Drive Daily

His Dog

2010-01-09T19:48:00.005-05:00

There is a reason why Briggs is Murph's dog, while Tucker is my dog. I'm guessing a lot of couples experience this, but there is just something about the big brown dog's personality that "clicks" with the Husband's. They are just similar in some ways. Take their sleep style for instance.

I come upstairs, arms loaded with folded laundry and entered my bedroom to find Briggs laying directly in front of my dresser. There was no way around him, so as I attempted to step over him, I tripped, stumble a bit and dropped all of the socks destined for my drawer on the dog. ooops.

His reaction:
What a sleeper. I dropped an armload of clean socks onto the dog and not only did he not wake up, he didn't even flinch. He didn't look up. He didn't even crack an eyelid. In fact, he was so sleepy that I put away the socks, went downstairs, got the camera, came back up to the bedroom, and then took this picture. He didn't wake up until I opened the curtain to get some better lighting.

This is pretty much how Murph sleeps. I could light myself on fire in bed and he would barely roll over. I envy this ability to fall asleep and not wake up until the alarm goes off.

Now the Tino and I are pretty much also kindred spirits, canine soul mates, a match made in heaven, ect. ect.

This picture explains it all:

(heaven is lined with fleece)

Where do babies come from?

2010-01-03T18:05:00.004-05:00

When I was small, my Dad carried this photo of me in his wallet. Come to think of it, I believe he carried this photo of me in his wallet until the thing (the wallet that is) disintegrated in like 2001. Or for all I know, he could still be carrying the same wallet from 1980 around in his pocket. It's possible.

I was quite enamored with this photo of myself as a young child. I've noticed that toddlers are frequently excited by the fact that they used to be babies. Why? No clue. But this is a handy trick to be aware of should you be babysitting a 2 year old with attitude. Just whip out a baby picture and -bam- toddler attention is diverted.

Every time I asked to see this photo my Dad would tell the story about how this was the picture he took when he found me in the woods. As the story goes, he was walking through the forest and found a baby (me). He came home and asked my Mom if they could keep me. My Mom, thinking that this lost child of the woods was quite cute said "okay, we can keep her."

That is where babies come from. The woods.

So yes, I fully believed that I was found in the woods on a snowy day (dressed in tights no less) until far past the age where I could really find this plausible.

Other things I believed:
That when my Dad pointed to Massachusetts on the globe we owned that I would be able to see his finger if I looked up at the sky.

I also believed there were half days. Like when I asked what day it was someone was going to say "Tomorrow is Tuesday, bit only 'til noon, then it will be Wednesday."

All the places I've been in the 'aughts

2009-12-31T15:48:00.004-05:00

My attempt at a decade long recap of life as it's happened. Also, I feel that there should be points awarded for use of the term 'aught.

2000 - 2nd and 3rd year of college. Seems like a blur. I think I worked at the hospital then, and I'm pretty sure Murph and I went to Toronto in the winter to visit Lou. Upon arriving in Canada, we learned that Lou was in Worcester. It all worked out though because we met Dave, the nicest guy in Canada.

2001 - Still in college. I started working at Filene's in the junior's department. 9/11 happened. I turned 21 the next day. We went to NYC at Christmas time and saw a midnight showing of The Royal Tenenbaums. I may have worked for 30 days or less as a telemarketer. Besides these details this year is even more blurry.

2002 - Graduated from college. Spent several months homeless. Started the very expensive experiment called graduate school. Took a data entry job that weirdly turned into a career in the insurance industry. Likely spent way too much time wondering if Murph and I should live together - because how often do people really marry their college sweetheart? Also took a fantastic trip to California and saw LA to SF while we drove PCH 1. So many great memories.

2003 - Learned that graduate school sucked my will to live. Took my first trans-atlantic flight and went to Paris with Murph for a week. Despite the fact that we were poor, living in a shitty basement apartment and Murph wasn't even working yet, going to Paris was the best idea we ever had. yay! This was also the year we moved out of Worcester -woot! Murph proposed on Christmas Eve after I gave him a matching bath towel set. I also recall whitewater rafting, buying a Jetta and being introduced to Idylwild Farm.

2004 - Got married on my birthday! Went on honeymoon to Las Vegas. I accidentally bumped into Pierce Brosnan in the pool area at the MGM Grand. Moved into my Great Grandmother's house in Auburn so that we could start saving for a house of our own. Other things must have happened, but I probably spent all my time reading wedding-related message boards (read: actually just reading the daily drama of theknot.com). If only I gotten married after wedding blogs really exploded.

2005 - Went to Iceland in February for a long weekend. Best idea ever. No really, it was. Ranks up there as one of my favorite vacations of all time. There was swimming, massages and a wonderful vegetarian restaurant that served chocolate cake every night. We lived in Auburn and I started going to yoga 3 times a week. Also joined Weighwatchers online (which worked!) and started cooking a whole lot more. Murph bought the yellow GTI.

2006 - Went to London with Murph for a week. This decision was made on the fly, but well worth it and conveniently occurred while the boiler in our house was busted in March in New England. Which is a terrible time for a broken boiler. Oh and our bathroom was also torn apart - like down to the studs torn apart. Ah, London, home of tea and working toilets. Then we bought a House and spent 4th of July of scrubbing and painting. I can still smell the vinegar. We adopted Sir Briggsington Neck Beard III. I started this blog.

2007 - There must have been more painting of the house. We adopted Tuckertino Ninja Murphy. Traded in the red GTI for the Forester. Celebrated my Grandparents 50th wedding anniversary by going bowling. Decided it would be a good time to see a counselor and get some of this anxiety in check. Had the worst camping trip ever at Basin Pond. I went to San Diego to visit my friend Heather and then we went back when she got married in November. I missed the work convention but vowed never to do that again.

2008 - Hired a dog trainer after the terrible Briggs-protest-sprained-ankle incident. Murph and I vacationed in Bar Harbor, Maine and I showered at a lobster pound. Joined a gym and also learned how much I HATE exercising in the morning. Murph had his jaw wired shut for 6 weeks. I could have lived without that experience, but now I know how to liquefy a cupcake. My Dad was sober for the first time since I can remember - ever. Birthday re-do! Acupuncture. Snowshoeing! Went to the Blogher Boston mini conference.

2009 - Five Years married! Ate at a raw-vegan restaurant where clove ice cream was the star of the evening. Made enchiladas for the first time ever. Decided it was time to give up real ice cream forever so I bought an ice cream machine and started working on some vegan versions. Went on a cruise. Started a blog at work. We camped in Vermont and visited the home of Ben & Jerry's and Green Mountain Coffee. Murph made a double fire and we ate vegan 'smores. During the summer it rained almost every day for months, which was a great excuse for having a really crappy garden. Then it stopped raining entirely for the next few months, which was also a really good excuse for having a crappy garden. Started going to the gym in the evening and that has made all the difference.

And there it is - my decade. Something tells me the next 10 are going to be even better.

Two Party Appetizers - Asparagus Phyllo Cigars & Red Peppper Dip

2009-12-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

So you said you would bring an appetizer to the party but now don't have any idea what to bring. Or worse, you committed to bringing more than one appetizer and now you're really stuck! Here are two options - one super easy and one a little more time consuming.

Asparagus Phyllo Cigars
This is a great savory and warm appetizer that happens to be vegan. To my knowledge, phyllo dough is usually vegan, while Puff Pastry typically is not. They take a little time to assemble, but they make a splash once they are served, which is worth it to me. As always, when working with phyllo, keep it covered with a damp towel until you are going to actually work with that piece.

In this recipe, you'll make an herb paste, which you'll spread on the phyllo, then cut into strips and wrap around the asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 425 for 20 mins and serve immediately.

24 Asparagus Spears - washed and trimmed
1 Package of Frozen Phyllo Dough
1/4 each of chopped Dill, Parsley, Chives
1 TBS grated lemon zest
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine the chopped herbs, lemon zest, salt & pepper and about a TBS of olive oil to make an herb paste.

Using 2 sheets of phyllo, lightly cover with the herb paste. You may have to drizzle with a bit more olive oil to spread the herbs around.

Cut the phyllo into 2 inch strips and wrap each strip around an asparagus spear. Place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and then bake uncovered. Each one will be golden brown and a little crunchy.

Red Pepper Dip
2 cans White Beans
1 16 oz jar of roasted red peppers (drained).
4 Cloves of garlic
Squeeze of Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Blend all in a food processor. Taste and ajust the seasoning. Serve as an alternative or along side some hummus with pita chips or wedges.

More Cake - The Best Vegan Boxed Cake Mix

2009-12-04T20:29:00.000-05:00

So after a week or so of posting home made, from scratch type of recipes for you all, I have to come clean...sometimes I totally use boxed cake mix. Yup. And why not? As long as the quality is good and the price is right, sometimes the convenice of one bowl baking is sublime. Especially when you bite into a warm piece of gingerbread that didn't create a huge mess.

This Hodgson Mills Gingerbread Mix is something that my Aunt Candy used to make when I was a kid. I'd file this box under "Mom Tricks". You know, things that Mom's can do quickly with one hand that appease all the children and doesn't make too much of a mess? It's also a whole grain product and typically sold for like $3 a box. I believe the recipe calls for egg and either oil or milk. I just sub in some Ener-g Egg Replacer and soy or rice milk which makes it vegan.

You can also get fancy and serve it with some vegan whipped cream by Soyatoo. The first time I had this was at a restaurant. As a non-vegan this product totally fooled me. I think the Husband gave his dessert to my cousin because I was convinced it was a dairy product. Luckily our local Hannaford and Whole Foods markets carry this item.

Carrot Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-12-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

I know, you're either thinking, another cake recipe :) or another cake recipe :( I figured with the holiday season in full swing, it's a good time to have multiple dessert recipes on hand. Especially tried and true vegan recipes that work. I once offered to make a dessert for a family party. The cake I chose was this fantastic looking multi-layered chocolate espresso deal that promptly slpit down the middle and completely fell apart as soon as I got it frosted on the cake stand. I made a bee-line for the bakery that day, thanking them profusely for carrying vegan cupcakes.

This is probably one of the best cake recipes I've ever made (and it's guaranteed not to fall apart). This is the usual request from the Husband for his birthday and was what we had made for our wedding. It also makes a great cupcake. In this recipe I used chopped hazelnuts, which is unorthodox for carrot cake. The truth is that I really just hate walnuts. You can use the nut of your choice though.

4 TBS Applesauce
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Softened Margarine
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Soy Milk
1 Cup Grated Carrot
3/4 Cup Chopped Nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and grease and flour a 9-Inch cake pan.
2. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (sans nuts).
3. Add the wet ingredients in a large bowl. (I typically use the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with the paddle attachment for this, but a hand mixer would work, too.)
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and once it is all "just mixed" stir in the carrot and then the shopped nuts.
5. Pour into your pans and bake at 325 for 45 mins.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
To me, Cream Cheese Frosting is what takes carrot cake from breakfast food to dessert. This is some good stuff, so be warned, however, it is not a very stiff frosting. Sometimes its best to refrigerate it before frosting the cake.

8 oz Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Margarine
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Orange Extract
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Using either a hand or stand mixer, cream together the Cream Cheese and Margarine. Gradually add in the powdered sugar. Once the sugar has been incorporated add the extracts. Refrigerate in a ceramic bowl until the cake is cooled and try not to eat all the frosting with animal crackers before hand.

Easy Chocolate Cake & Easier Chocolate Frosting

2009-12-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

This recipe came from a cook book at my Mom's house. It will take me some time to figure out which one, but when I do, I'll update. I once made like 6 or 8 batches of this for a giant sheet cake for a party.

I have seen similar recipes in other places, and I am pretty sure that this is an old classic chocolate cake recipe that is more "accidentally vegan" than anything. It's "rise" comes from the baking soda and vinegar reaction instead of the egg. It's best to use a high quality coco powder. This simple recipe makes enough for one 8-inch cake - so double up if you're planning a double layer. It also makes for a good cupcake, just be sure to adjust the cooking time.

1 1/2 Cup Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp White Vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 Vegetable (canola) oil
1 Cup Water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour your cake pan(s).
2. Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together by hand.
5. Pour into your greased pans or cupcake tins. Bake the 8-inch pan for approx 30 mins.

Chocolate Frosting
What is cake without frosting? This is the vegan version of the classic butter cream frosting that so many grandmothers can whip up without a second thought.

Beat these ingredients together with a hand mixer to make a stiff but creamy chocolate frosting for any cake. Once again- the better the cocoa powder, the better this will taste.

1 Cup Softened Margarine
1/2 Cocoa Powder
1//2 tsp Vanilla
2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Baked Apple French Toast - Vegan Style

2009-12-01T16:00:00.001-05:00

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

A few years ago my Mother in Law got a fantastic recipe for baked french toast. This was some super rich, super bad for you, and super delicious baked french toast. Definitely the kind of thing you save for special occasions, as the eggs, cream, and unbelievable amount of sugar makes this an over the top recipe. While the original recipe wasn't vegan, she did veganize it so that @isitvegan could partake in the in apple-maple glory of this breakfast food.

This is a 2 part recipe. You make a bottom layer of syrup and apples, then you add your day old bread, and then you top it off with a soy milk mixture. Oh, and I should mention that this recipe is no healthier for you than it's original non-vegan counterpart, except that I suppose it's cholesterol free.

1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
2/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Melted Margarine
3 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg

3 Tar Apples (Peeled & Sliced)
1 Loaf of day old french bread

3 TBS Ground Flax Seed
1/4 Cup of water
1 1/2 Cups of Soy Milk
1 TBS Vanilla Extract

1. Slice the apples and arrange them into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Melt the margarine and then add the Brown Sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon & nutmeg.
3. Pour the syrup mixture over the apples and the place the bread slices on top of that.
4. In a large mixing bowl add the flax seed and water and whisk together making a thick paste.
5. Then add in the Soy Milk and Vanilla and mix together and then pour over the bread, making sure to soak each piece.
6. Bake, covered in tin foil at 375 for 30 mins. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 mins.

Variation- reduce the maple syrup and brown sugar down a it and replace with about 1/2 cup of orange juice. You could also add dried cranberries to the bottom of the pan.

Mushrooms Berkeley

2009-11-30T19:00:00.001-05:00

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

This recipe appeared in my email one day. Sent to me by my Great Uncle Cliff.

Cliff, who I don't think would mind if I described him this, was a child of the '60s...so in other words is now an "old hippie". (Which I say with affection, because what is better than those stories about Woodstock and backpacking around Europe and communes). Anyway, this was a favorite recipe of his taken from a true original vegetarian cookbook, The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. Which is something I don't own but, hey, Christmas is coming!

