Rachel Ray, Don't You Lie To Me!

Well, I have tried a couple Rachel Ray recipes in the past and despite her oohing and aahing over how delicious they are, I've always found them bland, if not completely tasteless. Well, Rachel Ray, I know I always say this but I'm going to give you one last try. I've got some ground turkey in the freezer and want to make something other than spaghetti and tacos. I found this recipe for Ground Turkey Paprikash & Goulash...now I'm not exactly sure what Paprikash is but I remember my mom making Goulash growing up and I loved it! I could just ask her for the recipe (probably smarter) and substitute the ground turkey in place of ground beef but I'm looking for a good reason to bash RR so I'll try her recipe.
I love how everyone critiques the recipe and says it was so delicious! The best thing ever BUT I doubled the sour cream/changed spices/added spices/used potatoes/made a completely different recipe. So clearly not the best thing ever. I'm going to do a variation on this recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 package, 1 1/3 pounds average weight, ground lean white turkey
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Black pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock, available in small 8 ounce paper containers on soup aisle of market
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill

Directions

Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook pasta 6 minutes to al dente.

While water comes to a boil and pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil then butter then ground meat. Break up meat and crumble, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, onions, red bell peppers and seasonings to the turkey. Cook 5 or 6 minutes then add chicken stock and sour cream to the pan. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low. Add cooked pasta and stir. Let pasta absorb some sauce, a minute or so. Adjust seasonings and serve. Garnish the prepared dish with chopped parsley and dill.

I'll let you know how it goes. I'm adding Cayenne pepper, probably leaving out the dill, adding in tomatoes, using green pepper instead of red pepper, and making sure to heavily salt the pasta and the ground turkey.

RR, if this is gross....I'm going to seriously think about punching you if I ever meet you face to face.

I WON! I WON!

Chase of C2 has decided that his/our new hobby is going to be couponing. I'm not doing so good with the couponing as I don't like to cut things out, plan my shopping trips in depth, or put effort into saving money. If it's easy to save money, I'm all for it...but effort? Meh. However, he's also decided that we should like sweepstakes. Since I am not much help with couponing, he hasn't included me in the sweepstaking. The thing is: I like winning stuff! Today, I had a little free time since it's cold outside so I decided to enter some sweepstakes and GUESS WHAT? I WON! I entered a bunch, for books, cash, kitchen gadgets, etc....most of them I have to wait on. Now, I know, the suspense is killing you. What did I win? A hat! A tobaggan, a beanie. It says Robitussen. Oh yeah, I'll be styling in my free hat!

OH CRAP!

Well I finally got what I wanted. There is snow on the ground. Not much, maybe about an inch. But I just had a realization...what the heck was I thinking?!?!? I don't know what to do in the snow! I'm a little scared to walk outside, not because of the cold but because what if it's icy? What if I slip? What if my shoes get soaked? What if my jeans get wet? I know, it's only going to get worse, icier and snowier. I'm not regretting this move...but this is definitely going to be a learning curve!

Ah, what a nice break we've had!

Well I know I haven't posted in a few days but it's no longer November so I dont' have to post daily. I haven't had too much going on...except I did take a full time job. Now, I'm not exactly sure if this was a good idea or not...but they are willing to give me a trial period before the 2 mi radius on the non-compete claus kicks in, so I figure it can't hurt to give it a go. If I don't like it, I shouldn't have hurt my chances of finding other employment. And if I do like it, I've got a full time job! Yippee!
Other than that, I've been pretty much sitting around. I've gone out and walked around a bit just to get out of the house. I've temped a few days here and there or had working interviews. I've also watched a ton of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I have to say, it must have been pretty secret because when I was 15, I didn't have any of that, nor did I know of anyone who did have any of that going on. I mean, they are S-L-U-T-T-Y! With a capital slutty! Sex at 15? Is it really that common? While the parents are downstairs? With 3 different guys? And then they stay friends with all of them? So weird. I'm almost caught up to the current season!!

Dance Your A** Off

No, I haven't been watching that show. I've been dancing...C2 has a video game called Dance Central on the Xbox Kinect...so I've been able to do a ton of dancing today. I burned lots of calories plus I've been catching up on Secret Life of The American Teenager. It's really good...but now I need to go get ready for speed dating. I'm guessing I can't go all sweaty and in workout shorts and a tee. I mean, they do give a free makeover beforehand...think they'll sponge bathe me beforehand?

