Resolutions for 2016

I've spent a lot of time thinking about resolutions for 2016. While on this road trip through the south visiting with family and friends we haven't seen in years, or in my case haven't ever met before, my resolutions for this year clarified.

This year I resolve to not only love my family and friends, but to ensure they know it.

My second resolution is better health for myself. This is the year. Period.

My third resolution is to enjoy Betty Bug and my camera more. I enjoy both of them, but neglected them in the 2nd half of 2015 after the move to Houston.

Let's make this the year of being whole people...love, health and joy.

Philly Trip, Yum!

Any of you have stress at work? Yeah, join the crowd. We've all got it, right? I have lots of tools in my belt to handle this stress. Whether I use them or not is not part of this particular post (maybe some other time?). With that said, one of the ways I deal with stress from work is to ensure my days off are are QUALITY days off. The past couple of months this particular tool has slipped out of my hand. So, Ray and I have decided to make more of an effort to get out and enjoy our surroundings...even in 11 degree temperatures! So here's a recap of our overnight trip to Philly.

Friday morning we packed a bag and made the hour trip to Philadelphia. We started by visiting the President's House site, which is part of Independence Mall. There's a section that has been excavated and glassed off for visitors to see.

There's an exhibit there concerning slavery and freedom that was touching in a way that was more powerful with it being an open-air footprint of the house than it would have been in a walled off museum. I know I'm missing the words to describe it appropriately, so I'm going to stop while I'm ahead.

We then visited the Liberty Bell Center. Here they have the history of the bell itself and how it played into the histories of abolition, suffrage and other battles for freedom. It was inspiring to see the bell in person. To see the crack and the attempts to fix it. To see the inscription, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land until all the inhabitants thereof." It's a verse from Leviticus. No wonder those fighting for their rights adopted the bell as their own. They were demanding their own jubilee.

Liberty Bell

We moved on to Independence Hall before hopping across town to take the obligatory pictures of the steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Independence Hall

Philadelphia Art Museum

Ray thought we shouldn't be boring in our picture taking, so we had a bit of comic relief for the folks around us.

We headed to Tony Luke's for lunch where we had roast pork sandwiches. I love these sandwiches! Afterwards, we passed Geno's and Pat's, which are apparently famous for their Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. With all of the other places we have on our list to try out, I'm not sure we'll actually stop for a sandwich here. Ray says the most memorable part of getting to these places, which are basically across the street from each other, is the education in 19th century urban development. The streets we drove through and the housing and shops we drove past, it was as if we had been transported to another time.

We then made our way to check into the hotel to take a rest before the big event of the night. We stayed at The Inn at Penn and it was great. Ray thought the room was warm because it wouldn't cool down to freezing, but I was comfy, so...

Before the concert we had dinner at The Fat Ham. The menu is made up of small plates. The owner describes it as "...a pork-centric restaurant drawing inspiration from Southern country cooking..." Okay, so small plates of Southern food. I'm on board with that. Here's where I talk about everything we ate (in case you want to skip ahead!). 

We had the charcuterie board with bacon, ham, chicken liver terrine, pickled veggies and mustard. Here's a picture of a guy putting the board together that I nicked from their site. To be honest, I didn't want to like the terrine. I'm not a chicken liver person and I'm not fond of meat that's comparable to baby food, but I want more...now.

We also had hummus made from boiled peanuts. Now, I like hummus and I like peanuts, but I do not like boiled peanuts. The man I'm married to loves them. I didn't like it and surprising enough, neither did Ray. It was too loose for his tastes. Next up was the roasted root vegetables, which were great, and shrimp and grits. There's a restaurant in Indy that makes my favorite shrimp and grits, ever. I now have a very close second. I could eat these all day long. I plan on going back to this restaurant with the sole purpose of ordering the shrimp and grits again. They were wonderful. The last of the plates were mac and cheese and fried chicken. The mac and cheese had a BBQ potato chip crust on it that was unexpectedly good. It gave it that crunch you usually get from the breadcrumb topping and a hint of sweet BBQ. It was good. 

Now we're going to have to talk about the chicken. It was fried chicken, but different. It's actually called hot chicken, which is a staple in Tennessee. I'm not a fan. Maybe if it were something I grew up with I would have enjoyed it as much as the million other people who have tried it, but it's just not my kind of eats and that's okay, because the pecan pie with vanilla bean ice cream was great!

After dinner we made our way to the Wells Fargo Center to see Martina McBride and George Strait. This was part of my Christmas present from Ray. I've been looking forward to this and they didn't disappoint. The lights of the show messed with me and my new meds, but of course we made the best of it. I even got a dance with my no dancing husband. It's one for the books! 

Saturday we slept in. It was nice, since we never do that. We're usually up with the sun and/or cats on our days off. We got ready and packed (not everything!) and made our way to our brunch reservation at Amada, which is a Spanish restaurant. One of the things we really enjoy is choosing to take part in a restaurants tasting or chefs menu. You never know what you're going to get, but you do know it's going to cover a variety of items, some of which you might not have ever thought to order on your own. So, for brunch, that's what we did and it consisted of 3 courses with each course being comprised 3 tapas each. 

Are you ready for more food talk?!?

Our first course had manchego with sliced granny smith apples, truffled lavender honey with crusty bread. I enjoy these types of plates and was blown away by the honey. So much so that we bought some, brought it home and mailed a jar to Georgia. I just know they're going to love it! Yup, we're those people. Another plate was ensalada verde, which had lettuce (of couse!) with fava beans, asparagus, avocado, and green beans. I like salads, but this one was terrific. Whatever is in your head about this combination, throw it out, you're not even close to the reality. The taste, the textures, the visuals...I want to make and eat this salad every day! The third tapas for this course was a variety of marinated olives. There were so many types in bowl it was fun for us to eat and compare together.