This is technically a side dish, but my family tends to eat it as an appetizer with crackers or on crusty bread. The sauce is delicious, thick and rich tasting but certainly on the sweet side. This is worth making for a mushroom lover, and is pretty simple. It's great for a party, because it can simmer while you're prepping other things.

24 oz. Fresh mushrooms (halved or quartered, but not sliced)
2 Bell peppers (I like red, cut into long strips)
1 Medium sweet onion (finely chopped)
2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS Brown Mustard
2 TBS Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (The Wizard makes some, and so does Annie's)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Red Wine
Black Pepper to taste

1. Mix together the mustard, Worcestershire, brown sugar and red wine and set aside while you heat sauce pan or electric skillet to medium heat.
2. Add the olive oil and saute the onion until it turns translucent.
3. Add the peppers and cook for 2-3 mins.
4. Add the mushrooms and then cook covered for 2-4 mins.
5. When the mushrooms begin to brown around the edges, uncover and add the sauce.
6. Simmer uncovered for 45 mins. The end result is a thick, caramel colored sauce and juicey mushrooms.

Thoughts- I'm thinking you could dial down the Brown Sugar to a 1/4 cup and still have success. I'm also wondering if the addition of some hot sauce near the end might punch it up a bit.

Mac'n'Cheez Vegan Style

2009-11-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

This is a great casserole-style dish that is quick and easy for a weeknight, or can be jazzed up and brought to a potluck. I've served this to my cheese-loving family and they really enjoyed it. I typically make it with whole wheat pasta, but since going on the gluten free experiment I've been using rice pasta and it's just as good.

16 oz of pasta (I prefer fusilli, mostly because of Fusilli Jerry)
- Cook according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 Cup of the cooking water before draining.

Cheez Sauce:
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Cup Plain Soy Milk
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 Cup of Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne

1. Whisk together these ingredients in a medium sized pyrex measuring pitcher.

2. Drain the pasta (remembering to reserve about 1/2 Cup of the pasta water) and then immediately add the pasta back into the warm pot. Turn the heat off.

3. Add the wet mixture over the pasta and mix. Usually this will work just fine, but occasionally the sauce will be a bit thick or a bit thin. Add the pasta water if it's too thick and sticky. If the sauce is too thin, turn the heat to med-low and keep stirring until the sauce is thicker and a better consistency.

Variations:
Add any spice/flavor combination you like. Sometimes I add miso, or lemon pepper, or smoked paprika might be nice.

Add a vegetable. Some ideas: caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, roasted butternut squash cubes, frozen peas, broccoli florets....

Baked: Another option is to add that pasta water to the pot, place this in a casserole dish or individual ramekins, and sprinkle with some vegan bread crumbs that are drizzled with olive oil. Then bake or broil for a few mins until the top is nice and crunchy.

I usually serve this with something green, either steamed broccoli or sauteed collards, spinach or kale.

Soy Nog Bread

2009-11-26T21:16:00.002-05:00

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

I'm not vegan, but I am a vegetarian who limits the amount of dairy I eat. So several years ago when Whitewave began making soy nog it was like a revelation. Why? Well ,it wasn't too long before that the only soy milk available was brown and kind of clumpy and came in those aseptic containers. While it wasn't so gross you couldn't drink it, it certainly wasn't doing anyone any favors. As soon as Silk started becoming mainstream and they started making flavors (like soy nog) a dairy-free corner was turned for sure.

This is a favorite recipe at our house during the Holidays. This is a quick bread that's great for breakfast or an after dinner snack. It also wraps up and freezes well, if you're interested in giving it as a gift. I have NO IDEA where this recipe came from, but I do know it was adapted from a recipe that used real egg nog. So, have I changed it enough to call it my own? Who knows. What I do know is that this is a hit.

2 Eggs (I use the Ener-G Egg Replacer)
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Melted Margarine
1 Cup Soy Nog
2 tsp rum extract
1 tsp vanilla
21/4 Cup Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (plus a little more for sprinkling on top)

Preheat the oven to 350
1. In a small bowl whip up the eggs using a whisk per the box directions.
2. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients and whisk together with a fork.
3. In a medium bowl combine the wet ingredients.
4. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together with the fork until it's just mixed. A few lumps are okay.
5. Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan (or 3 or 4 of those tiny loaf pans).
6. Sprinkle nutmeg on the top. and bake the large pan for 45 - 50 mins. (the small pans for about 25 mins)

Spiced Autumn Cutlets

2009-11-26T20:40:00.005-05:00

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

Wanting to keep our Thanksgiving protein not only vegan but gluten free, I was at a bit of a loss this year. I knew I wouldn't be picking up a Tofurky and taking the easy route (not that there's anything wrong with that. But I knew I'd be making something from scratch.

Cut to me rummaging through my store of cookbooks in search of inspiration. So last Sunday I was was reading the expansive Mark Bittman classic, "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian " and came upon the recipe for Spiced Autumn Vegetable Burger. I figured that I could make them into a pan fried cutlet and the flavor profile of sweet potato, greens, and some Serrano chili pepper would compliment the Thanksgiving feast. I improvised the recipe a bit to account for the ingredients on hand as well as the gluten free factor.

2 Cups Cooked Kale (I used raw spinach)
2 Cups cooked Cannellini Beans (I used pinto)
4 TBS Olive Oil
1 Medium Sweet Potato -Peeled & Grated
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs (I used toasted & cubed GF Bread)
1/2 tps Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Pinch Cayenne (I used a Serrano chili pepper and garlic instead)

1. Squeeze the water out of the greens and finely chop it. In a large bowl, mash the beans roughly and then stir in the greens with a fork.

2. In a deep skillet on medium heat, add 2 TBS oil. When the oil is hot add the sweet potato, salt & pepper. Stir and cook the sweet potato (about 15 mins). Once it's cooked, stir in the bread crumbs and other spices. (I started by shopping 2 cloves of garlic and the Serrano chili pepper. I added this to a cold skillet, added the oil and turned it to medium -creating an infused oil. Then I added the sweet potato, salt & pepper, but found the sweet potato was sticking to the pan- I added about a 1/4 cup water and let it cook.)

3. Add the sweet potato mixture to the bowl of greens & beans and mash it all together. You can add a little all purpose flour to help it stick together. I didn't have to - it came together really nicely.

4. Form into patties, about 4 inches long by 2 inches wide. Heat a nonstick pan to medium and add a Tablespoon of olive oil. Fry each patty until they reach a nice golden brown (about 4 mins on each side). Careful when flipping. They will become less fragile as they cool down a bit.

I brought these to Thanksgiving dinner on an oven safe dish and reheated them covered in the oven. (well actually I think my Mom did that part.) They were served over mashed potatoes today- but could easily be served on top of salad greens, rice or even a bun.

Overall this was a hit, and they got good reviews from the non-vegans as well.

When Crafts Go Wrong

2009-11-15T20:02:00.002-05:00

Has anyone seen this? A website devoted to making fun of crafts...Regretsy.

Admittedly, I feel bad giggling over people's crafty work, but come one, look at some of this stuff. Go to the cat section. Seriously? Seriously.

Just a friendly reminder that people are weird. And now you have another site to make you chuckle when you've already read all of FML.

ps....if you've already read all the Cute Overload, you can check out ZooBorns.

Bad Blogger...yada yada yada

2009-11-04T18:36:00.004-05:00

Right, so I'm terrible at updating this lately. I've had important stuff to do like watch both seasons of True Blood and have Fall Family Fun Day. The reality is that work has been crazy, I've been updating my work blog, going to the gym, cooking healthy meals, and getting ready for our convention (that finally happened last weekend! woot!).

So, essentially, same old story...life gets in the way of life...blah blah blah...(I know you know the truth...I'm better at watching tv than I am at updating this page.)

Here's a good story for you, though. Last Monday I was gearing up for a SUPER busy week. With the convention (which included me leading sessions), the blog, my insurance work, and being in Boston for three days, I was stressed. So naturally, I came down with a cold. By Tuesday, when I drove my boss and her assistant into Boston and dropped them off at the hotel, I felt terrible.

You know how you just feel awful, tired, cloudy, spent, snifflie, and just a tad pathetic? I had that, but staying home in bed was not an option. I scheduled an acupuncture appointment, bought a quart of orange juice, and a neti pot all in an attempt to make myself feel better. However, the reality was that I could only think about ONE MAGICAL THING. In my cloudy, mind only OE MAGICAL THING would make me feel better...or at least provide me a moment of being less pathetic than I appeared with the tissue box attached to my arm.

That ONE MAGIC THING: Wendy's French Fries with ketchup.

I can't even recall the last time I was at a Wendy's. Literally, it could be 15 years. But its all I could think about. So on my way back from Boston, I got off the Mass Pike, drove down Route 9 and bought myself a small french fry and a bottle of water. I dunked every one of those square french fries in ketchup and savored each one. They were every bit as good as I wanted them to be. Salty, crunchy, sweet - a rare (and weird) moment of bliss. I finished them, took a sip of my water and drove back to the office.

And all of that was well and good until I realized that I had carelessly thrown the water bottle into my purse, but had failed to screw the cap on with the strength of 1,000 men. That, dear readers, is how I spilled water in the bottom of my purse, which drown my iPod and everything else in my bag. Each item was wet and stuck together which created a big soggy pile of chap stick, tea bags, receipts, shopping notes, tissues, coupons, tampons and credit cards. Not to mention my gloves, ear buds, and check book. One by one each item came out of my bag and laid on the floor of my cubicle to dry.

But those French Fries were really worth it.

10 Things I Like - Fall Edition - Sort of

2009-10-22T23:32:00.003-04:00

1. The way the leaves have changed soooo incredibly slowly this year. The extended foliage season is deserved after the months of awful weather here. (apparently all that rain was traumatizing as it ended like 2 months ago)

2. The way the neighborhood smells like campfires at night.

3. That once a week, apple crisp is a perfectly acceptable breakfast.

4. Having great friends.

5. That I actually feel disappointed if I don't make it to the gym 4 times a week.

6. Podcasts. I love them. My iPod recent reset and it killed everything on my nano. I have only
restored the podcast section.

7. Sweaters. Warm, cozy, cotton sweaters.

8. Deer pajamas.

9. Slow roasted tomatoes.

10. Spiked apple cider.

FLIP FLOPS!

2009-10-06T21:00:00.001-04:00

I mentioned that my birthday was not too long ago. A perk of birthdays is getting gifts from really nice people. Sometimes these gifts come in the form of checks. When that happens I like to take that money and spend it on shoes. I'm no Carrie Bradshaw, so I head directly to DSW instead of Jimmy Choo.

I had a few boxes stacked up and was trying on a few pairs of shoes and was doing the obligatory walk up and down the isle testing shoes for comfort and heel height and trying to imagine which pants I could wear them with, and thinking all the while that my Mom was going to pop out at any given moment and ask if my toes were hitting the end. In other words, I was in my own little world. The trying on shoes by myself mode.

As I was walking up and down the isle this woman leans over from the next isle and says something to me. Of course, I had no clue and wasn't paying attention at all, so I asked her to repeat herself. Again, she muttered something that was totally inaudible (or my hearing loss is getting worse). My response was "excuse me, I just can't hear you". I imagine my face actually said "WTF lady, why are you taking to me?"

She took a deep breath, looked me in the eye and then shouted "FLIP FLOPS!"

And with that I'm sure the look on my face went from WTF? to WTF!?!???

Again, she looked at me and continued shouting, "Flip flops. I've never been here before. Where are the FLIP FLOPS?"

Then it became clear. She thought I worked there and was PISSED that I was not paying her the attention she so obviously needed. So she decided to shout at me.

My brilliant response, "I don't work here." I followed it up with "It is September, I think the flip flops are in the clearance rack in the back."

Then she was suddenly embarrassed and found it quite funny that she had made such a silly mistake. I'm still wondering what part about me trying on shoes makes me look like like I work at DSW. Weird. I hated the way she only felt it okay to be nice to me after she found out I was not an employee.

People are weird.

***
Where have I been?
I've been blogging at work and somehow that's taking up some (or most) of my mental energy. I'm not sure what that says about me. I'll get back to writing more regularly soon.

5 Things

2009-09-21T20:24:00.003-04:00

I haven't written up any stories for a while here. Things have gotten...busy.

We had a new roof put on. That was awesome and expensive and actually still requires some thought because now our house is sans gutters. The other day I noticed that there is a roofing nail that somehow landed just right and is poked right through one of the leaves of our rhododendron bush. I see the nail every time I get out of the car and it makes me wonder exactly how that happened - the nail falling so perfectly as to pierce the leaf and then sit in the bush in suspended animation - instead of falling to the ground. When I think of this I don't think about spending more money on gutters and that's probably good for my sanity.

I have been spending time at the gym. Yes, really. I think I started going back in June. While I haven't lost a single pound - I have gained a bit of knowledge. 1. Exercises keeps the anxiety at bay. 2. Starting slow was in fact the way for me to play the game. (Not once has a piece of gym equipment shut off while I was using it) 3. I actually work out harder when distracted by reading a book. 4. I still hate lifting weights due to the boring-ness of lifting weights and the need to count and pay attention while doing so.

Never in a million years did I think it possible, but I have started using Twitter at work. Of course, this required setting up a new account as my @drivedaily account was less than relevant to the world of insurance. Since then I've been trying to tweet on both - which seems excessive for me. How many Twitter accounts does one person need?

Why can I not find true love in a throw pillow?

One last thought- I am really liking that new show Glee. Why? Don't know. It should be something I loathe - with all the singing theater nerd kids - but I find myself hoping that I didn't miss it because I can't seem to remeber what day it comes on.

Today

2009-09-12T10:23:00.004-04:00

Today is my birthday! I still approach my birthday with child-like enthusiasm, but each year I find it a little harder to pull it off. It helps to have a piece of cake, great friends and family and a wonderful husband to help celebrate.

Speaking of that wonderful husband... we have now been married to for FIVE years. Today is also our wedding anniversary. The past five years have been filled with a lot changes, a lot of fun and I am so thrilled to be able to say that I married my best friend - the love of my life - and all that stuff you think only happens to people in movies with happy endings.

And if that weren't cool enough, I feel like I have one more reason to celebrate. I've recently been asked to take on a new project at work. After talking about it for years, our leadership has finally decided to take the plunge and explore some social media avenues. A few weeks ago I was asked to put together a plan for a blog. After presenting my plan and some sample posts, I was given the Thumbs Up to start (and promptly commenced learning Wordpress and giving out twitter tutorials). It's been a little crazy for me trying to balance this new part of my job, but I can honestly say this is the most excited I have been about work in a while.