Hips Don't Lie

You know that Shakira song, "Hips Don't Lie"? Well, it's true. My hips are not lying when they say ooooowwww! I did a lot of walking today and I'm all achy again. My hips and my feet. Ooooooowwww!
Anyways, I got stopped by another crazy today. Do I attract crazies? Maybe so. I was waiting on the bus, just minding my own business and this guy appears out of nowhere, right up in my face and had me almost trapped in the bus shelter. He says "I want to tell you this story." I cut him off and said "I...I...I...I can't, I have to..." and then I ran off. I would like the crazies to leave me alone. Maybe I just look too nice? Hmmm....I'll wear my mean face from now on.

What A Day!

I woke up realllllll early today to go for a 4 mile walk but Chase said it was too cold to walk. Instead we laid on the couch and watched Revenge. I'm loving this couch! Next up? A nap! It couldn't be a complete day without a nap....when I finally woke up, I got ready and went out to find myself a job and guess what? I found a bunch of temp work. If all goes according to plan, I will be working 3.5 days a week beginning January with a few days in December. That's exciting....not enough money to live on my own but enough to pay off my credit card (a goal!!!) and to save up for a deposit on an apartment.
It's going to be a busy week though. I've got a working interview tomorrow, followed by speed dating Wednesday, Pops for Champagne Thursday, a potential day-time date on Friday, a working interview on Saturday. Whew...I'm tired already! Well I'm off to bed since I have to wake up bright and early tomorrow. I've got to be at the interview at 7:30 and should probably be un-grumpy by then.

It Was A Good Try NaBloPoMo

Well I didn't blog yesterday. It's not that I forgot but by the time I remembered, I was out and thought it might be rude to bust out my phone and blog. Then when I got home, I fell asleep. My bad NaBloPoMo. Things were going so well!
Anyways, I'm back in Chicago now. We're due for a possible wintery mix today, with rain or snow showers in the afternoon. Then, on Tuesday, up to 1 inch of snow! Snow! This is so exciting! Snow! And my mama sent me my new rain boots and they got here just in time for the snow. I can go traipsing about in my shiny new red rain boots.
I also have a potential date later on today. I know, how am I landing all these dates? I don't really know! Me? A girl from SC who got NO dates back home! Me? This one sounds like it's going to be great....except the guy tends to be kinda boring. He was the one from Howl at the Moon who danced and was super fun. But as soon as we left a fun environment, he became lame. Today's date includes: Fiddler on the Roof (a Broadway in Chicago performance), the Christmas lights on Michigan Avenue and dinner. The lights are a weather permitting deal though. Learned that lesson last night, on a date with a different guy. Well, I think it was a date, I'm not sure. We went to see the lights at the Lincoln Park Zoo but it was rainy and not the best weather for it.

Back to Chicago

Well I flew back into Chicago tonight. It's still hard to believe I live here. It's been almost a month and it's been awesome! That's all I really have to say tonight. I'm tired.

Family

So here it is, thanksgiving and I've spent the day with family. First of all, my family is so nice. I'm fortunate for that. Sadly though, how horrible is it that I could walk past my family in the street, bump shoulders w them & I still wouldn't recognize them??! There are 2 cousins here that I haven't seen in 4 years, then 7 years before that....and nope, wouldn't know em. Then there is the aunt & uncle in connecticut that I don't even remember the last time I saw them! They could walk in right now & I'd think they were robbers. Then throw in the cousin in denver that I used my powers of deduction to figure out who he was....and I feel horrible!
Now those are all on my dad's side. My mom's side gets further out before I get lost on who's who. But it's a smaller family tree so that's a pretty good excuse.
I should get to know my family. Or at least be able to recognize them if I pass them on the street.

Oh blogger, I should blog

I have very little to say though. I had such a lazy day: woke up at noon, ate lunch, sat around, showered, ate dinner, ate pie, tried to ignore my dad, twalked firefighter dude (i think he's lost interest.) And now I'm going to bed.

Corry, PA

Well I'm in Corry for Thanksgiving. I got in around 5:00, had dinner, watched my aunt talk on her cell phone on speaker phone as though its a regular phone, and I'm about ready for bed! And I know, I should have told her I could hear both ends so she didn't have to repeat it to me....but she seemed so excited that I just let her tell me.

uuuuuuuhhhhh...miserable.

That is what I kept saying/groaning/whining to myself as I walked around today. I had a job interview and I figured I might as well hand out some more resumes while I was dressed appropriately. I didn't mean to walk all the way there but it was nice out and before I knew it, I was kinda close. That was 3 miles. Then I somehow ended up walking back. That's another 3. So now, not only do I still feel all snotty and tired & slightly feverish but my feet hurt too! uuuuuuuuhhhhhhh....miserable.