The second course included a Spanish tortilla, which I loved. Ray typically isn't a fan of tortillas, but I think this one won him over. If you've never had one, think frittata with sliced potatoes and onions in fluffy egg goodness. So good. There were ham croquettes with romesco that were fantastic. I could eat a plate full of them. Then there was the galletas y salsa. This wasn't your everyday biscuits and gravy. It was a serrano biscuit with a house-made chorizo patty topped with gravy. Yes, I'll have more. 

Are you full yet? One more course to go.

The third course had a warm fava and lima bean salad with onions and peppers. It reminded me of the flavors I've had in black eyed pea salads...a little sweet...a little heat...a little vinegar...it was good. Trying to recreate it is on my to do list. There was a bowl of albondigas...I love saying that word. They're little lamb meatballs served in a manchego cheese sauce and peas. Then there was the hanger steak. I'm such a sucker for hanger steak. The seasonings were great. The sauce served with it was great. I want more. I actually bartered Ray for the last piece. I gave up my last meatball for the last piece of steak. We were both happy with the outcome!

Then there was dessert. It was a pumpkin brulee served with dried cherries and figs. It was perfect and paired well with the strong coffee. Usually pumpkin anything hits you in the head and says "HEY THERE'S PUMPKIN IN HERE!" This didn't do that. It was super subtle, silky smooth and not too sweet.

Ray had a couple of brunch-type cocktails. One had coffee, cinnamon and honey whiskey. He said it was dangerous because you couldn't tell there was alcohol in it. The second one, which had orange juice, cava, gin and vodka, had more of a bite to it. The alcohol definitely wasn't hiding in it!

After we ate, we made our way over to the site of one of the homes Edgar Allan Poe and his wife (and cousin) Virginia lived in while in Philadelphia. While there's nothing there from his occupation of the house, it was still neat.

They've done a good job at restoring the rooms they occupied to their original state. The history of the man and his dying wife are there as is a timeline of his life. He had an up and down life with an amazing imagination that inspired so many after him. I think back fondly to the month we spent on Poe while I was in college. It was a difficult month with so many papers I agonized over, but one that translated to my every day life. I learned more about reading between the lines and figuring out what people were trying to say verses what they actually said. The psychology of it all grabbed my attention. I've read most of his stories, poetry and reviews multiple times. I think it might be time for another visit.

Me in the basement

Stairs in the basement

After completing the tour we got on the road for home. We had to stop near the halfway point to allow my nausea (new meds side effect) to subside. This is when we realized that we forgot Ray's shaving kit at the hotel. Gracious. So instead of taking zantac to calm my stomach down (I packed them in his kit), I had to buy chewable Pepto from the gas station. Eww, gross! If companies are going to make chewables, they could at least make them taste better.

It was a good trip for us both. Now to plan the next one...

For So Much More...

Cami and I are sitting here pairing my new Jaybird Bluebuds X bluetooth headphones with my phone, the TV and laptop while listening to Pandora. She can't hear the music playing, but she has good taste so I know she's absolutely enjoying it. I had my phone in my hand about to close out Pandora when I started paying attention to the words of the song playing:

Give me one million problems

And I promise I'll worry about them all.

Give me twenty-four hours and I promise I'll fill them up

With all the things that are so small.

But something tells me

You made me for so much more.

(Matthew West - The Light of Eternity)

I've recently realized that I've allowed all the problems and things that are so small take up residency in my head and get me off track...way off track. I've been working to make the U-turn and once again have found that it's hard to let go of it all. So when I heard the above lyrics, it stopped me and I listened to the rest of the song. Good lyrics, not a great song, but that's okay.

All too often it's frustrating to note how difficult it can be to get what you know in your head to be embraced by your heart. It's not as easy as, let's say, pairing a set of bluetooth headphones. Too bad, right?

The Not Quite Atlanta Trip

We have been looking forward to our trip to Atlanta for a while now. We have family there and they are the perfect people for us to unwind, relax and recharge with every time. It was going to be a quick trip, Wednesday through Friday, and then back to the grind. We had plans of TV shows, music, food adult beverages and an adults night out so they too could have a few hours of not being parents and recharge themselves. And then the ice and snow came to Atlanta for the second week this year and shut the place down...again.

Our flight was canceled the day before we were to leave. The trip would not happen. I was more than disappointed. I needed this trip. I needed to get away to unwind and find some of the energy I've lost here lately. I needed to laugh and cut-up like the four of us do so well. I was looking forward to being served imaginary tea! I was agitated and stressed before the trip was canceled and worse off after Southwest sent me the sweetly worded notification of our canceled flight.

Thankfully I married the best guy around and he knew I needed, at the minimum, a night out without worries and full of laughs. So, he made plans and took me out in hopes of us making it back home before the snow storm rolled in. We were forecasted to get 4-6", but that could mean anywhere from a dusting to a blizzard.

We started our evening with dinner at Moro in Wilmington. The restaurant is off the beaten path in a weird residential-business neighborhood. When you look at the place you know instantly it was someones home once upon a time, but once you walk in, you know you're in a fine dining establishment.

We started with drinks. I ordered a Moro Fizz which has blood orange soda, pomegranate juice and white rum served over ice. The glass it was served in was a fun style of a collins glass and if I could have gotten two of them to the table at once, I might have nicked them. The drink itself was great. Not too much alcohol, not too sweet and the carbonation was just right. It's like a gin fizz minus the gin, lemon juice, egg whites...hmm...okay, it's nothing like a gin fizz, but it was a great way to start.