So that's what I'll be celebrating today over a few cups of espresso, a few surprises for my husband, and nice dinner in the North End.

Done!

2009-09-08T21:06:00.005-04:00

People, I am DONE with bacon.

I decreed this last week on twitter, but seriously folks I am done.

Cake should never look like bacon.
Martini glasses should be made out of glass.
Vodka should be mixed with lemons.

Now I understand, bacon tastes good, it smells good, it conjures up memories of your mom frying it on Sunday mornings and all the rest. (Actually, it reminds me of camping - every camp site frying up it's own bacon and eggs and pancakes.) And yes, I know, I don't actually eat bacon anymore, but this does not preclude me from voicing what you all need to hear:

Bacon has jumped the shark!

(From @reneemca's lips to your ears, internet.)

*****
Related: other things I am DONE with:
Alice 'n' Chains
Smokers who throw cigarette butts on the ground
People who complain about completely irrelevant nonsense...oh wait

****UPDATE****
Upon posting this the very next thing in my feed reader was a recipe for, you guessed it,
Lentils with Bacon. People, Bacon is NOT sexy!

I sighed very loudly. The Husband asked what was wrong. I told him I had been a victim of the internet. He rolled his eyes.

Pot-Luck Pesto (vegan style)

2009-09-07T21:30:00.000-04:00

We headed to a pot luck last night. A real pot luck. No theme. No advanced warnings. No sign up sheets. The possibility that we would get there to find a table full of green salads crossed our minds, but I had a pretty good feeling we'd have pretty good luck.

This is what I intended to bring:
Almond Pest Spirals topped with Cherry Tomatoes
Multi-grain Sourdough Bread
Blueberry Pie

I actually left the tomatoes and bread on the counter, which really bummed me out, but we pressed on and figured we could enjoy all the tomatoes ourselves...without sharing.

The almond pesto has been a favorite dinner lately and is a recipe I made up using almonds instead of pine nuts. Why almonds? Because I keep raw almonds around to snack on and throw in oatmeal. I have to admit to not really caring for pine nuts, hating walnuts, and only tolerating roasted peanuts a few at a time. Almonds however are my friend and they make a nice base for a vegan pesto. Almonds seem to have a creamy flavor which makes me not miss the cheese at all. They also pack some protein (albeit not that much) into this carb-tastic meal.

Pack into a food processor:
1/3 Cup of toasted almonds
30 -40 basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 Tbs of olive oil
fresh ground pepper to taste

-Pulse your pesto into a paste in the food processor. Add a bit more oil if you need you loosen it up a bit, but it should be paste-like.

-Cook your pasta in salted water. I like whole a whole wheat penne or fuscilli. Reserve a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

-Drain the pasta and then transfer to a large bowl.

-Add the pesto to the bowl and mix into the pasta. Add some of the pasta water as needed to loosen up the pesto and get a good coating over the noodles.

-Top with quartered cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with a bit of balsamic vinegar.

Naked Chef as Village People

2009-08-31T22:03:00.004-04:00

I wasn't going to post anything tonight. I had a little culinary project to attend to and didn't plan anything to write, however, I found something worth noting.

So please, if you have any love for the Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver, you'll want to check out the promo he did for his new show "Jamie's Road Trip" where he plays ALL of the Village People.

via slashfood

10 Things I Like

2009-08-30T21:00:00.001-04:00

Browsing Etsy and Decor8 for the soothing inspirations.
Cooking a meal and serving it to hungry people.
The companionship of dogs.
Ah-ha! moments. (For instance:one day I realized that I'm not even 29 yet. It was a revelation.)
Wondering my favorite vintage shops on a rainy day.
Dreaming about living on the beach - while I sit on the beach.
Nights when you need to pull the comforter up.
Reading a memoir.
That straw hat I have but was too embarrassed to wear in public until recently.
Box fans.

My Teddy Kennedy Memory

2009-08-28T20:20:00.004-04:00

It was on my 8th Grade field trip to Washington DC that I snapped this picture of Senator Kennedy. Like so many 8th grade classes before me, I sat on the steps of the US Capitol while he talked to my classmates. We were from Massachusetts and he made time for even the youngest of constituents. What he said that day...I have no idea. All I knew was that it was IMPORTANT that I had photographic evidence that I had met the man. That my Nana would be very happy about such things.

I'm not sure why I have kept this photo all these years. Is it partially based on the fact that I think The Nana would want me to? Yes. Is it because I want to hold on to a little piece of Kennedy lore? Perhaps.

Creepy Facebook People I Don't Know

2009-08-27T20:44:00.003-04:00

So I have really started to dislike the way that Facebook suggests friends you may know by featuring someone on your home page.

Why does this bother me?

1. I rarely know anyone that they suggest
2. Even if you close that picture, they come back at some point
3. Sometimes the pictures are really creepy

This one chick, whom I have never met in my life, has been staring at me on the Facebook while I chat with my cousins and look at pictures of people's weddings for weeks. She is creepy and looks a bit evil. She may in fact be nice and lovely just not photogenic or she may be casting spells on me through the interwebs. No matter how many times I close her down...she reappears.

I wish that you could customize your FB homepage so the features you liked (and used) could be placed where you wanted them. I mean- I don't want to get into the ridiculous territory of barf-worthy pages with the music that is Myspace, but simply being able to move the modules around would be cool and then I could hide the creepy girl below the fold.

Heirloom Tomatoes for $3.25/lb

2009-08-25T20:48:00.002-04:00

This weekly farmers market thing sure is coming in handy. http://www.abfarmersmarket.org/

Can't wait to go back on Sunday and stock up. I'm hoping they still have these super sweet yellow cherry tomatoes.

Rambutan

2009-08-23T21:54:00.004-04:00

The husband and I saw the little basket of Rambutan at Idylewilde Farm on Sunday. Inspired by the Mighty Girl, Maggie Mason, and her Mighty Life List, I purchased this piece of exotic fruit just to try it. When I saw that these spiny little fruits were not only $.69, but also has sign with directions on how to eat them, I splurged. I told the husband it would be an adventure and then I wondered if Maggie Mason has eaten one of these yet. Turns out Rambutan was #35 on her quest to eat 1000 fruits.

The Rambutan looks weird with it's red spiny tentacles. It reminds me of a cactus, except the long things are sort soft.

It was easy to break into using my fingernail to break the rind and then it sort of just popped open revealing a strange white orb on one side. That strange white orb is the fruit, which is similar to lyche fruit, or a really big peeled grape. The flesh is firm and juicy and simply tastes fresh. There is no overwhelming sweetness or smell.

Inside the fruit is a seed that looks very much like an almond.

I wonder what number fruit Rambutan is for me. I'll have to count and report back. I think I'd like to eat 1000 fruits, too, as well as so many other things. I should add writing a Life List to my other list of things I should get around to doing.

Weekending

2009-08-23T21:43:00.002-04:00

By far the neatest thing to happen this weekend was the 1/2 hour or so that it rained while the sun was shining. It happens like that maybe twice a year, and to me it is so cool. It allows you to see the world differently by changing the light. It's just one of those neat things I think I'll always love because it reminds me that our world is big and sometimes what seems very grand is really amazingly simple.

Street Law

2009-08-19T20:27:00.002-04:00

This story, about a judge who has been taking the law into his own hands with regard to a certain Toyota Corolla, is just so...so...reminiscent of Worcester.

If you have ever lived in a New England city without the use of a parking spot, you know this dilemma well. Saying that parking is at a premium in most neighborhoods is an understatement, and when it snows it gets MUCH worse.

Parking spots are personal. I understand. Driving around looking for street parking is tiresome and loathsome and awful especially when it's super hot or snowing. Sometimes trying to find a spot where you won't be towed, ticketed, vandalized or stolen is so exhausting that you eventually give up and park on that corner you're not too keen on. If you're lucky enough to snag a spot, you don't just let it go after you've spent a few hours shoveling your car out from under the most recent nor'easter. (of course if everyone with a car just shoveled it wouldn't matter).

People take certain measures when trying to protect a spot on the street. Typically they start by finding some object and leaving it in the spot. Lawn chairs seem to work well, as do the faux-ficial orange cones, old computer monitors and garbage bins. Most people are too lazy to get out and move these items and therefore just continue driving aimlessly until the end of time looking for a spot. I will admit right now to never moving an item out of a spot, as I was always too afraid that a neighborhood spy would rat me out and I would become the victim of some wild yelling maniac.

Wild maniacs are people I typically try to avoid.

Other people take what I'll call the "I own the street approach". They believe that because their house is on that stretch of road, they are the only ones entitled to park there. We once had neighbors move in and post handwritten signs on the trees on the road explaining that they just bought this whole house, there was not any off street parking, and they were reserving the street for themselves by proclaiming "Parking for #32 Only". This basically got them laughed off of the road. I will admit to taking pleasure in parking there at every opportunity I got.

Then there are the people who believe that their longevity in the neighborhood somehow puts their name on the spot in front of there house. I once left on a Sunday morning to go get bagels. I returned, parked the car and headed inside to spend the day toiling away at writing some paper. A few HOURS later there was a knock on my door and a woman standing outside that I had never seen before. She asked if that was my black car. When I responded yes, she said I should move it now, as I was parked in her spot. When I refused, she got quite heated proclaiming her long time residency and the fact that she was at church as her right to that spot. When I tried to explain that it was a street spot, she had been gone for HOURS and anyone could park there, she started yelling at me. I believe I told her "where to go" and did not move my car for the rest of day on principle. Of course I avoided that spot in the future lest she let the air out my tires.

Links Monday

2009-08-10T21:45:00.002-04:00

I'm getting ready for a week on the road. Tomorrow I'll be headed to Portland, Maine for the remainder of the week. In my potential absence (as who ever really knows how much blogging they'll get accomplished while sitting in class for 20 hours) I leave you some links:

Lots of Health Care Reform talk out there, if you haven't noticed. The smear campaign continues in earnest but this "New Joe the Plumber" is worse than that "keep your government hands off my medicare guy".

And if you are really interested in why these so called "death panels" may actually a progressive and caring way of helping the elderly and their families deal with the reality of the end of life, I suggest listening to this interview with Dr. Robert Martensen that aired on Fresh Air in April entitled End of Life Care, A Dr.'s Diagnosis. To me this was and eye opening and quite haunting, as I thought about my Grandfather's final days.

Library of Congress Photo Stream- check out the Photochrom Travel Views and the 30s-40s Colour Sets.

Speaking of Historic Photos - LOL Cats popular through the ages.

Exciting Suburban Animal Chases

2009-08-05T20:46:00.005-04:00

Did I ever tell you about that time a fully saddled horse came trotting down our street without a rider? I swear I wrote about it before, but cannot for the life of me find the story.

It was a Saturday morning and Tuckertino had just escaped out the back door. The dog took off down the road, the husband took off after him, and I took off after the husband holding a bag of treats. Dog treats, that is, not husband treats. Hmmm...Husband treats? (Queue fantasy vignette of me running down the street balancing a platter of vegan cupcakes yelling "Murph! Cupcakes!").

So after a good bit a yelling, the husband cornered the dog in the neighbor's back yard and scooped him up. We walked home, reprimanded the Tino and then probably gave him a treat. The husband then loaded both dogs into the car for the weekly dump trip. A magical place where the Tino would get more treats from the likes of Crazy Dump Guy.

The boys left and I was in the kitchen when I heard the distinctive "clip-clop" of a horse getting louder and faster. As it was daylight, and I couldn't very well turn off all the lights and stare unabashedly out the window, I poked my head out the front door as all good (read nosey) neighbors do in the suburbs.

Fortunately, I timed this perfectly and watched as a riderless, horse came trotting down our side street and took a left onto Plant Ave. A few hundred meters behind the horse a boy riding a BMX bike was peddling after the horse, yelling something to the effect of "please stop him! please stop him!" Behind the boy was an old "grandma-style" sedan of the crown vic, old school Caddy variety following him ever so carefully.

Within a few minuets the boy came back up the street, walking the horse by it's lead. The car followed them slowly still with the BMX hanging out of the trunk. Apparently the BMX boy's girlfriend was getting ready to ride her horse, when it spooked and ran out of the barn and up the road. The boy took off after the horse, and upon seeing something WILD the car just started to follow them figuring they could be of assistance at some point.

I was just happy not to be the only people in the neighborhood having to chase down their animals.

Sesame-Peanut Noodle Salad

2009-08-03T18:59:00.005-04:00

For weeks it seemed summer was never going to come to New England. We've spent the months of May, June and most of July underwater. However summer has arrived in the last week or so and the temps have spiked. Lately this has been my "go to" hot weather meal. A noodle salad served cold or at room temp that is spicy, savory, a little sweet with a hint of peanut and is simply darling because the ingredients can be swapped out to suit whatever is in your pantry that day.

Sesame-Peanut Noodle Salad

1/2 Box Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Boil the noodles according to the package directions and rinse with cold water.

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs Peanut Butter
1 Tbs Sriracha (or less or more depending on your love of heat)
1tsp Sesame Oil
Juice of Lemon or Lime
Handful of Cilantro, chopped
1 Bunch of thinly sliced scallions
1 Thinly sliced red or yellow pepper
1 Meduim Tomato, diced
2-3 Cups of Cole Slaw Mix (shredded cabbage)

While the pasta boils, whisk together the Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Peanut Butter, Sriracha, sesame oil and citrus juice. You may want to use a few tablespoons of hot pasta water to help break down the peanut butter. Add the cilantro to the bowl.

Slice up the veggies and set aside. This is where you can get creative. I have used cucumber, summer squash, red onion...you get the idea. You could even add some left over tofu (or chicken for you meat-eaters).

Once the pasta is done, rinse it with cold water and drain well. Add the pasta to your sauce. Using tongs, mix in your vegetables and finally the cabbage. You can top with top with toasted sesame seeds, but well, who has those laying around all the time?

I Knew Google Reader was Good for Something

2009-07-30T21:08:00.002-04:00

I jest, Google Reader is good for a lot. It is the ONLY thing that is not blocked from my work computer, making it not only good, but GREAT! Don't mess with my Google Reader.

Anyway, I came across this article today (and yes you will have to watch the short ad on the Washington Post to read it) that opens a great discussion about eating less meat. The article, entitled The Meat of the Problem, outlines the environmental impact of eating less meat.

The basic premise is this: the environmental impact and carbon creation of raising livestock for food is more detrimental than DRIVING, and yet telling people to consume less meat is HIGHLY unpopular. Therefore we tell people to drive less rather than change their eating habits. Of course, doctors tell people to change their eating habits all the time - but few people actually do.