*groan*

I don't feel well. I think I'm getting sick, which supersucks since it's so close to Thanksgiving. That and I have a job interview tomorrow. I hope I don't sneeze boogers all over her. I don't think I"ll get the job if I do. I used my Neti-pot earlier, which made it a little easier to breathe but not much. I also drank some hot tea and took it easy today. However, my jaw is aching, which is not a good sign. Hopefully it's because I've had to be a mouth breather today and not a sign of aching joints....ugggghhhh. Off to bed now!

Christmas time!

This is me. On my way to the christmas parade with c2.

nooooo!!! again...

Ok, this is awkward. I keep forgetting about blogging. It's not that I don't have anything to talk about, it's just that I've been so busy. Then when I got home last night, I was so tired and had meant to blog earlier in the day and I didn't so then I didn't remember to blog when I got home. I guess that means I did forget. Crap.
Well, let me tell you about last night: I went out with the guy from Thursday night to dinner. I thought it was just a networking/being nice to help me find a job type deal but then it really came off as a double date type thing. I'm not sure if that's exactly what it was but it was really awkward. I'm fairly sure he was hitting on the waitress. He asked her if she had a boyfriend. I can't say I blame him, she was really nice & energetic and seemed like a lot of fun to be around. But still...anyways, the dinner was pretty awkward. He was nice but there was definitely...hmmm...he was a lot more fun when he was dancing. There was no dancing there so he was pretty lame. Nice though.
Oh but the food? I hadn't had Swedish food before...it was really really yummy! I had a trout encrusted with almonds & flash fried. It had a roasted red pepper sauce and was served with spinach and scalloped potatoes. Oh and we had baked brie with honey and apples as an appetizer. Delicious! Dessert was a pear poached in citrus wine and covered in a chocolate sauce. It was yummy!

noooooooooo

I'm late. I know. I'm sorry! It's not exactly my fault. I mean it is my fault but I didn't know I'd have so much fun. Let me tell you how my day went:
I got a phone call from Jessica, my long lost friend from Fayetteville that I caught back up with in Charleston then lost touch with again when she moved to Alaska. She's in Chicago. We went to lunch w/her & her 3 kids. I also met her husband. He's a huge improvement over the last one.
I walked around and handed resumes out. Not as many as planned & not in the neighborhood planned but the phone call from Jessica was unexpected so I wanted to see her while she was in town. Since I was going to be downtown anyways, I figured I'd stay down there until I met with the meetup group for happy hour. I guess I could have blogged from my phone while I had hot chocolate to waste time but it didn't occur to me.
Then I went to happy hour at Howl At The Moon. I knew NO ONE! But, I decided to be friendly and started chatting it up with a girl named Andy, super nice but I think she didn't like me. She kept trying to cut in on me talking to this dude but she was quasi dating his friend. Plus, I didn't really mind her cutting in, I don't know this dude. He was nice but I wasn't going to get all jealous. Whatevs. However, Howl At The Moon was SO fun! I mean, I expected I'd enjoy it but it was so much fun. I was there for 7 hours! 7 hours! That's a really long time. But me and the cut-in dude were having fun & dancing like white people (I think those were his real dance moves...) so time just flew by. Now it's super late and I must go to bed. I guess this means I failed NaBloPoMo but I think it was for a good reason. Plus, I wasn't very likely to win a prize anyways. I'll still blog everyday the rest of the month though. Nighty night! ***and no mother, I'm not drunk. ****

Another good one!

Well, good news - I beat Plants vs Zombies last night so I shouldn't have anymore 3am nights. Bad news? I slept way too late yet again. However, I had a really productive day (in my mind anyways). I had a phone interview which then turned into a real interview set for Monday. It's to work the recall list all day...which sounds pretty lame but it's a job. I sold myself pretty well. Then, I plotted out where to drop off my hygiene resume in the Lincoln Park area. I also printed out 30 copies of my resume to be handed out at above offices. I printed it up in a nice little Excel spreadsheet. Yeah, I look pretty organized. To me at least.
I also walked down the Southport corridor which was pretty awesome. I stopped and talked to Uncle Dan about layering & socks. I found some boots for Evie, only $65!! But they are so cute, they look just like little hiking boots! But they are for dogs!
Then I walked the almost 2 miles back home...which means I walked close to 4 miles again today. I decided it was ok to skip running since I walked my butt off 2 days in a row!

Poopers!

I almost forgot to blog. Good day, window shopped along michigan ave, went in ginormous macy's...9 stories! I got lost a few times! playing pvz and lost track of time. almost forgot to eat dinner. pvz is so addictive. waking up tomorrow before 9am. not playing pvz. will find something fun to do, then underground wonder bar at night to see lonie walker & her big bad ass company band. no really, that's their name. ok out of time! almost midnight!

PvZ!!