Ray ordered the Basil Lemonade. It had lemonade, citron vodka and basil leaves served over ice in a highball glass. This drink would be good if a pitcher were made and served on a warm summer day. When I say good, you should read "dangerous".

We had the six course tasting menu and Ray had the wine pairing to go with it. Ray says he chose the six course menu over the four or five course menu because he figured there was going to be a tartar or foie gras brought out and he knows I don't enjoy either of those items. I personally think he wanted more food.

The first plate brought out was a salmon tartar. My heart sank. I really don't enjoy raw fish at all. I've tried a number of fish in many ways and have liked the flavor, but there's a texture thing I can't get past. So, as I've done many times before, I put some of it on my little crostini, prayed, and ate it. Then I finished my plate. It was delicious!

The next plate was seared mahi mahi with capers and caramelized onions served over a roasted potato. When the plate was put in front of me my first thought was that this wasn't going to work. I've never had potatoes with fish unless it was fried fish with a side of french fries. Of course, when I ate it, it was great.

The next course was my favorite of the night. It was a brown butter, artichoke risotto. I want a bowl of it now and later and tomorrow and the next day. It's not on their normal menu, so I don't know if I'll be able to order it on a return trip. This has to be in the top five things I've ever eaten. It was that good.

The fourth plate was crispy lamb served on top of a nutmeg ricotta ravioli with grilled asparagus and a parsnip puree. This wasn't my favorite of the night, but was still good. Ray really enjoyed it. The asparagus with the parsnip puree was so good he ate it all. For those who don't know, Ray dislikes asparagus with a passion. Looks like we both had a change of heart.

The next plate was a braised short rib. The meat was so tender that a knife was unnecessary. It was so good. My only complaint was that I was so full at this point that I could barely eat any of it. I am still very disappointed in myself. The positive is that this is on their normal menu, unlike everything else we ate, so if (read "when") we go back, I can order it as my entree. This was a close second behind the risotto. It was so good.

The last plate was dessert. It was a deconstructed smore. Now, I recently told someone that smores are over rated and that the only good smore was one that you could drink. I need to add an addendum to that statement. A deconstructed smore made with chocolate pot de creme, some crushed graham crackers and a couple of large charred marshmallows is also acceptable. Oh man was that good!

It was really great food and I hope we return soon and consume a few plates less. Ray enjoyed his wine pairings. With each new pairing I tried a sip and enjoyed them too. They did a good job with the small pours so as to not have folks drunk by the end of the meal. We've done pairings with our meals twice before last night and both times the pours were too much. I appreciate folks not trying to get me drunk. Personally, I think it defeats the purpose of the pairings. Plus, the amount of time and coffee you have to consume afterwards before you can drive home can get ridiculous!

Once the meal was over and Ray rolled me out of the restaurant, we made our way to the The Grand Opera House which was beautiful inside. It's a very cozy space which lends itself to not having a bad seat in the house.

We were there to experience Alton Brown Live: The Edible Inevitable Tour.

It was a great show. He played a few songs that were pretty funny and made chocolate ice cream with a couple of extinguishers, cream he got from Bessie, his trusted cow from Good Eats and a volunteer from the audience. He made pizza in his Mega Bake oven using stage lights and a ship wheel and another volunteer from the audience.

This volunteer comes with a story. She is the sister of the first volunteeer, an industrual engineer, blonde and drunk. The exchange between the two of them throughout the demonstration was hilarious. The burping/farting yeast sock puppets also made a few appearances throughout the show.

He talked through his current "10 Things I'm Sure About Food" of which I can only remember some of them now...

• Chickens don't have fingers - He told a great story about a sleep over his daughter had where she wanted him to make them chicken fingers. He made them chicken feet.

• The thing in the kitchen you should learn to use is salt
• Trout should never be in ice cream - He told the story about having to eat it on Iron Chef America. I remember watching that episode
• Your wife is the best cook
• The best ingredient to learn to cook with is eggs - They're cheap, come in cartons of 12, are pre-measured and even if you over cook them they are still (usually) edible
• The most important tool in the kitchen is the table - Pay attention to the people you're eating with more than the food. 
• Raisins are always optional
• Never eat cocktail shrimp at the airport - He told a story about how he ate a shrimp cocktail at a LA airport, got sick on the 5 hour flight and ended up in the hospital for a few days. Ray was able to commiserate as he had a similar experience with BBQ.

It was a fun show that had us laughing. It ran long, which was fine with us, until we got outside and the snow had already started falling. The drive was a bit of an adventure since the roads hadn't been treated, but thankfully Ray was able to maneuver safely and got us home in one piece. Here's the picture of us once we got home. That's the look of relief on my face!

It was a great night out. The food was good, the show was funny and my date was the best. Thanks again, hunny.

(Almost) Happy New Year!

2013 is mostly behind us now. Looking back over the year, a lot has happened... 

One evening in January I came home from work to find the front door open and our apartment ransacked. Ray was out of town for work, so I had to keep it together for a while on my own. To say that affected me would be an understatement. The reason we live in the house we do is because it has an alarm. I'm pretty sure that will be a requirement going forward. 

In February we spent time in Helen, Georgia with family celebrating a birthday. It was a fabulous time and I hope that we're all able to get together again. It's so rare that a group of family members get along so well. 

On March 22^nd, Ray, the kitties and I arrived in Delaware to report to our new positions, for me a promotion and for Ray a return to Walmart. I told you guys he'd be back. He really does bleed blue. 

We've traveled to Philly, Baltimore and D.C. on numerous occasions; the majority of them involving either the Astros or Braves. We actually spent a few days in D.C. to celebrate Ray's 43rd birthday. It was a fun trip.