This makes some sense. How are you supposed to connect conserving fossil fuels to the burger on the grill? It's sort of abstract and doesn't make a great bumper sticker. And yet, it also makes so MUCH sense. Why wouldn't people who are concerned enough about the environment to spend thousands of dollars on a hybrid, not want to know that they could have an even greater impact by cutting out the nightly animal protein for some beans? Didn't we learn that it's the small things that count back in the 1980's when Reduce Reuse Recycle became the mantra of school children everywhere?

From now on I may cite environmental impact as my standard reason, when people ask "Why don't you eat meat? How do you live without bacon?" (right before I feign a fainting spell from bacon withdrawal).

Most readers here know me personally, and therefore know that I haven't eaten meat in close to 11 years, and so you will know why this subject hits home for me. I sense your Bias Radar going off now, and that's Okay. The truth is that I have always felt that going vegetarian was a good decision for me, but might not be feasible for everyone. I have never once tried to convince anyone to give up meat entirely. I believe that being divisive and judgmental when it comes to food only gives people fodder to call you names and root themselves more strongly in their habits. I do always try to provide something delicious and vegetarian for people to try. My hope is that eventually people will start to realize that real food is real food with or without meat.

There are a lot of ways in which each of us impacts the environment daily- our water usage, our home construction, our commutes, our grocery bags, our recycle bins...the list is endless. Furthermore I realize that a vegetarian diet that includes eggs and dairy certainly doesn't go as far as a vegan diet would in reducing carbon emissions. However, I would love to see these studies on the nightly news instead of research on how texting while driving is dangerous and whether or not red wine is good for you this week.

2009-07-30T18:48:00.001-04:00

One of Those Days

2009-07-28T21:33:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I could just chew glass. I hate that! That feeling of being so worked up about something that you just feel like screaming, or smashing something...like your car into the next jackass that cuts you off, but you don't do things like that because your motto is "have fun safely". (sigh)

I hate feeling like that. I'm happy to say that today I left the office feeling that way, but somehow managed to drive to the gym and work off a bit of that frustration before coming home. Personal growth? Maybe so.

ThreeThings

2009-07-27T20:05:00.005-04:00

I do not want to contemplate roofing estimates. In fact, I do not want to do this task so much, that I am using the folder of roofing info (which I should actually read) as a laptop desk.

I have been wondering all summer if anyone has come up with a great device with which to carry easily bruised stone fruits with them to work. You know, without all the bruising, bashing and general horror of finding you afternoon snack, shoved in the bottom of a bag looking like the loser (or maybe the winner?) of a mixed martial arts fight. Bubble wrap perhaps?

I am really interested in knowing who keeps leaving chicken carcasses at the corner of Blaine and Carter Street. And while Tuckertino and Briggs have confessed their undying devotion to whomever keeps leaving chicken bones on the sidewalk, I feel differently, what with chicken bones not being a great supplement to their diet. Murph tried to tell me that he was the one leaving the bones in the road. He claims to buy a weekly bucket of KFC and hang out on this corner (of a residential neighborhood) and secretly eat chicken and throw the bones on the ground. And while I was suspcious of his story, what with the VEGANISM and all, I bought it until I saw how grossed out he was by the the act of prying 1/2 a chicken from Briggs mouth today. Whom ever is doing this, please stop. Please!

Finally! A Farmer's Market!

2009-07-26T20:46:00.003-04:00

So, you may recall back a few weeks when I was lamenting over the fact that there are no farmer's markets out here in the 'burbs. Of course according to my post, I had figured out why. I mean I do have to admit to living within a stone's throw (read very short drive) of several working farms, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, a sheep farm, an equestrian center, a decent farm stand, and of course we often take a weekly trip to Idylwilde Farm where they stock every vegetable and fruit known to man, every cheese worth trying, Iggy's breads and well the kicker is that they make croissants, too.

Right so, why then would I need a farmer's market, too? Because of the intrigue, the hype, the fun of being able to walk around the stalls and chat with people and hear the conversations - you know the community feel of it all. I just don't get that from the surly Farm Stand Lady. (Note: DO NOT husk your corn in her store because she will yell at you loudly).

A couple of weeks ago, on our Sunday morning trip to Idylwilde we noticed a sign for the "Acton's Farmer's Market". So of course we checked it out. I was excited to see a side street closed off and about 10 stalls. Of course, we were there late in the day and they were SOLD OUT. Like not a vegetable to be seen, a few perrenials, and some bagels. The HUGEST BAGELS you've ever seen.

This week we stopped in early to find some veggies still available, lots of fresh herbs, the BAGLES, some fresh baked scones, vinegar. I am a sucker for vinegars. I LOVE vinegars. Especially fruit infused vinegars - strawberry, fig, pear - so when this woman offered me a taste of her vine-ripend raspberry vinegar I jumped. And then I bought a bottle and then I heard her say something about having herb infused vinegar next week...guess where I'll be next Sunday morning?

Right Now

2009-07-21T20:57:00.001-04:00

Remembering how to get this mobile blogging thing to work correctly.

Listening to the kids next door enjoy summer be yelling incoherent nonsense.

Wondering why the Food Network has so many "down arrow" and "leaky pipe" commercials.

Four Notes From the Last Month

2009-06-14T19:54:00.004-04:00

Been experiencing difficulty making a decision. Make that SEVERE difficulty. Do I really want to go back to school? Or do I merely just want to do something else? Round and round I go with this commitment-phobic ridiculousness.

Found out that volunteering is difficult when you work full time. Why is it that volunteers are only welcome during normal working hours? Didn't President Obama tell everyone to get out there and get their service project on? Perhaps you need an ivy league degree to walk dogs or shelve books, which is why the president has no problem getting a volunteer position. I, on theother hand, only went to state school.

Figured out why we don't have more farmer's markets in central Massachusetts. I'm always reading blogs and articles about these magical places that people go on Saturdays called the Farmer's Market. Where they get to sample fruit and cheese and have nice chats with their local growers. They then buy a 100 pounds of food for approximately $.82 and come home to make a feast of organic beets and artisan bread with fresh goat cheese. I have even been to a few of these magical places while on vacation, but there are just really none to be had near our home. And I have been jealous of all those who get to have a weekly farmer's market experience. Sometimes, I just can't shake the feeling that I'm missing out on some sort of important part of the culinary experience. (Which perhaps I am- but not for this reason). I have found the answer: we have the actual FARMS. It occurred to me one day as I was driving past yet another old family farm, big white barn in the back, horses in the pasture across the street, fields of corn budding down the road, that "oh right, I live with the farms...DUH". Fortunaley I also live within 4 miles of a Target and an Old Navy as well.

My youngest brother has graduated high school. A proper way to describe this is "HOLY SHIT, that came up fast!" I must be getting older. I am 10 years older than my brother, and the fact that he has now graduated high school and attended his graduation party with his (pseudo-girlfriend and her very adorable chubby-cheeked BABY) drew attention to the fact that he is now entering adulthood and well...yikes! Really, I am just so happy that he got through the last four years and finished his program, and is still the awesome funny kid who looked at me when he was 4 and said "you know, I'm not a big boy yet, but I'm not a baby either". He still needs to find his people though. I have every confidence that he will (and probably before I do).

2nd Attempt - Vegan Peanut Buttter Banana Ice Cream

2009-05-31T16:47:00.005-04:00

I swear I do not have a problem...yet.

Anyway, after browsing the internet for vegan ice cream recipes I stumbled upon a way to use the over ripe bananas that were lying in the fruit basket (and a way to utilize the new small appliance in our kitchen).

The recipe I used was found here at A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise. I decided not to heat the liquid as suggested, instead I just melted the peanut butter with the brown sugar in a small pot over medium heat and then threw that into the blender. This eliminated the need to chill the liquid for hours before churning.

And this stuff is good. It made an excellent creamy ice cream and seriously, it also made an immensely great milk shake. And yes, I did take a picture and yes, I will post it at the point where I can find the strength to take out the cord, open photoshop and resize the image, but that will have to wait until tomorrow when I have had a day at work to emerge from my sugar coma.

Making Frozen Deliciousness

2009-05-30T20:20:00.004-04:00

About three weeks ago I was walking through Target, minding my own, determined to buy a new mop and a first communion card. While on my journey to the back of the store I walked by one of those end of isle displays where they stack the sale items. It's hard for me to describe how much I LOVE the end of isle sale items at Target. So many great things for my house have been purchased from those shelves, organic cotton hand towels, table lamps, candle holders for the mantel, the mirror in the living room, and so many more essential and cute things that make a house feel like a home. That day the sale display in the housewares section had Rival ice cream makers on sale for $24.99. I was intrigued but kept moving, onward to the back of the store, to buy a mop as my old mop had broken part way through cleaning my kitchen floor.

A few days later I was back at Target, undoubtedly buying something I did need like dish soap and a whole pile of stuff I did not need but could use, like 4 boxes of Kashi GoLean cereal. Again I walked by the ice cream makers. I stopped to inspect the boxes but kept moving. I tried to telll myself there was no need to buy it, but I kept think about how I could perfect sorbets of all kinds and make vegab cookie dough ice cream, and maybe not be jealous of small children who get to have soft serve with jimmies on top. Ah the longing.

I thought about the ice cream maker for a week. Then I started to talk about it to the Husband. A LOT. Eventually, he was either tired of hearing me talk about it, or just really wanted to taste one of these creations and said something to the effect of "Go buy it already!". And that was all I had to hear. I believe the silly thing was purchased within two hours of that conversation.

And so now I bring you my first try with said machine. I used my rampant knowledge of the google to narrow down a great chocolate sorbet recipe and after reading about 25 of them I found Smitten Kitchen's post which seemed delicious and ironic, since I read her blog daily and should have thought of it in the first place! Head over there to check out the recipe she posted from The Perfect Scoop.

I deviated from the recipe on little bit. The only chocolate I had was a dark bar with espresso beans in it, so I though it fitting to replace half the water with espresso in the recipe. The result is some serious chocolate goodness with a hint of coffee. And the bonus is that this recipe is vegan to begin with, so there was no mussing and fussing with conversions.

My slight adaptation is as follows:
Chocolate-Espresso Sorbet
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup Espresso
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan,whisk together the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it’s melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the espresso. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly (I left mine over night since it was too late to run the machine) then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

Bed Time Particulars/Neurosis

2009-05-06T20:53:00.006-04:00

On more than one occasion I have gotten out of bed to actually make the bed so that the sheets are perfectly straight and not all bunched up around my feet. I am not opposed to doing this while Brian is in the bed. I just make it around him.

The other thing I can't handle is when the sheets get pulled way up and try to choke me out. So yes, I will also re-make the bed if the sheets are too high up.

I also hate light. One time I actually made Brian get out of the bed to help me move the whole thing over 3 feet because the moon light was too bright through the window. Of course, we moved the bed in the wrong direction and within 15 minutes, Brian was fast asleep and I had moon light across my face again.

2009-04-26T22:00:00.001-04:00

Testing

Glowing Frog

2009-04-23T21:27:00.001-04:00

Did you see this picture of the glowing frog?

2009-04-21T12:43:00.001-04:00

I cleaned out my car yesterday and was reminded of flint when I had to dust the dash. I also found a bunch of pennies and a can of coke, but not much else. I'm a little proud of myself. I think I have finally broken myself of the messy car habit.

2009-04-17T07:35:00.001-04:00

Got up early to get a few things done before work. This is all highly unlike me but I love this feeling of acomplishing something before I've set foot out the door.

Another Vote for "Stop Caring"

2009-04-15T20:03:00.002-04:00

I really liked this post about personal growth on Brazen Careerist. Just putting out there.

You Always Knew Hummels Were Creepy

2009-04-14T21:40:00.003-04:00

When my brother was about 4 he was probably the funniest person on the planet. He was small, what with being 4 and all, but he could knock the socks off of any comedian out there. In fact, Johny Carson probably should have staved off retire just a bit longer to give my 4 year old brother the chance to host the Tonight Show - then at least we might not be faced with all this Jay Leno Talk Show crap. Anyway, at 4 this kid was a comedic genius. He was also great at amusing himself. He could watch TV, draw a comic book, or stage himself a birthday party to keep himself occupied to no end. I've always felt that these are all good qualities in a child under 10.

My Aunt Ann used to watch him once a week while my Mom worked. Not having children, her house was not exactly childproof, but Bob was not exactly a baby. One day she hoped in the shower while he was there. She figured he'd just watch cartoons, but instead he found something that really seemed to get his imagination going...her partner's Hummel Collection.

Now Hummels are a bit weird to begin with is you ask me. What's funnier is that the Hummel collection seemed very out of character for Ann's partner. Never in 100 years would you think that she would find those doe-eyed cereamic statutes even remotely interesting. Alas, she had several of them on a book shelf. If you have ever picked up a Hummel you've probably noticed how strangely fragile they are. Perhaps this is why I gravitate to Fiestawear which is nearly indestructible. I tend to break stuff.

As Ann tells the story, she was getting out of the shower and heard Bob chatting up a storm as little kids often do. She opened the door to the bathroom and heard, "And then HIS head popped off, too". Throwing on a towel she came running out to livingroom to find Bob surrounded by decapitated Hummels.

This always makes me laugh, thinking of this little kid, trying to entertain himself and suddenly finding himself surrounded by decapitated ceramic figures and a shocked woman in a towel.

And of course what made me think of this? Well, it was these pictures of this guy in the UK who reconfigures old and new figurines into hoodlums and miscreants. My first thought: I wonder if Bob would have decapitated those figures or would he have left well enough alone? I wonder if anyone will post these on the c-space. I sure hope so.

Sometimes I Make Fried Food -Fried Tofu Strips

2009-04-12T21:38:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I learned that I have low iron. Not a huge deal, and actually it was nice to know why I am often so tired by Wednesday that I can barely get through the afternoon without a short nap at my desk. In addition to taking some supplements recommended by my very wonderful nurse practitioner, I purchased a couple of pieces of Lodge Pre-seasoned Cast Iron Cookware. The story of what I actually purchased is another post requiring pictures of said pieces of cookware and a wide angle lens. Why? Well, it seems I purchased a 15 inch skillet with a 3 inch edge that weighs about 82 pounds and could feed an entire boy scout troop dinner. The picture on amazon did not fully explain to me how menecing this thing is.

Back on track...After the first few cooking incidents (we shall call them incidents as I never burn anything, including my fingers, in my nonstick Calphalon). I finally started to get the hang of the cast iron this week -temperature, maneuvering the lids and hot handles, cleaning burnt cabbage off the bottom. On Saturday night, I was faced with what to make for dinner and going out was not an option. I had 2 crowns of broccoli, a block of tofu and the regular pantry staples. Apparently, I approach dinner the same way they do on the show Chopped. Except, luckily, I don't time myself, or juddge myself half as harshly. I figured that I could handle making something fried that never would have worked as well in the nonstick pans.