I bet you will look at the time stamp and think I forgot to blog. That would be incorrect. Chase surprised me with a Plant vs Zombies game (been wanting it for soooo long!) and I've been playing that all night. I keep saying to myself "I need to stop playing and blog" or "I need to stop playing and go to bed" or "I need to stop playing and pee"...but it all seems so trivial when there are zombies attacking my house and trying to eat my brains. I really am done for the night...mostly!

Thankfulness

Since we are in the month of November, I figure it's a good time to discuss what I'm thankful for. (At least on days when I don't have anything else to blog about) Today, I'll tell you what I'm thankful for in regards to my leaving SC. I have a tendency to focus on the negative (NO????!!! Not ME!) so I would not like to think about the 2 supposed "best friends" who don't even speak to me anymore. Nor about the boyfriend that I thought well, I thought we would at least still be speaking & that we actually had something good. None of these are related, 1 was due to a move down the street, 2 was due to me moving to chicago, and 3 was...well, I don't really know the reason for the 3rd. But enough of the negative.
I am thankful for:
- an easy drive with good weather & good traffic.
- a smooth transition
- my friends in SC who made me feel very loved and as though they were sad to see me go. Not limited to but including -
Britney & K2 for including me in the cheer practices until the end & making sure I knew I was wanted there. Also for going out to just chat more than we ever did prior to my deciding to move.
Chrissy for being there for me, despite my breakdown in Outback. I'll miss our movie & dinner nights! And game nights with her kids, that was fun.
Malinda & Debbie for letting me get in one last meal at Wild Olive. And my awesome mix tape.
The staff at Dr. B's...I'll miss them super much!
Ashley & Katherine for making sure they got in as much face time as they could while I was still around.
Shanna for making me come over & have a glass of wine with her, despite my wanting to stay holed up in my house.
Everyone in SC who made things easier (but also so much harder!) to leave, thank you! When I first decided to leave, things got pretty rough & I wasn't sure I'd make it the whole 2 months but y'all all stepped up to the plate & made the last month amazing! I'll miss everyone very much and you are all welcome to come visit me anytime you want!

30 by 30 List

Well, as some of you may know, and others may not - I started a list of 30 things I'd like to accomplish before I turn 30. I'm 29 now. I started this list when I was 28. I've got about 9 months until the big deadline hits. Here is my list:
1. Run a 10k in less than an hour. (nowhere close to this one yet)
2. Skydive.
3. Go on a week's vacation. (Done in July, went to the Outer Banks)
4. Go skiing. (Thanksgiving???)
5. Pay off credit card. (working on it...slowly)
6. Stay at a bed & breakfast.
7. Pay off a student loan. (hate student loans!)
8. Move to a new house or new city. (COMPLETED! 10/31/11)
9. Complete Rosetta Stone - Spanish. (have it...haven't worked on it.)
10. Get orthodontics, an implant (tooth, not boobs) or Lasik.
11. Start an herb garden. (COMPLETED!! SPRING/SUMMER/FALL 2011. ABANDONED UPON MOVE. GREW BASIL & ROSEMARY. THYME DIED.)
12. Buy a piece of grown up furniture. (Real wood, no assembly required.)
13. Learn the history of the city I'm living in.
14. Go to speed dating.
15. Go to Schlitterbahn. (coolest water park ever!)
16. Get a standing tuck by myself.
17. Pay for the car behind me at the drive-thru.
18. Host a dinner party. (for 6 or more, at least 3 courses.)
19. Learn to shoot a gun. (COMPLETED! 5/19/11. AWESOME!)
20. See a Broadway play. (COMPLETED! LES MIS 11/10/11. SO FUN!)
21. Get my underarms waxed.
22. Go camping. (real camping. in a tent. in the woods.)
23. Buy a cute guy a drink.
24. Buy a fashion scarf, wear it 5x. (Bought, worn once 4/16/11.)
25. See a dermatoligist.
26. Learn to make good chile rellanos.
27. Get bangs. (Holly Golightly-esque from Breakfast at Tiffanys?? too short??)
28. Take a flower arranging class.
29. Learn to shag. (know the basics, would like to learn more advanced...prob won't be too easy in Chicago!)
30. Get my nose pierced. (COMPLETED! 3/18/11)

11.11.11, 11:11

Well, I missed 11:11. But it's almost 11:11 Central Time so we'll just pretend like I'm in Chicago right now.
I hate Kevin & Heather's neighbors. They are like elephants. And play music very loud at 3am. I hate them. I laid in bed thinking of possible death scenarios until I fell asleep.
Les Mis was good, though the stage didn't move under their feet. But, as Heather pointed out, it's just Toledo. I liked the songs and our seats gave us a great view - kudos to Heather for picking out good ones! I drank a Valjean before the show and even got to use the men's restroom during intermission. No, I wasn't drunk. or confused. The line for the women's was really long so some lady (I think an usher...) ushered me into the men's room. There were other women in there. But also a urinal. I didn't use the urinal.
Happy 11.11.11 at 11:11 (Chicago-time)

Well...