Claudia came to visit for a week. We made our way to the beach, where the air temperature was in the 90's and the water temperature felt like -2! We went to the batting cages, bowling, watched some movies, ate ice cream and hopped over to D.C., where I lost the keys to the car and we had to wait for someone to help us. Good grief.

While there were a lot of good things that happened in 2013, I don’t feel that it was a purposeful year. I think we floated through the year without any real goals for ourselves. Yeah, we spent time working out shooting for healthier versions of ourselves, but that’s about it. I am typically a very organized person. When things are not in their place, when I’m at the store without a list, when I don’t have a plan, anxiety takes over and I become inefficient, ineffective and grumpy.

So, Ray and I decided to make a plan for the year. We have a plan for our finances. We know what we want to save for and how much we want to have saved by the end of the year and we have a plan to get there. We’re working on a plan for our time off this year. We have Claudia’s graduation (Oh my goodness!) to attend, we have a trip to Arizona that is in the works and we’re still working out how to get back to the Atlanta area for a visit. These are just a few of the big items we’re planning out.

I have 22 books on my To Read list. I read 17 in 2013 and am currently reading 2. We’ll see if I finish those before the new year begins. J There are movies I want to watch and TV shows I want to see. There are restaurants I want us to eat at and places I want us to be tourists in this year.

I have weight to be lost. I lost 13 lbs in 2011, 32 in 2012 and 25 in 2013. That’s 60 lbs! It’s a LOT slower than I had planned, but it’s staying off, so I’m happy with the results. This year I’m looking to lose 30 more pounds. This will mean more regular visits to the gym, a few less splurges and I know I need a goal to push me and keep me accountable. That goal is to run a 5k in late March/early April. I don’t know if Ray is running with me or not. Maybe if we can find a 5k that takes place during the week…

I haven’t decided on a race yet and it’ll depend on my marathon running co-worker’s schedule. He’s running a half and full marathon with his wife this year. I think they’re crazy, but I love listening to him tell me about their training. I also enjoy writing disparaging things on his RunKeeper updates on Facebook! Mmm, cookies! J

Speaking of cookies, I have recipes everywhere. They’re printed out, in books, stuffed in drawers, saved to my tablet, phone and laptop and online in MULTIPLE places! I want, no, I NEED these organized! I just haven’t figured out how I want to do that just yet. Do I want them on cards? Do I want them in the cloud? How about Pinterest? And what about format? Should they all be the same or does it matter? Oh, and nutritional information must be included!

Are you getting a better picture of how my head works? Scary, isn’t it?

I have pictures that haven’t been hung on the walls yet. Ray’s man cave needs to be finished. My bedframe needs to be repaired from the move. We want to spruce up the car: paint and detail it. Oh, it’s about time to start planning the container garden again!

Is anyone else feeling like a nap? Zzzzz…

I write all of these things because they are on my mind. We’ve spent hours talking about them together and I’ve spent even more hours thinking on them myself. I want 2014 to be a little less chaotic, to be a bit more structured, for us to be more prepared, so that we’re able to have more fun and less stress in our lives.

So with all of that said, here’s to the new year that is upon us. May we live each day purposefully.

For sanity’s sake Ray, pick your comic books up off the floor! No, they don’t belong on top of the box, put them back inside the box. No, not like that, they are in alphabetical order. What do you mean “they were”?!?

Church Search

We've been here 6 or so months now and haven't made a real effort to find a church home yet. Both of us working weekends has really hindered the search, but we've been here before and know better.  Wednesday's are still an option, so that's what we're focusing on in our search.

A quick visit to Google with the search of "churches near me" doesn't really yield a large result list. While looking at the statements of faith on some of the church websites, there would be a point where I'd stop reading and say to myself, nope, this church isn't for us.

After a while of this, I started hearing the below Ron White bit in my head...

"I was sitting on a bean bag chair, naked, eating Cheetos the other day when Robert Tilton came on TV. He's a televangelist out of Dallas. He looked at me and said, "Are you lonely?" Yeah. "Have you spent half your life in bars pursuing sins of the flesh?" This guy's good! "Are you sitting in a bean bag chair, naked, eating Cheetos?"... Yes, sir! "Do you have the urge to get up and send me a thousand dollars?" Ha, ha close! I thought he was talking about me there for a second!"

Okay, so it's not the churchiest bit, but it's where my head went with it.

We did find a couple of places to visit. We'll let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, where's my Cheetos?

+5 lbs

It's been a month since I last used the My Fitness Pal app. I'm not exactly sure why I stopped recording my meals. I had been so exacting in ensuing that every morsel of food that passed my lips was recorded. I've been using the app for over a year to track my calories and exercise and then a month ago I stopped. With that I also stopped weighing myself and recording my weight weekly. I had been diligent to do this on a weekly basis for over a year and I don't know why I stopped. Maybe I needed a break...a breather...pizza and ice cream?

I stepped on the scale Tuesday morning for the first time in a month and was not happy with what I saw. When I tapped the scale to signal it to record the weigh-in, it did what it always does - it told me the difference from the last weight recorded - +5 lbs. No. Unacceptable. Not happening.
Ray and I went to the gym this morning. 30 minutes on the treadmill and I worked on my legs. Tomorrow will be 30 minutes on the treadmill and I'll work on my arms\back. I have recorded my exercise and food into the app and will continue to do so going forward.

I am a creature of habit, schedules and structure. Looks like that applies to my weight loss\improved health goal too. I have a goal and a solid plan to reach it. No excuses and no turning back.

No more +5 lbs.

Oops!