I dediced on Fried Tofu Strips, steamed broccoli, and dippping sauces. I was going for a "chicken finger" kind of consistency with the tofu andI think I accheived that. They were pretty darn tasty. I would definately make them again, and would probably expand the sauces, as I was a bit lacking in the creativity there. It was a fun Saturday night supper though.

Fried Tofu Strips
1 block of extra frim tofu
2 Cups of Panko (spiced up- using a smattering of garlic powder, cayanne, salt, nutrtional yeast, celery seed, and pepper. And no, there was no method to that madness.)
1/3 Cup of Soy Flour (I'm guessing any flour would work)
1 egg replacer egg mixed with 2 TBS of Soy milk
Olive Oil for pan frying

I will start by saying that this recipe will make a ton of dishes and will seem like a lot of steps, but is actually quite easy.

First step is to prep the tofu. You'll want to press your tofu and then get all the water out, which will make frying a much more enjoyable experience. I like to cut mine into about 1/2 inch slabs and then I press them between a stack of cutting boards. I stack them up and walk away for a while. (Or you could do this) Then cut the tofu into 1/2 inch strips. Take a paper towel and gently sqeeze the remaining water out of each strip.

Step two is to set up a place to put the done pieces. Preheat your oven to 350. Take out a jellyroll pan and a cooling rack. Place the cooling rack over the jellyroll pan and throw that in the oven. This is where you will place the fried tofu. It will allow the extra grease to drip off and keep the piece warm and crispy.

Then, just like Mom used to do...well maybe that was only my mom....set up your assembly line. Take a plate and coat it in flour and set aside. Take a bowl and mix your egg replacer and soy milk and set aside, perferrably next to the flour plate. Finally take a medium sized bowl and mix up those panko and spices.

Heat a pot on the stovetop on medium heat and coat it with olive oil. And don;t skimp on the oil. We're frying here. Now set up your assembly line. Take a tofu strip, coat it in flour, dunk it in the "egg", and dredge it in the panko. Then set the covered soggy tofu in the pan and fry each side until they are crispy and golden brown. Once it is done place it on the rack in the oven.

Repeat until they are all fried up. Like I said, pretty easy, but lots of dishes, and fun to eat.

I served them with an "assortment of dipping sauces". This was actually Spicy Ketchup (ketchup mixed with Hot Sauce), Trader Joes BBQ Sauce, Goddess Dressing, and some Kens Sweet Onion Salad dressing. Had I been planning better, I would have taken the time to get creative on the sauce front. Any ideas?

*and now I also realize that the only picture taken of this meal with with the husband's blackberry. Maybe he can email it to me ;)

Recipe: Wild Mushroom Barley Risotto

2009-04-08T14:13:00.006-04:00

Last week I was dead tired after walking the dogs. I sat down on the couch to watch a little Food Network. My intention, since the Husband was meeting his friends for dinner was to make myself a bowl of cereal for dinner but after rejuvenating for a few minuets and watching a little Rachael Ray, I was inspired to make a healthy meal. What got me was that she was talking about how she doesn't get home from work until 8 or 9 at night, but still makes dinner everyday because it makes her feel better. I thought, geeze, I get home at 5 or 6 and some days I still can't pull it together. I can do better!

What was worse, I actually made the risotto the night before because I had some spare time and the energy to cook, but was still going to eat cereal instead because I didn't feel like making the rest of the meal for "just me". The good news is that it was really easy to reheat and toss the watercress into the dish on the second day. Dare I say it was "delish"? Oh My!

Oh, and where did I get the recipe for such a dish? I found myself looking up Barley in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and sort of went from there based on Mr. Bittman's loose directives. Man, I love that cook book.

Wild Mushroom Barley Risotto
1 package of Dried Wild Mushrooms -Re-hydrated in 4 cups hot water
1 Tbs Olive Oil
½ Sweet onion diced
2 cloves garlic
1Tbs Better Than Bullion (thx Renee for this recommendation- this stuff rules)
1Tbs Tomato Paste
1 ¼ Cup Pearl Barley
1 Cup Watercress roughly chopped – or any green

Heated the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and cook until brown.
Scoop out the mushrooms from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the onion. Season with salt & pepper. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (2 mins). Add the barley and stir coating the grains. Add the reserved mushroom water to the pan and stir in the “Better than Bullion” and tomato paste. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until most of the liquid is gone and the barley is tender (30-40 mins). Stir in the watercress right before serving.

I served this with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Crispy Steamed Green Beans

Roasted Grape Tomatoes
Heat the oven to 400-450. In a baking pan or pie plate toss a bunch of washed grape tomatoes in a single layer with a coating of olive oil and salt. Roast for about 30 mins in the oven.

Like He Was Auditioning for America's Funniest Home Videos

2009-04-06T21:00:00.003-04:00

The Tino has this fleece blanket that he drags around the house with him. He is one of those funny dogs that gets cold easily so I gave him a fleece to wrap up in. Being a terrier he also likes to "fluff up" his bed before laying down. And while he does sleep on it, he also likes to take it off his bed, run into the living room, fleece trailing behind him, and wrestle the crap out of it. He grabs it in his mouth, whips the blanket from side to side and then throws it down on the floor to wrestle the life out of it. Generally, Briggs wants nothing to do with this activity so the Tino can feel free to play with the blanket for several uninterrupted minuets at a time.

Tonight as I got up off the couch and turned to walk out of the living room I saw that the Tino had thrown the blanket over his own body, including his head, in some sort of fit of Tino-sized rage. Then, sensing that I was leaving the room, he ran full speed toward me, but missed and smacked directly into the door jam.

If only I had caught it on video* we would cercertainly have won the $10k.

*photos recreated for dramatic effect

chair facelift pictorial

2009-04-05T21:30:00.002-04:00

The One Where You See My Underwear

2009-03-18T22:56:00.003-04:00

I have been meaning to write about this for weeks but sometimes life has a habit of getting in the way of life. Then I read this post about lost underpants at StopBouncing and I realized I had to tell this story.

Before vacation I rifled through my drawers looking to pack my summery things and decided that I was in need of underwear. I mean, not that my stash of underwear was terrible, but it was time for new. You've been there- don't lie. You know when it is time to put tired elastics to rest and go for new.

Anyway I had a gift card for Victoria's Secret, where I happily purchased 10 pairs of new cotton underwear. Yup- I bought 10 pairs and used the whole gift card. But then I was at Target and started to think that I may need a few pairs that would fall under the "not cotton seamless" category. So I purchased these super sheer and stretchy underwear that would be suitable for certain kinds of outfits that require a more seamless look.

I took off all the tags to all 14 pairs of new undies and threw them in the laundry - washed, dried, the whole bit. Then came the folding of said laundry and the WILD LAUGHTER. You see, the new sheer underwear morphed into doll clothes while in the laundry. If you check out the picture below...that is a new pair of cotton Victoria's Secret (you know - normal underwear) and what became of the sheer and stretchy seamless panties I also bought.

The underwear shrunk to the point of ridiculous. I don't even think they make toddler underwear that small. I laughed so hard I cried and so did the husband. And then I threw them in the bottom of the laundry basket instead of in the trash. Why? Who knows.

I guess they ended up in my drawer during some kind of fit whereby I try to put everything away. Last week I pulled out a pair by mistake before getting into the shower. Without knowing which pair I had in my hand I put them on. And guess what- they stretch back out. They are like an amazing science experiment. I sort of feel like buying more.

pulling self up by bootstraps

2009-03-12T22:12:00.003-04:00

Right, I have no where else to go with this, so I am landing here.

Just read something and my heart sank. Really. I'm pretty sure if you had watched me read this piece of trivia on the internet you would have seen my head drop, my face go pale and my shoulders slump. And after the conversations I had to have today it's just not really very timely.

I'm home alone, so there is no one to explain this to - and what I read isn't really that important anyway. So, it's time to let it go. Wonder if I can get to that stage of personal growth?

Probably not tonight. So I may just have a glass of wine and watch an episode of Big Love.

But watch out world. I'm standing tall tomorrow.

weekend pickup

2009-03-08T20:39:00.002-04:00

Chicken Suit Domo! You may be interested to know that I also have a hamster plushy that is dressed in a chicken suit. One more and I'll have a collection. I wonder if anyone else collects plushies dressed in chicken suits? I'm holding out for an ugly doll. I should sketch one up and send it over.

working all night

2009-03-04T20:43:00.002-05:00

So yesterday I came home from work, walked the dogs, went to my acupuncture appointment and when I got home I felt a surge of energy. Perhaps it was the nap-time I get on the acupuncturist table, but I felt like going through my feed reader and catching up. I have been a bit lax since returning from vacation land.

So I then spent the next 2 hours reading blogs and articles and watching several videos at garyvaynerchuk.com and then I decided I should check out the new tv show venture he's started, Obsessed. So of course I watched the show where Sam interviews Lisa Stone of BlogHer. And I find this all wicked interesting when she's talking about new media and journalism and being an entropeanuer and damn it, I liked her when she spoke at the BlogHer Boston event back in October. So I was all fired up and thinking of all the cool things I could do or should do with my life when I noticed it was 10pm...and the Husband and I went to bed.

Why did we go to bed? Because it was bed time. Because we get up early (him earlier than me usually) to do the stuff that is required of us to pay the mortgage and buy the dog food and be responsible ect ect.

I won't lie, I had a hard time falling asleep, but unlike last week, I was actually able to get to dream land. Of course in dream land my subconscious was still playing Gary Vaynerchuck videos. I kept dreaming of business meetings and these little pearls of wizdom and these awesomely huge ideas and then I would wake up, realize my arm (or some important other apppendage) was asleep and roll over, heart pounding, groggy and disgruntled. I must have woken up 5 times.

The problem is this: it seems I worked all night and I have shit to show for it. I can't remember a single one of theses great ideas or pearls of wizdom dropped on me by the dream Gary.

So tonight I am going to watch a and episode of Big Love and attempt to shut my brain off before trying to slumber. I kindly say to Gary V, "Dude, stay out of my dreams - I'm trying to sleep here".

You can't fake a good varnish job

2009-03-03T21:17:00.001-05:00

I would most certainly without a doubt have the hardwood floors refinished.
When we saw this house before buying, it was fully furnished. We could see that there were nice blond hardwoods in all the rooms. This was a major score for us first time home buyers. We were also told (by the owner's boyfriend) that he had spent major time refinishing the floors himself, room by room.

On the morning of our closing we did our walk through. The sun was shining through all the really great windows and I noticed something on the floors. Now that all the furniture was out, you could see the varnish job in each room. Well, you could more clearly see where the vanish hadn't been applied. The guy had actually applied the varnish around the area rugs in each room. He was so lazy that he didn't even roll up the rug to complete the project. Each room has a big unvarnished circle or rectangle in it.

Oh and I realize that this is a ridiculous answer. In prior years I may have answered something like "I'd change this crazy-ass roommate" or "I'd move out of worm town" or "I'd move out of the apartment that has mold growing all over it" or "I'd get some furniture" or "I'd find someplace better to sleep than my parent's couch". But life is good right now and my greatest concern about my living space are the old beat up hardwoods. Sweet.

an act of salsa

2009-03-02T15:32:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, despite the impending weather, I convinced the Husband to go to the grocery store with me. I used to really enjoy food shopping, but recently this task has become a bit of drudgery. I'm not sure if it's because all the prices went up significantly in the last 6 months, or just because I am just sick of it, but somehow going with someone else to grocery store with my Starbucks beverage in hand makes the whole thing seem less annoying.

The double doors swung open to a display, complete with a home made sign, that read "Make Some Mango Salsa". The display rack was loaded up with mango, pineapple, limes, tomatoes, onions and most importantly a very simply typed and printed recipe.

I liked the idea that the produce department obviously needed a way to sell of mangos in March and put together a really simple display that might inspire someone to make something they usually buy in a jar. I have to admit, I usually buy my salsa in a jar. Why? Laziness. Of course I know better but I keep picking up those jars of Newman's Own when they are 2 for $5.

Anyway, as the husband read the sign out loud, I picked out a mango and some onions, limes and decided that canned tomatoes were the way to go. And so when I got home I made a really simple and delicious mango salsa that was perfect on our burritos last night. I'm not going to post a recipe. Salsa isn't a recipe thing, anymore than red sauce is. You have to feel (or taste) your way through it in my opinion.

I liked the stores suggestion, the simplicity of the display, and the fact that I have now taken a fresh salsa vow. Sorry Newman estate, I'll only be using you in a pinch from now on.

Take Flight

2009-02-23T21:00:00.004-05:00

I would say to the husband, "which one should I try next?"

He would then point to one of 6 mini martini glasses and I would take a sip.

I would then hear the obligatory question, "are you mad bevvied yet?"

Oh, the thrills of drinking with a straight edge dude. It never gets dull. Especially because the wacky cocktails are mine, all mine!

where have i been?

2009-02-22T18:43:00.007-05:00

you may be wondering where i have been lately. for the most part, i have been right here, on my couch, shushing my dogs as i watch the entire series of six feet under. of course i was able to fit a few other adventures in the last month or so.

the husband and i met up with the fam in maine and did a little snowshoeing and perhaps too much drinking. i found myself cooking all the time, oh and then there was that thing about how we went on vacation. yup vacation. FINALLY. this winter has been long and cold and darn snowy. more so than usual for new england. so we thought we would pack up the sunblock and head to the carribbean like the rich folks. what we found out later was that it's not so much the rich folks but rather the old folks who find themselves on cruise boats in february but i didn't care. why? because went from this masked robber type:
to this fabulous sun glass wearing chick who hangs in miami in about 3 hours flat:
we had such a good time that i am already plotting my way back onto one of these giant boats again. oh and yes, in case you are wondering, i wore my hat and sunglasses, spf 55 and was fully clothed almost the whole time. i know how to have fun right?

i have more stories to tell. more posts this week. back on the band wagon.

They Do This Professionally

2009-01-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

2009-01-12T19:51:00.000-05:00

I should have been a food blogger. (Maybe I still can be....) Why? because lately, all I want to do is read recipes, try recipes, go food shopping, and use every piece of Fiestaware I own to serve (and photograph) fabulous food. Very little else interests me lately which is a serious problem.

Well it's serious in the sense that I would also like to loose 15 lbs, write quite prolifically
on the collectionspace about all things I find fascinating about collecting, finish watching the 1st season of 6 Feet Under, succeed at my insurance job, find the happiness that must have been packed in our office move, and finally recover these chairs in my dining room. That's a lot and made for a great run-on sentence and it's being put on hold for the most part because I am
obsessed with cooking beans and Swiss chard in chipolte tomato sauce.