I had a very hard time getting off the couch this morning. It was very warm underneath my blankets and I could tell it was not very warm outside of my blankets. Heather didn't warm me in enough time that it was going to be cold with a wintery mix. Rumor is there's snow outside. If I missed the first snowfall of the year in Chicago...grrr...
We're waiting on a pizza (oh! It's here!), then we're going to Les Mis. This will be my first off-broadway show, so I'm very excited. I heard the stage moves under their feet. I hope I can stay awake through the whole show!

What's Your Deal?

I came to a couple realizations today:
1. I'm never driving again.
2. I'm very out of shape.
3. I miss Robert but he won't speak to me (don't ask why, I don't actually know the reason).
4. I love Piatto Pronto.
5. I'm very tired.

I know I was going to tell y'all about the 30 by 30 list but I think I'm too tired to type all of that so you'll have to wait...until...I don't know when.

Oh no

I ALMOST FORGOT TO BLOG! I did nothing today - well...I didn't do nothing. I played on the computer, watched Breakfast at Tiffany's, washed sheets, bought the Mexi-mart out of baking soda. Checked out the guy behind the counter at the Mexi-mart. I'll be going back there. Don't lecture me. I know he works at the Mexi-mart! But he's cute...I'm just gonna look.
Then, C-squared got home (that's Chase & Clint) and Chase decided he needed help with his job. Finding songs about outer space. Don't bombard me with ideas. It'll be too late by the time you read this. I found 1 good song...everything else got rejected. But I can't help it that Britney Spears doesn't write about outer space.
Oh & since I'm leaving for Toledo tomorrow, I'm willing to bet I won't have a lot to say then (sorry Heather), so tomorrow I'll tell you about my 30 by 30 list.
Finally, I want cake. I'm hoping Heather got the hint earlier when I said "I want some cake. I was going to make some today but didn't feel like it. I hope I get cake soon." and realizes that I would like some cake when I come into town. You know, like a "Hurray! Les Miserables Cake!"

*SCREAM* (in an excited way)

What a productive day today has been! I slept in a little bit, but not too late, woke up & took a shower after making sure I was out of Magda's way. She's the maid. I played on the computer for a bit and walked with Chase down to the Crafty Beaver. Get your mind out of the gutter. It's a hardware store! We came back to the house & I left for the Field Museum. I only got a little bit lost getting there. I met Victor, the firefighter guy from Friday night, and we wandered the museum. I learned that I do not really enjoy natural history, I do want to be mummified upon my death - not before!!!, and that Victor does not correctly know Chicago history. No really, he told me that the new Macy's on State Street used to be Carson Pirie Scott (or whatever that store is). Nevermind the big plaques on the side of the building that say Marshall Fields. Or that Chase was just telling me earlier about the Macy's. Or that I had heard about Marshall Fields turned Macy's at some other point in my life. But, he tried to give me an inaccurate tour, which I suppose was nice.
As though that weren't a productive enough day, I got home (rode the bus, so crowded but smelled better than the el) and went to Target. Chase & Clint hung the most awesome giant tv in my room. Ok, maybe not giant but it is big, especially compared to what I used to have. Then, they hung a wobbly shelf so I can watch cable & netflix in my room. The shelf says it can hold up to 18 pounds but I made a promise not to test that weight limit.
As though that weren't enough, I GOT CURTAINS IN MY ROOM! I no longer have to choose between getting dressed in the bathroom or having the guys at the tow yard next door potentially see my nakedness. I don't think I have to say which one I went with...but I am on the 3rd floor, they probably couldn't see anything anyways unless they were on the roof.
AS THOUGH THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH!!! I know, how much can you possibly fit in 1 day? we got the closet cleaned out & I got more hangars so I can hang the rest of my clothes, put stuff on the top of the closet & on the floor. Plus, Chase said they might get an entertainment center so if they do, I can have the cube thingie that the tv sits on right now. Which is what I was leaning towards anyways...but this one is free, even better!!!
I'm supposed to be hanging clothes now. But I'm tired from the rest of my day...so maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

Modern Family Marathon Day

I have done almost nothing today. I did manage to take a shower. And fold laundry. That's it. I also looked online & applied for some dental hygiene jobs. I found a job for an HR recruiter for hygienists & assistants. I think that would be fun. I always wonder why in the world people would possibly hire person X because clearly, they are horrible! If I got that job, I would not have to hire person X! It's going to take a complete redo of my resume though so I didn't apply for that one. Yet. Maybe later.
I would highly recommend buying stock in BandAids. I will go through a million of them living in Chicago. So much walking, so many blisters, so many bandaids.
I did find out about this super cool pizza place, Great Lake, that I would like to try. It only seats 14 & you can have a few hours wait but the owners will actually call your cell phone when your table is ready, so you can peruse the neighborhood. Plus, they use all local ingredients. The menu often only has 3-4 pizzas at a time, so hopefully they'll have good ones when I get around to going!