Hi there.

It's almost been a year since I posted last. A lot has happened since then. Friendships have ended and began. Weight had been gained and lost... emphasis on the lost. Eb made her yearly journey to visit and we cooked together! Real food like chicken, butternut squash and quiche. A true first! We spent time in the mountains of Georgia with family. Baseball games have been watched in many cities. I've gotten on a plane and in the air 7 times! Can you believe it?  Our apartment was broken into. Jobs have been changed...again.  We've moved states...again. Claudia is a senior in high school! WHAT?!?

I'm going to do a better job of keeping this thing up. Mostly so I stop getting fb messages telling me to post something.  :o)

Hope everyone has been doing well!

For Me

There has been a lot going on in my little life the past couple of months. It hasn't been anything bad, just a lot of little things piling up. Finally, a few weeks ago, I decided to do something for me. I've been following a few folks on Twitter and a couple of blogs that cover all things nails. Yeah, that's right, I said nails. I know, it's not my norm, but I've recently determined that my norm is boring. It's funny that spending time reading and looking at the different swatches of colors and designs, I'm so very intrigued. One of the positives that has come from my taking better care of myself health-wise is that my nails are growing like crazy and I've been cutting them back at least weekly. I decided to stop cutting them so often and allow them to grow out a bit and go get them done.

So here's a couple of pictures of my nails from the past few weeks. Oh, and yes, I am well aware that my feet aren't attractive...Deal with it!  :o) 

My Take on Items Predicted to be an Artifact Soon

So I read an article off msn listing different things that in the next 10 years will no longer be around. Some of them I agree with, some I don’t and others I’m still amazed they exist today.

Here's my take:

1. Tanning Beds – They say the beds won’t be around because of all the bad things caused by spending time in them. Really? You think that’s going to stop folks from their winter tans?
2.  Newspapers – I can’t tell you the last time I read one. The nostalgia that is embodied by the smell of newsprint is heartwarming, but unnecessary.
3.  Magazines – There’s an app for that.
4. Keyboards – Nope. Dead wrong on this one. Keyboards are here to stay. We’re more than a few generations from this one disappearing. You heard it here first.
5. Landlines – What about DSL? Isn’t that through landlines? I really don’t think the phone companies will give up that easily. For goodness sakes, they’re still printing the yellow pages!
6. Flip phones – Two words: Burn Phone. I watch a lot of TV and all burn phones are flip phones. They’ll still be around, but be one of those items that when folks see you with one, you’re going to have to walk away quickly before the cops are called to check out a “questionable character” in the vicinity.
7. Marijuana Bans – Nah. What would our government spend all that money on without pot being the bad guy? (FYI – I’m not an advocate of pot being legalized.)
8. Yellow Pages – I can’t believe these are still being printed and delivered. There was one on my door step last week. STOP IT!
9. Cash – Will it be gone because the greenback is really just a great blend of cotton and not worth anything on the market? Probably. Stop printing money! You’re killing it!
10. Cameras – Disagree 100%. Yes, folks are using their cell phones for pictures, but the pros are not. If you want a real quality picture, you need a camera, not a multitasker.
11. Pretending to eat corn on the cob like a typewriter. Instead we’ll pretend to eat it like a 3D printer – Nah. People still say they eat it like a typewriter even though they could say a dot matrix printer or an office jet. Typewriter is here to stay…for a little while longer at least.
12. Voicemail – Nope. People still have answering machines. Voicemail will stay around too.
13. Watches – They’ll still be around. It’s an accessory and interchangeable. You can still get pocket watches. The watch is here to stay.
14. Nail Polish – They say we’ll be peeling our manicures on and off. I hope they’re right, but I’m not seeing it.
15.  facebook – I use facebook daily, but I still hope this is true.
16. Car Keys – I can see this one. Lots of cars already don’t have keys.
17. Checkbooks – I know I have one somewhere around here, but I’m not sure the last time I used it. Debit card to the rescue!
18. Office Buildings/Office Culture – The article says people will be telecommuting. I need to get an office job…STAT!
19. Redbox Kiosks – I’m good with that.
20. Non eBooks – Ugh, so torn. I love my nook and kindle apps and I enjoy my actual nook, but sometimes the desire to hold a book is overwhelming for me. It’s similar to the newspaper bit above, but such a stronger feeling. It’s almost a need to have a physical book every once in a while, with its paper pages and the smell of the ink. I think folks will hang onto their actual books longer than their newspapers and magazines.
21. Same-Sex Marriage Bans – Have you visited the south? How about the Midwest. You might want to put a longer timeline on this one.
22. Plastic Cutlery – They mentioned compressed starch cutlery. I’m good with this one. Mr. Mancil, are you paying attention?
23. Styrofoam Anything – Lots of chemicals go into Styrofoam. It’s recyclable, but takes a lot of energy to do it. In the end, it’s just bad stuff. Bye bye Styrofoam.
24. Post Offices – Inefficient. Expensive. Outdated. Gone in 10 years? Probably not.
25. Chalkboards – People still use these? Oh my goodness…ACHOO! Get a dry erase board or a computer/projector combo.
26. Neckties – I don’t think so. Bow ties are still around...and are cool. :-) Have you been inside a bank lately?

Those are my opinions. What are yours? Or, do you have an item you'd like to add to the list?

"Imagine the Worst Literary Product Possible"

The New Yorker's Questioningly graphic

This is the task set to the readers of The New Yorker on June 29th, 2012. They want "the most inappropriate commercial item based on a famous book or author" their readers can dream. Is there a prize? Of course! The winner will have their product made with a 3-D printer. Sweet!  

