was. I am hoping that the big and little changes in my life with yield big and little changes.

I am waiting for Friday to step on the scale and see what all this self-control and discipline has done for my body.

I Know Most Love It

We rented Pirates of the Caribbean for New Year's Eve along with a few others. I knew from the first few minutes that I wasn't going to make it to the end of the movie. First, I couldn't remember what had happened in the first Pirates movie. The story line had elements to it that I think, and I am not for sure here, that you should really remember what happened in the last movie. Maybe I should have given it more time, but the movie was so dark. We don't have a huge television so I was left squinting my eyes trying to decipher what was actually occurring during the movie.

The biggest thing that I couldn't continue watching/listening/translating was Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, I agree that he is a clever character, but I couldn't understand 90% of the words from his mouth. I really don't like it when actors do not open their mouths when they are speaking. It was as if he wanted us to really see his nasty pirate teeth. Yes, we see them and they are nasty.

I know you don't hear this very often, but thank goodness for the DaVinci Code or I would have had a bummer of a New Year's Eve.