Fashion Influence

I've been catching up on Modern Family. I know that I'm 29 and I should not be dressing like a teenager. But I LOVE how Haley dresses. She's 16 in the show...but she's so fashionable and cute! I would like to figure out how to put outfits together that look like her.

Why, of course you aren't a serial killer!

So maybe the patient who told me I have to learn to not be so trusting was right. I went to a "Nuts & Bolts" singles mixer last night. It was actually more fun than I was expecting & definitely something outside of my comfort level. I went around talking to people & even ran into someone I knew! I know...it's been 3 days, how do I know someone? But it was one of the girls that I met while volunteering. I said "Hey! You're the girl from the thing, right?" She said yes.
Anyways, overall it was a fun night. I met an older Irish gentlemen. All the Irish people I've met (2, to be exact) have been very sarcastic. This one said he was a Calvin Klein underwear model. He started listing the perks of his job...he forgot to mention that he doesn't have to wear pants all day. That's a perk for him, not the people around him. I think he was kidding though.
I kept running into this 1 other guy, Victor. He caught my eye when he first walked in as one of the better looking guys there. We ran into each other a few times, made a couple "matches" with our nuts/bolts. He said he thought it was really funny that people got so focused on making "matches" that they would forget to talk to the people attached to the nut/bolt. I could definitely see that. I asked him what the prizes were - lemonheads. No, seriously, lemonheads. There were a few other things, starbucks gift card, a dozen roses to carry around the rest of the night. I had to laugh when I realized what the prizes were so I quit trying to make matches and stuck around talking to this guy. (He did actually win the grand prize, a weekend getaway to Kewaunee, WI. No, he didn't invite me. No, I wouldn't have gone).
After the mixer wrapped up, we decided to go try someplace else. We went to a cafe across the street & grabbed a piece of pie. After that, he recommended going to a bar near my house - Hopleaf. I really liked that bar when I went earlier this week, so I agreed. It was maybe 2 miles down the road so he offered to drive, since he had his car. I GOT IN HIS CAR! After I got in, I thought to myself "Well, crap. I hope he's not a serial killer. What if he tampered with his door handle & I can't get out? What if we don't go where he said we would? I'm going to die." But clearly since I'm writing this I didn't die. Perhaps I am a little too trusting though...things to learn in the city!

Ike-aaaahhhh!

I went to Ikea today. I wanted to see if I could find an inexpensive dresser to store tee shirts & whatnot in. I got there and it was huge! There were 3 stories! I walked in to...nothing. There was an escalator and a wall. I chose the escalator. It escalated me upstairs to another wall. There were bins of $5 and under things so I stopped to look. Upon closer examination, it wasn't actually another wall. There was stuff behind the wall. A lot of stuff. So much stuff. I didn't know where to begin, but I knew I was hungry so I thought I'd start with lunch & take in the vastness of this building. I got a ton of food for so cheap! I tried the cheese ravioli with steamed veggies & a parmesan cream sauce. I didn't ask for chicken but the lady behind the counter didnt' seem to speak English so she gave it to me anyways.
After lunch, it was time to buckle down & do what I came there for. I went in search of bedroom furniture. I didn't love any of it. I mean, it was nice but there was only 1 piece that would fit with the traditional decor of Chase's house. I didn't love that piece. Then I began to think that maybe I'd get one of those cube thingies and put baskets in there. I still might do that but I'm not sure. I can get cheaper cube thingies at Target but I like the storage bins better at Ikea. I'm going to look on Craigslist to see if I can find something I like better.
Oh, right...I almost forgot. At lunch, I tried to steal someone's tray. It was an empty tray but she was standing beside this cart that had empty trays on it. I went to grab for one & she said I'm using that. I must have looked pretty confused because she pointed out where the much bigger stack of empty trays were. I had walked right past them but she was pushing a cart that held multiple trays of food. It was crazy.