For your reading pleasure, here's a list of people's ideas that have caught my eye thus far:

Silence of the Lambs Skin Lotion
Kafka's Roach Killer
Lady Macbeth Hand Soap
Winston Smith Journals
Agamemnon Welcome Mats
Ophelia's Waterproof Mascara
Clockwork Orange Eye Drops
Flaubert's Carrot
Series 451 Incinerators
King Lear's Estate Planning Service
Antigone Family Restaurant
Ulysses' Navigation Systems


I'm sure there will be more since the contest runs through Monday, but these were enough for me to get a good laugh.

Oh, the line in the article describing what they were looking for in ideas that made me laugh was "...the less comfortable, the better." Wow! Gotta appreciate folks willing to put themselves out there. 


Hope you got a chuckle.

Pay Attention

On April 2, 2012 at 20:45 at the Shell/Circle K station located at 3748 North High School Road, Indianapolis, Indiana, I filled up my 2008 Nissan Rogue. My Rogue's tank, according to the owner's manual, holds 15.9 gallons. According to the #6 gas pump at the above mentioned station, there was 16.503 gallons of gasoline purchased by me. There is obviously an issue with the accuracy of the pump. Also, the assumption that the Rogue was empty shouldn't happen since I wasn't pushed or towed into the station to fill up. I was charged for at minimum 0.603 gallons which equals $2.387, taking the stations $3.959 price for regular gasoline into account. That doesn't seem like a large amount until you think about how many other folks fill up at this station.

This is part of the email I sent to the weights and measures dept here in Indiana. I've had this happen to me before, once in Alabama and once in Texas. It always surprises me when this happens. I'm not looking for a refund, I can afford the $2.387 I was overcharged, but I wanted to bring it to someones attention since I know there are people who are scraping together their change to put fuel in their vehicles.

Whether it's a mistake and the pump is malfunctioning or it's intentional and the owner of this store is scamming the public, either way it's wrong and needs to be addressed.

So, from me to you, pay attention when you pump your gas.

The Sign of a Good Book

I finished reading Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré today. It's a spy novel, but not written in the tradition of spy novels. It's not fast paced. There aren't anxiety induced scenes. The characters aren't flat. There aren't super cool gadgets involved. There are no martini's. What, no martinis?!?

The plot unravels slowly, with much detail, which if forgotten, will leave holes in the story for you later. Each character is thoroughly vetted for the reader. When you've finished the book you will know more about these characters than some of the folks you see everyday.


The name of the book comes from an English child's rhyme which we Americans have our own version.

English Version                 American Version
Tinker, Tailor,                      Tinker, Tailor,
Soldier, Sailor                      Soldier, Sailor,
Rich Man, Poor Man,          Rich Man, Poor Man,
Beggar Man, Thief               Beggar Man, thief,
                                           Doctor, Lawyer,
                                           Indian Chief.

Why we Americans felt the need to add the last three "professions" is beyond me. I've heard folks say this before when counting or making some type of choice; very similar to how you've probably heard someone use eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

In the case of the book they were not counting or trying to make some random decision, but rather they were trying to figure out who the spy was in the Circus, or what we know as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), or MI6, in Britain. The titles were assigned to the suspected spies so that when it is found out who the spy was, it could be communicated without fear of tipping them off.

Throughout the book you are subjected to classic storytelling of past events by the characters trying to pull together their memories to help in the investigation.

While the end of the book wraps quickly, it also does it cleanly without leaving loose ends.

An interesting note about the book is that it's based on a true story the author experienced while he worked for MI6. There really were Russian moles planted in the Circus. The investigation went very much along the lines of what's laid out in the book. There really weren't any martinis. Although there does seem to be an abundance of sherry and scotch in its place. Cheers!

So with all of that said, I know it was a book worth reading for myself because today I have found myself continuously thinking over parts of it, trying to recall bits of it and "flipping through the pages" of my nook to reread sections. I have a lot of books that I've read and reread over the years, but I'm not sure of the last one that made me want to sit down and go back through it so immediately. I take this as a sign of a good book.

Books to Read

I was a member of a Birkman personality assessment this past year as part of a team building exercise at work. It was a neat experience and tremendously accurate. One of the traits it listed for me, with a score of 99, was reading. Now with a score of 99 it actually indicates that reading is actually a need for my personality.

If you know anything about me, you know I enjoy reading. I am happiest when I am on the couch or in the bed with a good book, reading a book with a friend and chatting about it, or being able to recommend a book to someone that they end up enjoying.

I was talking with someone at work a couple of weeks ago about some of the books I've read lately and he laughed at how odd my tastes were; they're like me, unique!

I always have a list of books ready and waiting on me. They are from different genres and cover different subjects. It's an ever growing list and I'm always open to recommendations.

So here it is. Let me know if you have an recommendations of your own.

• J.D. Salinger: A Life - Kenneth Slawenski
• The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht
• Arguably - Christopher Hitchens
• The Devil All the Time - Donald Ray Pollock
• Hemingway's Boat - Paul Hendrickson
• 1Q84 - Haruki Murakami
• The Paris Wife - Paula McLain
• The Mill River Recluse - Darcie Chan
• Vortex - Robert Charles Wilson
• 11/23/63 - Stephen King
• Black Mass - Dick Lehr
• In My Time - Dick Cheney
• Area 51 - Annie Jacobsen
• The Postcard Killers - James Patterson
• Little Bee - Chris Cleave
• The Grand Design - Stephen Hawking
• Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain

Happy New Year!

It seems this is always the time of year when we look back on what we experienced over the last 365 days. It wasn't until I decided to write this blog a bit ago that the reflection started. Here we go...