In other words, I have been majorly distracted lately. I have been distracted before but I am having a harder time getting out of my own this time. So in am attempt to look my demons in the eye I bring you:

10 Things I Like (to be distracted by)

1. Cooking- as I mentioned I just want to stand in my kitchen with a stocked pantry and an endless supply of vegetables and chop and dice until I've run out things to saute and roast, when I will move on to baking and finally eating. Someone else can wash the dishes ;)

2. Color Junction- I have a sickness. I love really dumb games. Curse you iGoogle.

3. Sleeping- On the weekend you are a great way to spend a morning hiding from dogs who want to walked in a cold snowy winter, all snuggled up in my very comfortable bed underneath the beautiful silver gray duvet. During the week you are a great thing to avoid doing for when I sleep all weekend I get all f-ed up and then have a hard time falling asleep at 10pm like I should.

4. Reading- Not that its a bad thing to spend time on, but how much time is appropriate to be spent reading articles about fish oil? Lately I say ALL the time.

5. Vacation Planning- The dream of taking a mid-winter retreat to warmer lands will finally be realized next month and it takes a lot of planning and internet research to be carefree for 6 days.

6. Not Going to The Gym- Yes, not going is also a distraction because I spend lots of time thinking about going, or devising a plan of when to go and then I don't actually go. I do something like play Color Junction for an hour. Then I have to make excuses for myself. Vicious cycle you see.

7. Day Dreaming- Nothing like practicing your award acceptance speech while walking the dogs.

8. Watching bad movies- The power to turn the TV is in my hands and my hands only. "Waiting" was not worth it. Sadly, I did not utilize my remote control.

9. Watching Good Movies- Actually, take this one off. Good movies are not a distraction, they are good for you!

10. Creating Lists (Top 10 type included) for myself- at work and at home I have started a collection of lists. Soon to keep track of them I will have to make a list of my lists and then catalog them, and well thats just silly.

11. Listening to Fresh Air and The Moth podcasts- Actually, I don't know if this falls under distraction or good use of time. Either way I've been really enjoying both lately. I like the stories.

So there you go internet, these are the things I have been using to hold myself back! or something like that. Anyway, I guess this is as close as I will get to writing a new year resolution post. If you'd like to read a properly inspiring one, Holly at, Nothing But Bonfires has written one for you and the rest of us.

Here's to being less distracted in days to come. Cheers!

This Pretty Much Sums It Up

2009-01-11T20:51:00.002-05:00

There's really not much more to say about today. Oh right, it snowed and I never left the house. Perfect lazy Sunday.

Things I Don't Suggest Gift Guide

2008-12-10T19:26:00.005-05:00

USB Humping Dog - The perfect gift for anyone who loves dogs doing inappropriate things to their computer.

Pure Cashmere Robe for Men- "Cashmere Georgie! Cashmere!" Creepy guy models ridiculously expensive bathrobe. Hello, Christmas Spirit!

EM Winstson 15-Hole Concert Series Pan Flute- If your special someone is in need of a pan flute, I'm going to suggest you spring for this 15-Hole one. I mean, you wouldn't want to seem cheap by only getting the 12-Hole. But really...who needs a pan flute?

Egyptian Pyramid Pyramods Jewelry Treasure Box - Who am I kidding this is the good shit. Can someone just order this for me? I'm putting it on my wishlist.

Adorable Small Baby Sock Coin Purse - Buy 'em up quick folks the're on sale! With 8 color combinations you'll have quite the decision to make here.

Christmas is Coming...Just Sayin'

2008-12-03T20:34:00.004-05:00

Might someone buy me this for Christmas? or perhaps some of these?

Gone but Not Forgotten

2008-12-01T19:20:00.004-05:00

I may have gone shoe shopping at lunch today. Okay. I most certainly did go shoe shopping at lunch today, but in my defense it is because I had worn my pair of clogs down to nothing. The sole was coming off and the buckle was broken on the right shoe. It was time to move on. I know my taste in everyday shoe wear would never pass the "Stacey & Clinton" test, but it works for me. I was happy with my purchases, but started thinking back to great shoes of the past and other items I may have discarded hastily in the name of simplicity.

There are two items in particular that I would really like to magically unhinge themselves from the innermost corner racks of the Salvation Army where they probably lay and come back home to my closet.

Item One: the little black skirt. I bought this skirt from TJ Maxx when I was about 16. It was the perfect back skirt for dressing up or down. It was a tad short, but perfectly work-appropriate when paired with black tights and a sweater. It was equally great for wearing out in the summer with a t-shirt. It was a Cotton Lycra blend which meant that it always fit no matter what and all one had to do to get it back in shape was to throw it in the dryer. It had buttons down the front in a sailor pant style. This skirt had everything going for it, but like so many women before me, when the style pendulum swung to long lines, I tossed the short black skirt out with the bathwater.

Item Two: gray maryjane platform shoes. These shoes, purchased from the Greendale Mall my sophomore year of college, were the prefect accompaniment for the aforementioned skirt, black pants, long skirts and pretty much anything. I know you are wondering how or why I would need a pair of platforms at 5'8", but trust me when I tell you that I should have been two inches taller and these made all the difference. I was in love with these shoes, medium gray flannel, rubber sole, with the cute maryjane strap/buckle. They would look perfect with the black footless leggings I recently bought at Steinmart, but I let them go long ago and have found nothing similar since.

I generally do a total closet overhaul every 6 months and rid myself of items that I don't wear (not in style), shouldn't wear (ugly) or can't wear (ill fitting/ripped or otherwise maimed) and typically I can't even recall what I discard, but these items haunt me still.

Story Time

2008-11-27T21:42:00.004-05:00

This story is great- totally worth reading.
People standing up for other people, and telling the crazies where to go!

And I should add....Happy Thanksgiving

I was just tweeting about my thankfulness...for great family, good food, apple pie for breakfast, and long weekends...I should probably add that I am thankful for the husband, our great life together, and the wonderful friends we have.

It's a good life.

Back on Track...or Something

2008-11-25T06:07:00.005-05:00

Wow! I was able to pass the Life & Health Insurance test last week. Thanks to all for the PMA and congratulations. I am most appreciative.

I was trying to figure out why I was so nervous about taking that exam. My conclusion, it has something to do with the experience I had taking my very first insurance exam….and a really ugly picture of me.

About 5 years ago I decided to take the P&C exam. Well, I realized that if I wanted to move up from the underworld of data entry, I needed to become a licensed insurance professional.

I signed up for the review class, got the giant book and I read it every night. When I say giant book, I mean 2 1/2 inch thick paper manual that is crammed full of every bit of knowledge one would need to know for said test. It even tells you right in the front cover, something like "This book contains everything you need to know for the test. There is minimal extemporaneous material". Which I would later learn means "know it all...or else".

Then I took the review class. This is a two-day adventure where an instructor reads the book to you and 50 of your closest friends and explains the innermost details of insurance rules and laws and details the difference between sexy words like peril, hazard, and indemnity. I then scheduled my exam and got to reading the test-taking rules. Fresh out of undergrad and still enrolled in graduate school I figured I had a leg up. I was used to studying and taking exams. I figured, it would be no problem to be sent into a dark room to sit at one of those crappy orange computer terminals and answer multiple choice questions for 3 hours.

I think you know where I'm going with this. The first time I took that P&C exam I failed. FAIL. See, the previous years of my education had been spent getting the "big picture", reading and interpreting literature, making inferences out of the news and using facts to create and write my own opinions on such topics as media bias, advertising in the post-war era, and this emerging media trend which would eventually become Web 2.0. My brain had been co-opted by a "Northeast liberal-arts education" and I was no match for a 4 part multiple choice test. I failed by something like 3 points in both Massachusetts Law sections. I was devastated.

The devastation stemmed from two distinct areas in my heart. Firstly, I loathe to do anything wrong, EVER. I believe they call that fear of failure or perfectionism or maybe just plain old Northeast snobbery. The second was the part of me that under no circumstances wanted to study, think about, or even look at that insurance manual ever again. In fact I had been told that the manual was ONLY for the test and was not suitable reference material for the office environment. I was looking forward to hoisting the book over the wall of the dumpster out back.

However, I had FAILED which meant more studying. I re-took the super fun review class, and started doing nightly practice tests. I would go on to memorize more useless knowledge than I ever had before. Approximately 3 weeks later I walked back into that creepy dark room lit by the glow of the orange computer terminals and kicked that exams ass. Well, I passed. After you got the big PASS you didn't get a point break down, just a piece of paper that said PASS! It’s good enough, but I’ll never know if I passed by 3 points or 30.

When I decided to take the Life Insurance exam about 6 weeks ago I started down the same path with a giant book to learn. It all felt eerily similar to me, despite passing a whole bunch of insurance exams since that first fateful FAIL. As the date of the exam approached I was increasingly nervous about the material. Increasingly worried about the prospect of failure.

In that last week I made time for little else besides studying. The husband was kind enough to walk the dogs and make himself dinner while I read about annuities and medicare. In my quest for uncertainty avoidance I had read all the test-taking rules. I had my photo ID, my calculator and nothing else with me when I walked into the testing office. The woman there said she was going to take my photo to verify that it was actually me, but never said "say cheese". She chatted with me for a minute and then sat me down at my assigned computer station in the test room. No more orange computer terminals. The proctor hit a few keys and said "Okay, you are all set". She walked away. I looked up at the screen and was met with this:

The clock was already counting down (1:59:32) and all I could think about was “why is ugly me watching me take this test”. I hoped it wasn’t an omen for ugly results. Fortunately, it wasn't, and I learned that I should probably smile more, even when I'm stressed out.

Now onto other things like our office move, Thanksgiving, and high school reunions.

ignored

2008-11-19T23:55:00.004-05:00

I have been ignoring this space for the past week, but only because I have been focusing all my energy on studying for this damn life insurance test that I will be taking tomorrow- oh and that trip to Maine we took last weekend.

And if I fail said test...just cry for me. I won't have time to weep. I'll have to get right back to reading the giant book.

3 Happy Stories and 1 Bonus

2008-11-13T20:59:00.006-05:00

1. I was sitting on the couch listening to the husband laugh, out loud, really hard, almost to tears. Then I asked him to read me what was so funny on the internet and he laughed even harder. I love that.

2. I was at the gym watching day time tv and listening to my ipod. As I was watching what appeared to be some ladies win a car, it hit me how much I love to watch people win. It doesn't matter if it's some sports team I have no vested interest in, or dudes winning poker tournaments, or middle aged women winning prizes on the Ellen DeGenerous Show. The genuine happiness comes through the tv and hits me hard and I smile big. In my excitement I may have even peddled a little faster on the bike*.

3. I used to see this more when I worked at Filenes in college but I love when other people in line offer to share their coupons. This doesn't happen very often, but it happened to me today and it was awesome. While standing in line at the Gap holding an armful of denim and more gray sweaters (everything is gray this year, it seems that dressing like a communist is in style. FINALLY!) I realized that I had the wrong coupon. That morning I had read something about 30% off in my email and desperately needing new jeans I thought "Yes, the stars have aligned and I will no longer have to wear pants with holes!" With glee, I grabbed the latest Gap flier that came in the mail and headed out the door. Only, what I realized while standing in line was that I had not brought the magical 30% off coupon. No, I had brought the crappy $15 off a $75 purchase. Poop! However, the very nice lady behind me in line (who was also buying an armful of gray sweaters) called me a friend and graciously lent her coupon to me. This lady rocks! She saved me about $50! Let me say that again...A perfect stranger saved me $50! Man that made my day. I thanked her profusely and told her I would do something nice for someone else. Pay it forward, as the husband would say.

*Have you ever started a workout on the stationary bike at the gym, but set the difficulty level slightly above what your body can actually do? You know, you somehow set the bike to the level that would be named "so hard that were you riding an actual recumbent bike up a hill that steep you would most certainly fall over still stuck in your toe clips". About 10 minuets into my workout this morning, my legs were moving so slowly that the bike actually thought I stopped and it shut off! The nerve! Not to be deterred I just kept on peddling and have decided to just leave the fancy work out selections alone for the time being.

lemon water

2008-11-10T20:13:00.006-05:00

This is how I have been drinking more water lately. So far it's been working and I have started to get other people in the office to inquire about it. Maybe I'll start a trend?

Best Election Day Quote

2008-11-04T23:20:00.001-05:00

This was my sister's first time voting in a presidential election. She came home from school this evening to vote and watch election results with the "fam". She called me to see if the Husband and I were indeed doing our part by closely watching the tv coverage. (Which of course, we were watching tv and the internets and our cell phones). She then mentions that they had the foresight to go "full on party" for this event and had stocked up on snacks, chicken wings, and two types of cake. I could hear them in the background - all fully engaged in a cheer/jeer session in the living room. She described it like this:

"Its like the Super Bowl, but more important!"

Of course, this election is no Super Bowl or World Series win but there are similarities - the passion, the energy that erupts, the nonstop press coverage, the die-hard fans, the arm-chair quarterbacks.

It's not over yet as I write this.....Wait...yes Charlie Gibson says it is....game over...winner declared...Obama!

Excitement and relief...let the real work begin.

**************
And the MA #3 Ballot initiative passed. Dog racing will be phased out and banned. Truth be told- that is the one question I was worried wouldn't pass. I was feeling good about the rest.

The Ususal: Ninjatino v. Briggs - No Snuggles Here

2008-11-03T20:53:00.001-05:00

Several Dinners

2008-11-02T21:07:00.003-05:00

Today I made:
A pot of 2 Bean & Sweet Potato Chile
Red Cabbage with Apples
Mushroom, Cabbage, Swiss Chard & Tofurkey Link Saute
1 Cup of Quinoa
2 Cups of Brown Rice

There is broccoli, cauliflower, and tempeh in the fridge. I'm feeling good because we have several days (hopefully like 4) days of healthy lunches and dinners pretty much all set. I feel good about it, and it reaally didn;t tale too long to pull off this afternoon. Maybe about 2 hours. Nice!

Halloween Appropriate

2008-10-30T18:03:00.004-04:00

I know we don't all watch the Simpsons like we used to every week, but this is good times:

they don't do this often

2008-10-29T22:04:00.003-04:00

there is usually more teeth gnashing and humping, but occasionally they just give up and settle in for a nice long snuggle.

The Election is Still Getting to Me

2008-10-26T19:19:00.004-04:00

I just thought I would update you all with a new politically slanted dream I had last night.

Again, the details really aren't important so I will distill it down to one sentence:

I was walking my dogs through the neighborhood, and every driveway had a car backing out of it...and every driver was Joe Biden.