Things I Learned in Chicago Today

Well, today was my first rainy, windy day in the big city. Here's what I learned:
1. Don't fix your hair. It's going to get blown around anyways.
2. Invest in a hat. It'll mess your hair up but will at least keep your hair contained & out of your face.
3. Umbrellas are stupid.
4. Hoods on jackets/sweatshirts are a very good idea.
5. If it's raining out, don't wear long pants. Mine are a good length...except when it rains. Ankle length pants would have been so much better!
6. My shoes don't actually fit. I thought they did but everytime I wear them, I end up with blisters.
7. My hips are not made for walking.
8. A day full of walking & standing around makes me very very tired.
9. I should keep Kleenex or a handkercheif in my purse at all times. I will have a runny nose from it being cold/numb for the next 6 months.
10. I do not like the smell of other people when wet.
11. I should avoid the L between 4-6 pm if at all possible.

Overall, it was a good day but definitely a learning experience. I volunteered handing out runner packets at Union Station today and got a shirt that says "will run for chocolate". I also met 2 really nice girls, 1 of whom is going to email me a list of things to do/places to go in Chicago.

Owwww

So I had plans on going out & enjoying this gorgeous weather that Chicago has been having. But I got out of bed today and wow, it's so sad that I'm sore from walking. My feet ache, as well as my hips. This must be a sign that I really am getting old. I may go out for a short walk just to stretch things out a bit. Right now though, I'm trying to decide if I want to eat off-brand Cinnamon Life or BooBerries for breakfast. One of those was my buy, the other was C..I'll let you guess which was which. Oh and at Target last night, they had the most amazing thing! Well, it was pretty simple actually but it amazed me. The cashier scanned the paper towels and he untaped this strip of Target symbols. I thought it was just for proof that we bought them...but then he taped it the wrong way. IT WAS A HANDLE! Sometimes, I feel like a bit of a country bumpkin in this town...but they just have so many cool things!
Also, I'm having a harder time than I expected trying to adjust to not having Evie around. I was out yesterday and kept thinking I should get home to check on her. Then this morning, I kept expecting to hear her whine so I would know it was time to take her out. She'd be having a lot of fun here, especially with all the walking I will be doing. I don't think I can take her on the el though...so our walks would be much shorter!
Finally, has anyone heard of Instagram? It's an IPhone app and it's like Twitter but with pictures instead of tweets. I think it'd be fun, especially while exploring Chicago. Of course, I don't have an Iphone...but supposedly the Droid version is called Instaroid (sounds like a disease, like hemmorhoids but faster). From what I read about Instaroid, it's exactly the same as Instagram & I can even follow Instagram users. I'm not sure if Instagram users can follow me. Anyone know anything about this? I'm also looking at Instapics. It's $1.99...so I'm less likely to buy that one!
& In case you're wondering, the BooBerries won!

Why, hello NaBloPoMo!

Well today has been my first official full day in Chicago. It's been great. I slept in, unpacked my car, met a neighbor, ate an italian beef sandwich & walked more today than I have in a really really long time. I kinda figured out the El...I at least know what stop I need to get off at to get home. I also sorta started figuring out the bus lines. There is a bus that runs up & down Clark St all day and stops right in front of the house! I'll be trying that one out on Friday.
I'm catching up on an episode of How I Met Your Mother and then it's off to the grocery store. Oh and I need to unpack all my stuff but that seems like such an intimidating task.
NaBloPoMo - I'm looking forward to exploring Chicago with you!

Unemployment

I know I'm not suppsoed to think this...but being unemployed is pretty awesome so far. Today is my first official day - I got to sleep in until 9:30. I bummed around for a few & then was about to take a shower but realized that Hoda & Kathy were on. Of course, I turned on the tv! What's so exciting about this is that it is the Halloween episode & everyone is in costume. Hoda & Kathy are dressed up as Fergie's kids. Matt is Wills, Ann is Kate. Natalie was Pippa. But what's Will without his Harry?

10,9,crap!

So 8 more days until I go. I've got everything sold but 1 computer tower....I still need a few things picked up but I'm much further along than I was earlier this week which is a huge relief!
However, slight hiccup (and could look like quite the slight!). My phone stopped sending texts, which was a problem considering that was my main source of communication. I took it to the store & since my 1 year manufacturers warranty was up, they won't replace the phone. The only options were: a)continue typing texts & hitting send but not having them received or b)do a hard reset on the phone, which meant losing everything. Supposedly my contacts were supposed to be saved to my gmail account...but they weren't there when I tried to sync them. This probably means I do not have your phone number and/or email address. Sooo...I'm not ignoring you*** now that I'm about to up & leave. I just don't know how to get in touch with you.
***Unless I am ignoring you.