• I brought in 2011 at work in our break room drinking bubbly grape juice from plastic cups and watching the ball drop in NYC.
• This year was the first year since the early 2000's that I haven't had to work on New Years. Wish I had felt better.
• I had a doctors appointment last March that scared me. 
• I'm on track these days. Nothing to fear here.
• We became debt free! 
• All I can say is Thank you Lord!
• I found out that I have a green thumb.
• I'm looking forward to warmer weather and the yumminess (yeah, I made that word up) that will come from our container garden.
• I decided it was time to lose all of this weight I've put on over the last 5 years.
• In 7 months I've lost, and kept off 13 lbs. I lost more than that, but I'm told it only counts if you keep it off!  :o)
• We lost my uncle Billy this year to cancer.
• I am thankful that I was able to see him before he passed and that I was able to go home and spend time with my family, especially my dad, afterwards. Those visits home really touched me and made me ponder where we're supposed to be. 
• My nook has really made it easier for me to not have piles.
• My nook has really made a dent in our pocketbook. haha
• I started a photo project and have a bunch of pictures already.
• I need to get them organized. I'm having fun with it. Here's to the finished project.
• Meal planning has become a habit and has proven to be helpful and yummy!
• Do you have any favorite recipes you want to share?
• We switched from T-Mobile to Verizon...
• ...and haven't looked back.
• Was able to spend a week with my college roommate and her family. It was a great getaway
• Love you guys!
• My niece came and spent a week with us this summer.
• It was a lot of fun to have her here and we're looking forward to the next visit.
• Ray was able to experience his first NHRA drag races this year when my dad came to visit. 
• Hopefully this becomes a tradition!
• My sister from another mister made her now annual December trip to visit. 
• Miss you. Sorry there wasn't snow for you!

So what's on the slate for this year? Well, knowing that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, let's see what I'm willing to throw out there:

• Continue to eat healthier
• Meal planning
• Eat food a la Michael Pollan's Food Rules
• Continue to become a healthier me
• Eating better
• Losing weight
• Being more active
• Fly somewhere
• Yeah, I can't believe it either. 
• Be a better wife, aunt, sister, daughter, and associate
• Wow, that's going to be a lot of work.
• Get promoted
• So many ways this could turn out...

We have elections this year and the end of the Mayan calendar. Which one causes you more trepidation? 

I hope you and your family and friends have resolved to have a wonderful 2012. I know I have. No matter what happens, remember, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens." Ecclesiastes 3:1 

My Response

Ray wrote a blog post with a subject matter that I am passionate about and I thought I'd share with everyone my response. The subject of his blog was hunger here in the US.

Ahh, a topic near and dear to my heart. 

The fact that there are families in this country that haven't a clue where their next meal is coming from infuriates me. When we talk about basic human rights, free speech, bearing arms, due process, trial by jury, suffrage, etc, why isn't a daily meal included? Our government has decided what we can't have, drugs, alcohol (even though they changed their minds on that one)high powered firearms, but what about things we should have; what about basic needs being met? I have to wear my seat belt when in the front seat of a vehicle, even though if I'm in a wreck the only person that will be injured because of my lack of seat belt is me. They're so worried about things like this, but not something so basic as a meal. 

Now, for my real stand...

The problem isn't our government, It's the Church. I'm not talking about the buildings, I'm not talking about the people who show up on Wednesday, Sunday, Christmas and Easter. I'm talking about the Body of Christ. The body of Christ is the problem. As a whole we are not doing our job. We are not following the second greatest commandment. We are not loving our neighbors as ourselves. We are not assisting "the least of these".

We have fallen so deeply into the pit of the world that we have actually forgotten, as a whole, what we are supposed to do, what we have been commanded to do.

I am thankful for the family that was put in my life as a teen. If it weren't for them being in my life, I don't know if my relationship with my parents would have improved, ever. It took years, but I finally figured out what it meant to honor my parents. It's the only reason those relationships still exist. It's the only reason that I can consider moving back home. And for anyone that might read this and not know my background, yes, hunger played one of many parts in the gross dysfunction of my family.

So no, I don't blame our government. And no, I don't think the government is the one who is failing. I blame the church as a whole. We are failing in so many areas, but this is one that is inexcusable. 

I don't know why food and shelter are not basic human rights in our country or any other country, but it should be a priority of the Church.

I know we have a need to spread the gospel around the world to those who have never heard the name of Jesus, but we need more people "staying home" and fighting the good fight on our home front. We need the Church to take care of their communities, their neighbors, each other.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad Pitas

These are really very good. It's a different twist on chicken salad. It all works together very well and is very filling.

I hope you try it and enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 cups   Cooked, chopped chicken

1 cup     Plain Greek yogurt

2 tbls     Lemon juice

½ tsp     Cumin

¼ tsp     Crushed red pepper

1 cup     Chopped red bell pepper (1 large)

½ cup    Chopped pitted green olives (about 20 small)

½ cup    Diced red onion

¼ cup    Chopped cilantro

1 can     Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

6           Whole wheat pitas, cut in half

6           Slices tomato, cut in half

12         Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Combine chicken, red bell pepper, olives, onion, cilantro, chickpeas in a large bowl.

3. Add yogurt mixture to chicken mixture; toss to coat.

4. Line each pita with lettuce and tomato

5. Add ½ cup chicken mixture to each half pita

Calories: 404

Fat: 10g

Carbs: 46g

Fiber: 6g

Black Bean & Cheese Enchiladas

Ray and I made these enchiladas tonight and thought they were yummy!