A big smiling Joe Biden in every driveway? Not as weird as the Hillary Clinton lamp/pasta maker, but still weird and slightly creepy.

Political Paraphanilia

2008-10-24T22:42:00.002-04:00

On Thursday the alarm went off unceremoniously at 5-something in the morning. The Husband got up and started his day. Ten short minuets later the second alarm went off, signaling to me that it was my time to crawl out from under the warm pile of blankets and face the 38 degree morning that waited outside. Instead, I hit the snooze, grabbed the clock, and quickly shoved it under my pillow. It went off again 4 minuets later. (note: I should really get a standard alarm clock that has a 9 minuet snooze function).

Determined to take that morning walk with my boys, I crawled out of bed, stumbled across the floor, tripped on my slippers and made my way to the bathroom. I realize this sounds like the beginning of the kind of story where I flashback to the night before and then tell you about all the tequila shots I did. But I promise it wasn't like that. I never get out of bed before 7 after drinking tequila all night.

Eventually I found my sweat pants, my long sleeve, my hooded sweat shirt and pulled them on one by one; then I headed downstairs with eyes half closed. At some point I proceeded to pull the wrong string on my sweats which resulted in a huge tangled knot around my waist which was most disturbing to me at that moment. The Husband took one look at me and noted quite calmly that I should just go back up stairs. I looked at him blankly not wanting to give in and ate half a day old muffin.

When I was done with the muffin, I started to fall asleep in the chair I was propped up in. I heard the Husband say "just go back to bed". I mumbled back something about being a slacker and then I pulled myself back up the stairs. No way could I handle the 3 mile loop with the dogs.

I crawled into bed, fell immediately to sleep, and proceeded to have the type of dreams that only come when I am this type of tired and am technically taking a nap. Don't you always dream weirder when you are napping? I won't bore you with the whole dream; the plot in my unconscious mind is inconsequential. What is important is the product placement.

In my dream I was at my sister-in-law's kitchen. She was making homemade pasta from her brand new Hillary Clinton Lamp-Pasta Maker Combo. Yes, one part over sized table lamp and one part pasta maker, joining forces to create one creepy homage to Senator Clinton. The large table lamp had a ceramic base which was molded to the likeness of a bad caricature of Hillary Clinton's face (warning scary link). The light bulb poked up through the crown of her head, lampshade hanging diligently over her high cheek bones and big toothy grin. The back of her head sported a trap door where you would load the pasta dough. To activate the pasta machine all you had to do was pull her bottom lip open and the pasta would come out. I believe we were making fusilli - why? Because it's silly.

It was brilliant and disturbing and f-ing weird. The election is definitely getting to me.

10 things i like

2008-10-23T20:53:00.003-04:00

1. apples slices dipped in caramel
2. days when words come easily
3. the way tuckertino follows me around the house just too see what i'm doing
4. being sent back to bed by the husband because i look too tired to walk the dogs with him. (i like the part that he notices, not the tired part btw)
5. walking through the pile of fallen leaves at the end of the street
6. mad men
7. ravenswood zinfandel
8. watching tv on the web at my leisure
9. that commercial where the guy says "the towels are kinda scratchy"
10. taking my lunch at 1pm so that i can listen to "fresh air" with terry gross

searching

2008-10-19T22:34:00.003-04:00

I have been sitting on my couch for about an hour and a half. To my credit I am also watching the Red Sox, not just watching trashy teen dramas and voraciously devouring the internet. Well, except that I have been consumed by the internet to the detriment of everything else. And yes, this includes actually paying attention to the game. Why? I have once again decided that I would like to go on a vacation. So herein commences “the great vacation search”. This is now a yearly event where I open many tabs in my web browser and compare all credible travel sites while looking at the balance in my bank account. Occasionally, I close the bank account tab and pretend I am fabulously wealthy, but I am far too pragmatic for that game to last very long. Right now I am wishing I had pushed the Husband harder about 3 weeks ago when I spotted an amazing cruise deal. Sadly, that deal is long gone and he is right, I should really focus my attention elsewhere. Which leads in to the next topic....

The couch I have been sitting on is now totally uncomfortable. According to my mother who sells furniture for a living, couches are only meant to last 5-6 years. I never would have believed her but I now realize that this one has hit the point of no return. The husband asked if I was going to commence a “great furniture search” on the internet tonight. I just might do that. Depends on how long this game goes. Somehow I am guessing this search will end the same way.

Half the Battle is Showing Up

2008-10-15T17:56:00.004-04:00

I spent the first few days of October working on a consultant project for my insurance job. This particular project takes me out of the office for a few days and on the surface doesn't sound too bad. I interview some people, write up a report, engage in group discussion to score and analyze the office we are hired by, and finally present the information to them. Some people could breeze through this. You are probably one of them. I find it more accurate to describe the whole ordeal as a torture chamber. Why? Because it's three long days, earlier than normal mornings, close quarters laced with group discussion, and the head ache. It never fails. By about 2:30 on day one I have a head ache so bad that I literally have to hold my left eyelid closed during my afternoon interviews. The poor people I interview in the afternoon have no idea that they run the risk of having my brain explode all over them. At least, I think they have no clue. It could be that when I leave they all stand around the water cooler talking about that one girl who's eye was obviously going to give way and then collectively decide to show up at the presentation wearing ponchos.

I believe these are signs that I am truly an introvert (yes that link is from 2003 but was way more interesting than the wikipedia page) and this particular assignment just doesn't suit my personality. Which explains 1. the headache and 2. never feeling like I excel at this. My need to feed the perfectionist Virgo that lurks inside me has a problem with not feeling like I am really good at this consultancy stuff. I have to keep reminding myself to show up. And more importantly to show up with all I've got, instead of slacking off as frustration settles in. Sometimes just showing up is half the battle anyway. (I made this exhibit A in the evidence room by getting lost and arriving late to the first interview on day one!) Does this ring true for anyone else? Do you have a task that you have to force yourself to "show up" to?

The nice part: When we left the final presentation on day three I saw another sign and knew right then that showing up and trying was indeed enough:

Had Some Fun at BlogHer Boston '08

2008-10-14T21:01:00.006-04:00

So I finally did it. I went to a BlogHer event this weekend. Such a great experience to see, learn, and meet a bunch of talented funny wonderful people. I was there representing The Collection Space but I definitely wanted to mention my experience here. There is something empowering about surrounding yourself with the right people. That's where I was on Saturday...surrounded by the following:

Dorene -blogs about her adventures of being a mom
Renee - blogs about her life as an almostfoodie
oh2122 -blogs about daily mom stuff and her wicked cool jewelry
Kerri - blogs about living well with diabetes
Lorena - blogs about fashion, beauty and fitness
Alissa - blogs about dating, relationships and sex
Marie - blogs about books, books, and more books
Maris - blogs about her everyday adventures in the kitchen and beyond

and I know I met more super cool ladies....I know it. Thanks all for a very lovely day. I was really excited to meet you all and was selfishly excited to have people to hand my new business cards out to! Thanks to everyone who graciously took one!

More to come this week....

Am I a New Age Hippie ?

2008-10-07T20:47:00.005-04:00

I have joked before that it generally takes no fewer than two professionals to keep me running....various yoga instructors, my chiropractor, Dr. Mike, a therapist for a while, and now a Chinese herbalist and acupuncturist. Writing that out I apppear to be a new-age hippie, or maybe just a DINK with no religion to tell me that Chiropractors are quacks, yoga is for people in San Francisco, you should never air your dirty laundry to a stranger, and that Chinese Herbal Medicine is most definitely a farce. Maybe.

The reality is that I have suffered from neck and back pain for like...hmmm, counting those years I was a child....100 years! Much of my mother's family suffer from the same issues. The difference is that I just don't really want to be 40ish and relying on a steady diet of prescription meds and laying flat on the floor. Of course who knows, I may end up there anyway. (and I love those people- don't get me wrong here- just trying to learn from them).

My attempt to waylay this seemingly inevitable fate drew me first to yoga. Okay, I was also drawn to yoga by the the fact that you get to take a nap as part of your exercise routine and wear cute pants. But those are just fringe benefits. I loved my time spent at the yoga studio. I went 3 times a week. I participated in every new class offering. My arms had definition and I had fun. Of course it was expensive and my neck still hurt.

After we moved away from the yoga studio I started seeing Dr. Mike. At first it was 3 times a week of chiropractic adjustments and it was a lot of money. For the first time in years I was able to move my neck the right way. Score! I still go once a week. I no longer take near daily Advil. I no longer have tingling in my shoulder blades. All good things, but Chiropractic medicine doesn't do anything for muscle tension.

Enter a referral to the acupuncturist. Now I subject myself to this:

and I like it! (and this video is not of me) This practice is called, gua sha, is like having a deep tissue massage in one specified area. It doesn't hurt and immediately releases tension. Of course it leaves you looking like someone dragged you over a cement sidewalk and kicked while you were down. Of course the acupuncture sessions also include the traditional use of needles, relaxing music and a heated mattress and treats a variety of my other personal ailments, of which I will spare you the details of.

lesson for today...very very glad that my friend kate spoke so highly of acupunture this summer. thanks!

plain old excited

2008-10-06T20:56:00.005-04:00

I should tell you all about this wacky dream I had last night that involved my whole family working for the space program and a rocket ship made out of cardboard, but instead I will share this revelation instead.....

So I just signed up to attend my first networking event for Me! This weekend I got a tip from a tweet about the BlogHer Reach Out tour and was pretty psyched that I learned about this great opportunity. My new venture is going to need some blogging to be done but I've been struggling a bit to come up with a great plan. I have some ideas but would love advice and dare I say inspiration from some pros and newbies alike.

While registering I realized that I am often on the other end of the conference line. I test the registration feature on the web. I hand out people's registration packets, help plan the free gifts and wear the same color shirt as the event logo. I go to events that are sponsored by my day job, or a user group, or a company partner. I mingle with members and talk about my program but there is certainly an overarching feeling that I represent the organization I work for not myself. I am grateful for my day job, but alas, it is my job. It isn't ME- or the whole of me anyway.

Somehow this felt different. Sure, I will be representing the Collection Space, but I will also be representing my own hard work, my own blog, and will be learning about something that I felt really intensely interested in on a personal level. The intellectual portion of my brain actually does like insurance sometimes but it leaves portions of me kind of empty...the creative part- the part with a soul (no, just kidding on that last part).

I guess getting right down to it, the lesson here is....very excited to go to the BlogHer Boston this weekend! Yay!

Big Ideas

2008-09-30T16:03:00.000-04:00

My love of collecting dishes and the Husband's love of collecting t-shirts have finally joined forces!

Check out this box set collaboration!

I am totally seeing thecollectionspace.com china in my crystal ball. YES!

you emo?

2008-09-29T21:24:00.003-04:00

well, I like the get up kids...so yeah. but this guy? who knew?

pick me up- a sweet salty morning

2008-09-29T19:23:00.004-04:00

I was lacking motivation this morning. WAY LACKING! I was blaming it on two things. 1. the lack of sleep last night and 2. that trickster of a dog Briggs totally had his paw on the scale when I weighed myself this morning. What the heck? I've been going to damn gym and everything. (invokes mantra...its just a number...its just a number).

Sitting at my desk at about 9:30 I was feeling down and out. I was down even for a Monday. I turned to the folder in my google reader appropriately named "good reads". This post from SweetSalty made me LOL- which was very much appreciated on a blah morning such as this.

Post highlights included this line"How do vegetarian strippers get through life without going batshit crazy?" and a commenter who used the term "Birkenstockist".

It gets better though. How? Well, because SweetSalty made my morning and then sweet & salty made my afternoon.

I picked up a little packet of these caramels yesterday and holy crap these are good. Wow! I have not been so impressed with a piece of caramel ever in my whole life. Not that I am some kind of caramel expert, but these are delicious, sweet, soft, with a touch of salt, basically wonderful and made in Montana. Montana? Yes. You can live off the grid, ride a horse, and apparently eat amazing caramel.

loose dogs and odd children

2008-09-23T21:00:00.005-04:00

Exhibit A:
A tiny min-pin nearly got creamed by a UPS truck. The girl who lives in the house with the 800 outdoor cats ran over, scooped her up and then proceeded to freak out about the dog being loose outside without a collar. While I admire the notion, there may be a little pot/kettle thing going on there. I mean how many cats can you have roaming the neighborhood?

Exhibit B:
Saturday morning we noticed a family outside walking along this side street calling a dog's name. About 3/4 of a mile away we found the loose in-tact male sniffing around someone's yard on a busy street. After a few minutes of trying I was able to nab Jack and a borrowed leash to walk him back home. I sort of cringed when I handed him back over to the kids who were watching him, but they were happy and he was home.

Exhibit C:
There is a girl who every time she sees Tuckertino yells "raincoat doggy!" Why? Because when she first met Tucker it was the winter, it was raining, and he was wearing his rain coat. She always fails to mention that on that night she was standing in the middle of the road in the pitch dark and pouring rain. She had a cast on her arm and was wearing one of those black plastic derby hats you get on St. Patty's Day. It was a weird scene for a 10 year old to be in. I always want to yell back "weird hat girl!" but I don't because I have self control (sometimes).

Exhibit D:
Girl who after petting our dogs, asking their names, and being assured that they did BARK but did not BITE said as we were walking away, "I wish you had a pink dog". Hmmm, I'll get right on that, a brown dog, a black dog and a pink dog!

No fault to these kids or the dog or even the roaming cats it's just been a little weird around the neighborhood the last few days.

procrastination

2008-09-17T21:16:00.002-04:00

My brain is foggy. I can't describe it any other way. And I am sort of proudly procrastinating, ignoring, and turning a blind (if not just dry) eye to the situation. I've been having a terrible time writing anything of value in the last few days and I am moving at a snail's pace on everything else. It took me about 40 minuets to make sandwiches tonight for dinner. Two sandwiches for Pete's sake! I have a list of things I should be doing, or should want to be doing, but I am not doing anything. Instead, I have been watching videos on the internets and reading Twitter. Productivity at it's finest for sure.

What have I been watching?
Fifty People (ok this was pretty good)
Ask A Ninja (info about communist wizards available here)
This weird as shit youtube video that was posted on Dooce and totally sucked me in
Oh, and that Tina Fay as Sara Palin skit on SNL, but that's just because everyone else was doing it.

And now according to the Husband I have been rubbing my very tired dry eyes for about half and hour so I will call it a day and move on to tomorrow.

masked robber

2008-09-10T20:57:00.003-04:00

I am in the small town of Woodstock, VT this week attending and staffing an insurance class. Read: my life is as thrilling as watching paint dry. Come to think of it, there have been painted walls that are significantly more interesting than some of these classes...I digress.