Makes 6 servings
2 enchiladas per serving
300 calories per serving







Ingredients
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 cups water
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion, white or yellow
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican blend cheese
3 sliced green onions
12 corn tortillas
6 tablespoons light sour cream
Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine chiles and 2 cups water in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Drain chiles in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

3. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add onion; saute 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Add broth oregano, tomato paste and cumin; cook 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

4. Pour onion mixture into a blender; add chiles and cooking liquid from chiles. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); put lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid to keep sauce from splattering. Blend until smooth; stir in lime juice and red pepper.

5. Combine the beans, 1 cup cheese, and half the green onions in a bowl. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 3 tablespoons bean mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in dish. Pour remaining sauce over filled tortillas. Top with the remaining cheese. 

6. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with remaining green onions; serve with sour cream.

Bits & Pieces

UH football has really rocked it out this season. Keenum, the QB, has been terrific against the opponents faced. It has been fun to read, listen and watch them march through their schedule this season. It is an up and coming program that someday, if managed correctly, will be a contender against the big boys, or maybe just the medium ones, of the college football world.

So with the great play of the Coogs thus far this season, College Game Day was at Robertson Stadium for the first time. By the looks of it there was a great crowd present. Each week Lee Corso does something crazy when he makes his pick for the team he believes is going to win. This week, he did something the FCC isn't going to like. The clip is below so you can see it yourself. Once you realize what Corso says, make sure you pay attention to the reaction of his fellow reporters. I love Herbstreit's reaction! But then again, I just really like Herbstreit in general!

My Astros have a new owner. I'm excited about this change. I'm looking forward to the team becoming competitive again. Their fan base is loyal, but we do require a carrot every once in a while. Now, while I'm excited about the new ownership, I am saddened about the move to the American League. The Astros have always been my team, but I've always rooted for the Rangers as my "AL team". This move is going to make this difficult. I won't be able to root for the Rangers anymore. Then there's the rule differences between the NL and AL. In the NL all players are baseball players. In the AL, most players are baseball players and some are pitchers and some are just hitters. I don't like that at all. If you're going to play baseball, then play baseball. 

Peter King Challenge Update: Ray's middle brother is leading the pack with a 94. I have a 93. Ray and his cousin's wife have 92. Then there's indyjeepgurl that's not doing so well, but is really giving us a run for our figurative money in the college football picks. Really? How'd that happen?!? After this week, there's only 6 weeks of regular season NFL football left.

Meal planning has never been my strong point. Usually I make a list of some basic stuff for the store, buy it and throw it together in different ways each week depending on how I feel and what sounds good. Last week I actually sat down and choose meals for the week. I made a list, bought the groceries, then came home and cooked 5 of the 6 meals I had chosen, leaving one for Ray to make during the week when he was off. It turned out well. The grocery bill was actually lower than normal. The meals were 350 calories or less per serving. We didn't eat out during the week for lunch/dinner. We saved almost $100 last week just spending the time and effort to cook at home. Oh, and our grocery bill this week, even less. I think this just might work. One last thing, this should definitely lead to a lighter, more healthier me.

The past few months Ray has spent his Thursday nights off at a place here in town playing poker (Thanks Yi-Vet!). He has found another place that plays on Monday nights. He's talked me into going with him. I'm a bit nervous. It's been a long time since I've sat down with folks and played.  I think it'll be fun, but I guess we'll see how it turns out. 

On My Mind

I went to the doctor last week for my quarterly check-up. Besides gaining 4lbs since my last visit, all was well. She did notice that I had a cold. I hadn’t noticed yet. Just so you know, I notice now. The sneezing and runny nose is really starting to bother me. Ugh! 

Mike Matheny for the St. Louis Cardinals Manager position…Really?!? I’m not a Cards fan by any means, but I am huge fan of baseball. I don’t understand this decision. What does he have in his pocket that qualifies him to be the manager of the World Champs? I mean, he was a minor league instructor. He wasn’t even part of the coaching staff. The Cards have been managed by some of baseball greats: Whitey Herzog, Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa. And now Mike Matheny! Ray has a saying for occasions like this…He must have pictures of someone.

Speaking of pictures, I enjoy photography, but the latest “World’s Most Expensive Photograph” just isn’t mind blowing in my opinion. I appreciate it and what it’s trying to do, but it isn’t WONDERFUL.  You decide.

I had been a T-Mobile customer since a friends dad gave me a cell phone in 1999. When I finished college I stayed with T-Mobile and switched the number over to my own account. A couple of months ago Ray and I switched to Verizon. It was actually emotional. I know that sounds weird, but I knew I could count on T-Mobile’s customer service. I had never had an issue that they weren’t able to help and did it with the best attitude. But, here in Indy, there is a large span of highway between home and work that I don’t get signal. This part of the highway runs through corn fields. If something were ever to happen I’d be stuck. So we switched…and it’s been great. Not only do I get phone signal but 3g data as well. It does help to ease my mind now that the first flurries have fallen.

For the last few years Ray and I have participated in The Peter King Challenge where you choose the winners of each weeks NFL match-ups. It’s a fun way to compete against each other. This year we have some friends and family that have joined a group and we’re competing against each other. The group name is Salem’s Lot. Yup, that’s how we roll. All of that to say, man this week has been horrid. So far I’ve only won 5 games with 2 games left to go.

The Walking Dead is a great comic. It tells a story in a way that should have been made into a TV series. That’s the conversation Ray and I had a couple of years ago. Last year the TV series premiered and was well done. This season it has returned with a vengeance and has been great. I both look forward to watching it each week and want to run away from it each week. Why run away you ask? Because more weeks than not my gag reflex is tested and that’s not something I enjoy. But I return to watch anyway because it’s just a good show. Check it out if you’re not squeamish.