After returning from dinner with some colleagues my cohort and I decided to walk around the corner from the hotel to the ATM so that we would be flush with cash in order to do things like tip bell boys and buy secret martinis at lunch...ok not really. It's just good to have cash in these circumstances.

The ATM door was not the "buzz in" kind. The door to the historic building was just unlocked. Fine. Weird for 2008 but fine. Ann was standing at the machine agreeing to pay $1.75 to access her own money and I was waiting patiently to do the same, when I noticed we had a visitor outside the glass door. I was quite quick on the uptake and since I am good in any emergency I started mumbling "oh no- not good- oh no- not good" (just like they taught me in the Girl Scouts).

Ann, who had been focused on the ATM, thought we were in grave danger and were about to be robbed by the only criminal in Woodstock, VT. She turned around to see our criminal. He was about 12 inches high and black and white and covered in hair. Right, it was baby skunk. Oddly, she disagreed with my assessment of impending doom and rolled her eyes as she stuffed her heart back into her chest. I wasn't so sure and argued that we were certainly in serious danger. Having a skunk at the ATM door is more dangerous than centipedes for me. Not quite as bad as having a spider in my bed but still terrible and unwanted.

The stupidest part is that I love wildlife, just not the ones that have more than 4 legs or ones that leave behind the worst smell on the planet. Fortunately, I escaped unharmed (and unstinky) and was given a laugh after eating dinner with a table full of Republicans.

10 notes on customer phone ettiquette

2008-09-08T19:39:00.007-04:00

Follow these simple customer etiquette rules for a happier life. (well, happier for me anyway)

1. Never be rude to a customer service rep. It's not fair, it's unnecessary and it makes you look bad- and they will probably talk about you later using an unflattering nickname.

2. The Customer Service Rep rarely cares about your vacation, your cold, or your mountain of unread mail. We all have vacations, colds, and unread mail. You are probably special in some way, but if these are your selling points you will have few buyers.

3. Companies rarely send out threatening letters without having them reviewed first by a team of paranoid lawyers. When you receive "legal notice" it is in fact legal (ok 98% of the time) and usually concerns something that is easily fixed (ok, 98% of the time). You can usually avoid "legal notice" by reading your mail in a timely manor (see #2).

4. Telling the Customer Service Rep that your issue is "very important and must be fixed immediately" does not actually grant them a magic wand and a spell book. The problem, what ever it's origin actually has to be fixed, you know, by humans.

5. Do not ask the Customer Service Rep "Is this a guessing game?" when she gives you the name of her employer. The question makes no sense and should be avoided at all costs.

6. Kindly allow the Customer Service Rep the time to input your information and call up your account in the computer. t-1 lines are fast, but they are not instantaneous lighting rods of the internet. This is especially true since they are bogged down with a bunch of stupid security crap to screen out stupid face viruses and other such interweb nonsense. It's best to accept the fact that the internet in an office is slower than the internet at home.

7. Allow the Customer Service Rep to talk. Talking over her will not make you right, it will just take longer.

8. Voice all serious complaints in a letter. No seriously, do it. Voice your concern on paper and send it to a manager's attention. Feel free to ask the Customer Service Rep for a name and address. The written word is stronger than a nagging time waster phone call. Management hates to see negativity and criticism in print. You may actually get results. Venting to the Customer Service Rep will get you nothing. She has no power and usually she thinks you're wrong.

9. Call once. If you don't like the answer you receive don't call back expecting to get a different answer. Is your cubicle soundproof?

10. Be polite. Be genuine. Be human. You may have had to talk to a computer first but don't be confused, Customer Service Reps are actually people. Just remember that.

3 lols

2008-09-07T14:14:00.004-04:00

from gizmodo
from failblog
from lolcats

moshed by association

2008-09-02T19:00:00.004-04:00

when we were at the paradise the other night, the husband threatened to stage dive and then mosh through the crowd if there was an opening band. i told him that being "moshed by association" was really crappy and that he should really refrain from such activities. he laughed when i said "moshed by association" and then i told him this story:

high school flash-back *insert magic time machine dust here*

i was at a ducky boys show in western ma. (yes i understand that there is a lot wrong with that statement to begin with) the venue was some weird coffee house type of place with no stage and several sofas lined the walls. the crowd, while underwhelming in numbers, had several crust punk types, a group of skin-heads and myself and two friends (teenage girls from the burbs).

here is where i should mention that if my mom ever reads this she will say "i never never knew about this" and i will respond using the best 17 year old sarcasm i can muster, "of course you did! i totally told you that i was driving my friends out to springfield in a borrowed minivan to see a band play and hang out skin-heads" and she will the give me "the look" that she now reserves exclusively for my brothers and times when i say shit like that just to rile her up.

that night i was standing off to the side, next to one of the sofas during the band's set. my friend marianne was standing on the sofa next to me. suddenly, the skin-head dudes started using the whole venue to mosh it up and essentially beat the crap out of one another. this is when i was "moshed by association" and got pushed down on the sofa where i lay unable to move while a group of dudes in steel-toed boots moshed themselves all over my feet. eventually, marianne grabbed my arm and pulled me up to higher ground. had she not saved me i think that i would have been "moshed into oblivion" becasue those guys didn't care who they were moshing on. i remember having some seriously bruised and swollen ankles the next day.

10 or so years later i realize that i am lucky that i didn't get hurt in some way (beyond a few bruises). a woman i work with was moshed by association last summer and had to undergo knee surgery to fix a torn acl. i've seen the embarrassment creep over her face when she explains what happened to colleagues and board members. it's especially embarrassing because i know those people probably think it's called "monching".

run in with a super hero

2008-08-31T21:24:00.003-04:00

the husband and i were walking the dogs around the neighborhood tonight. there was a big labor day bash going on at one of the houses near the softball field that we frequently walk by. the party coupled with the extremely nice weather meant that we weren't surprised to see kids still out on their bikes at 8pm.

we were walking up the hill when out of no where something jumped up from behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. i jumped about a mile out of my skin and when i turned to see what in the heck just happened, i found the tuckertino jumping on superman.

um yeah, superman snuck up behind me and scared the living crap out of me.

ok, it may not actually have been superman. it may have been a 10 year old wearing a superman costume. had it not been for his height i may have been fooled. i mean not only did his get up include the obligatory red cape but it even had fake chest muscles and shoe covers. how authentic!

fortunately for the kid, i had spent the day relaxing at a cook out, eating potato salad and desserts. had i been stressed, anxiety ridden, and slightly aggitated i can only imagine the black eye my ninja like reflexes would have given him in return for such a stunt. clearly though, that only would have made him look cooler to the gang of onlookers he had. we were most certainly set up.

oh well. i can handle that brand of mischief.

liz phair plays for me (and to the rest of the sold out crowd)

2008-08-30T21:32:00.000-04:00

i have been a blog slacker this week. sorry. i have been alternately busy watching the DNC and working on the side project that i should really get around to talking about here on drive daily.

last night was the big event i had been waiting for. you may recall the time i wrote about the best aim ever. last night was it- liz phair performed exile in guyville in it's entirety and it totally lived up to the hype in my mind. this was probably the best show i have seen her play. it was my kind of event though- small and full of old music. i would probably be equally happy if weezer would come and play a small venue and just play everything on the blue albumn. (rivers cuomo- are you listening? please come to boston and play the blue albumn at the paradise in 2009. i know you probably don't want to because it doesn't let you explore "new sounds" but that albumn rules and certainly deserves it's own concert tour on it's 15th year anniversary too. thanks!)

oh- back to liz phair. the show was sold out, which meant that we eventually had to move off to the side/back of the stage area because the floor was too crowded with weirdos sporting goatees who felt it necessary to encroach upon the husband's personal space. but this was all ok because liz phair has a really nice ass. so there you go - no harm done. we also got to witness the creepy dudes in the front row steal all the set lists and then try to make off with some guitar picks. however, the 80's metal enthusiast security a-hole made them give back the picks. to explain, there were probably 8 creepy middle aged dudes up in the front singing along with every word. they also had cameras and took an obscene amount of extreme close up shots. their liz enthusiasm made me a tad uncomfortable as there was something about 40-something men belting out the same lyrics that really spoke to me as a 15 year old girl that made my stomach sort of turn in an unfortunate way. that aside, our night was great. fantastic early b-day celebration.

music at the dnc

2008-08-26T21:38:00.004-04:00

why must they play the most terrible music between speakers? i'm willing to watch this but it's getting unbearable. seriously. it's like the worst wedding reception dj ever took over the sound system and to make matters worse his camera man brother has been told to focus only on nerdy white dudes while they "dance" to the terrible beat.

**i thought that i should update this to let you all know that i do actually have deeper thoughts about politics in our country but there are plenty of sources for that news and well, i can't even stay up until 10:30 to watch the key note speakers so i have no business talking about the "deeper issues". i'll let you listen to npr for that.

breaking my own code of conduct

2008-08-25T20:30:00.003-04:00

my own personal code of conduct includes a small clause that states "do not watch cnn willingly". (occasionally i will watch it in the pizza house i go to for lunch and i am always enraged by it)

tonight i am breaking my own code of conduct in order to watch the DNC. i am having trouble concentrating on writing this because i am listening to the speculation that ted kennedy may speak tonight. which is important to me mostly because i am from massachusetts and i'm pretty sure that if he says to vote for obama, that my nana will listen. and that is important because she was planning to vote for hilary clinton - she's waited her whole life to vote for a woman for the chief office, don't you know!

so i'll get back to my regular ramblings tomorrow- or maybe not- because doesn't hilary speak tomorrow? ok- back to cnn (small shudder).

new feathered friend

2008-08-21T19:46:00.000-04:00

a few months ago we lost one of our brids. poor baby. but she lived a good life and was a good little buddy.

since then however, the remaining bonnie bird, hadn't been quite the same. the once docile and almost friendly pied cockateil, became an eating, sleeping, YELLING machine. oh my god with the YELLING. if you have heard the call of a female cockatiel you would immediately commiserate with the torture that was going on here. you would also immediately wonder why we both haven't thrown ourselves over a very large cliff.

the yelling was becoming constant during all of her waking hours. she would yell so long and so loudly that briggs would sit in the living room an howl along with her. it was like the saddest country song you've ever heard. (which i totally should have video taped and uploaded for your viewing pleasure but did not- ah diss). we were dealing with it, figuring that she was still calling for her lost mate, but the CONSTANT YELLING became a serious issue when the neighbors started to comment.

first there was a comment on the dog howling song, which was actually kind of funny. it was this discussion with the neighbor that we learned that briggs does this during the middle of the day when we're not home. i always thought he was putting on a show for us. however, then there was the "hunt it down and kill it" comment. that was less funny.

i felt terrible that we were subjecting the neighborhood to the YELLING. so we made some preparations, and i talked to one of my coworkers who happen to have a lonely cockatiel as well. this weekend we welcomed charlie bird to the murphy home.

charlie bird is also a lutino cockatiel (same as baby bird) and is about as friendly as baby bird (not very) and came equipped with her own bird condo. charlie is not very fond of the camera, but she is neat and clean and quiet. we will see how this goes, but i can attest to having the quietest sunday morning we've had in weeks/months/FOREVER.

in an update since i wrote this post 2 days ago...the honeymoon is over. the YELLING has resumed full force. when will it end?

10 things i like...food edition

2008-08-20T19:00:00.001-04:00

1. many (revised from most) drinks with rum
2. cherry coke zero (don't worry, not with rum)
3. small summer zucchini sauteed with garlic
4. sourdough toast with real butter
5. rice and beans topped w/ avocado
6. newman's own roasted garlic salsa
7. goddess salad dressing
8. a veggie burger topped w/ lettuce, tomato, cucumber, & aforementioned goddess dressing on a whole wheat bun (who invited the hippie?)
9. tostitos natural yellow corn tortilla chips (see #6 for a delicious pairing)
10. newman's own sweet enough honey flax flakes with rice milk (when did i become a hippie?)

seagull short story

2008-08-19T18:25:00.001-04:00

i once watched a seagull open a paper sandwich bag, pull out a wrapped twinkey, open the twinkey wrapper, throw it up in the air and swallow it whole. no joke.

this is my dad's other favorite story to tell people. i just thought i'd tell you in advance.

childhood memory: the nana & the segul

2008-08-18T20:00:00.001-04:00

some of you have probably heard this story before. i remember it every once in a while, usually when someone is talking about disney world or birds. both items have come up recently.

i was 9 years old and in the 4th grade. my family had graciously received a trip to disney world from the starlight foundation. my brother was 5. my sister was 2. my parents invited my nana to come along to help with us youngsters. the 6 of us were in orlando for a week.

we visited all the attractions. the castle, the character breakfast, the indiana jones show at MGM studios. then we spent one day at seaworld. we met shamu, petted dolphins (ok probably not petted), looked at penguins...all that good stuff. in the afternoon my dad bought everyone in the family a soft serve ice cream cone (twist with jimmies please). anyway, this was a big deal. ice cream in a cone didn't happen every day. it certainly didn't happen when we were out at a park where simple ice cream treats cost 5 times their actual value.

my dad handed me my cone. i walked away from the kiosk and toward a bench where my mother was sitting with my sibs. i stopped to take the first lick of my ice cream. at the very moment i went to stick my toung out a seagull swooped down and landed right on top of my ice cream. i'm sure i must have shrieked but i don't really recall as i was startled to say the least. the bird flew off leaving a foot print on the top of my ice cream.

i was shocked and before i knew what was happening my grandmother appeared beside me. as quickly as she could, she reached across me, grabbed the cone and threw it to the ground with all her down east yankee might (which gives nanas the power of 10+ nanas). it was at this moment that my dad turned around. all he saw was the SPLATT! ice cream everywhere.

chaos ensued. seagulls began to descend from all corners of not just seaworld, but from all of orlando and probably all of florida. they picked at each crumb of the cone and licked the sidewalk dry. within moments there was not a trace of my ice cream anywhere.

fearing that the nana had finally had a mental break from reality and that his sisters would blame him solely, my dad came running. with arms flailing he demanded to know why the nana had stolen my $45 ice cream cone and savagely smashed it to the ground.

eventually she explained what happened. my mother corroborated her story. i stood there silently unable to get a word in edgewise as the nana reenacted the event several times over. each time i am sure i cringed at the thought of my icea cream hitting the ground. at some point he decided to believe her story. i just stood there, silent. everyone else finished their cones and started walking toward the next exhibit.

i never did get an ice cream that day, i still don't trust seagulls and this is one of my dad's favorite stories to tell people.