Here's My Beef

Dear Wendy's,
Remember when you used to be good? Yeah? Me too. I miss that. I came to see you today. I wish I'd gone to Bojangles instead. I had a coupon for a free "$0.99 Super Value Menu Item" with the purchase of a combo. Now did I need all that food? No. No really, the answer is still no. But I did it anyways. Well, Wendy, you crushed that dream. You don't have chili on the Super Value Menu. Remember when you only charged $0.99 for your chili? No? I do. It was good. It was affordable. Now you want $1.59. It's not that good. I decided to go for the Monterey Ranch chicken sandwich instead. Except wait...that wasn't $0.99 either. What is this Super Value Menu? Why isn't everything $0.99??? This sure seems to me that you put all your cheap-o gross food on this "super" value menu. Is that what you did? My only choices that the coupon qualified for were: french fries (don't need 2 orders), a frosty (can't eat that for a meal), or spicy chicken nuggets (not regular, those are $1.59). RI-DIC-U-LOUS!

Oh and remember your fries? They were soo good! Why did you switch? Fresh cut fries? No they aren't! They are made up of the same regular fake stuff as your old fries, they just look a little different and you used sea salt. Not good Wendy. Not good at all.

Oh and please stop serving me wilted lettuce. I don't like it.

Dislike,
K

PS: You should update your website. It says the Monterey Ranch chicken sandwich is only $0.99. Just sayin'. One of you Wendy's is a liar.

29, 28, 27...

Down to 27 days! The fact that I'm actually leaving is starting to sink in & I'm starting to get a little bit nervous. Not about the move so much but about getting everything sold in time, dealing with the cold (it's 71 here today & I'm in a fleece & workout pants...but still flippiefloppies!), and living in a teeny tiny space. I thought I'd do some research to see what kind of places I could find to rent and I've definitely got some work cut out for me!
I found a place that says they'll drive you around & find you a place to live...it doesn't appear there is a fee but I find that hard to believe. I'll hold off on calling them. Craigslist seems to be my best bet, unless I want to live in a heated cardboard box. So, if you haven't started registering for your fabulous new apartment, go ahead and hop on that train because I'll be needing to stay there!
I'm off to Saint Louis this weekend - a much dreaded trip but one that is non refundable so I'm going regardless. Bets on how awkward this is going to be?? I'll put $20 on VERY!

31, 30, 29

And the countdown continues! And great news - I've got a place to live! Well, there's just 1 little catch. I need to win it first. But thats where all of you come in. If you'll just go to HGTV and put in a little of your information, that'd be super. I can live in your luxurious apartment in Chicago and live the fabulous life...and you can come visit me. I mean, you can come stay in your apartment whenever you'd like!
Imagine, when you come to town, we can go to all the cool bars & restaurants that are nearby. We'll go strolling thru the light snow that is blowing gently thru the air. We'll go iceskating in Millenium Park. When it's summer and all that snow/ice has finally melted, we can go to the concerts & baseball games & do all the fun things that Chicago has to offer.
Also, I'm now the proud owner of 3 winter coats & boots! Real boots! Made for walking in the snow! Now I need to have a home to walk outside of. Enter, please!

46 days & counting

If I did my math correctly, I have 46 days until I move. It can't come fast enough. I've given notice at one of my jobs. I've begun telling patients. I've sold a lot of my stuff & gotten enough money in my amazon account to buy some fancy schmancy winter boots. Should I get the demitasse brown (matches my wool peacoat better) or rope brown (i think they're cuter)?

I would like it to be October 29th though & very quickly. I'm not sure how much more of my current lifestyle I can handle. My life would be much easier if I could just begin anew. and now.

Brrrr

Things are coming along nicely for my move. I've sold some of my furniture, got my license paperwork sent off to Illinois, and even found a home for Evie! I just have more stuff to sell/sort through & then I'm off to Chicago.
I am getting nervous about this whole coat/jacket situation. I'm so confused & overwhelmed by everything I think/people are telling me/the thought of being cold. My brother swears by wool but yelp.com said to stay away from wool as it takes a while to dry & smells funky while it's wet. I don't want something long (it gets splashed by buses? That happens?) but not short (Cold butt anyone? No thanks). I should relax about this jacket but I am worried I'll be in total shock when I walk outside of November 2. Perhaps I should just stay inside until June 1?
Does anyone have any practical suggestions for a jacket? I have heard I need 2 coats: 1 dressy & 1 casual (but both warm) because Chicago is a dressy city & I have to be prepared to not be bumming all the time. I should get knee length, I should get mid-thigh. I should get wool. I should get waterproof. I should get fur (or faux fur). I should go to Burlington's, Macy's, Bloomingdales', H & M. I need boots, insulated & rubber soled. Knee high if I'll be walking. What do I do? So many options. So much information.

Arf! Arf!

I'm a very worried girl. I think that no one loves me and wants to give me a home. My Kristin is going to move to Chicago soon and I know she needs to do that to be happy. I want her to be happy because I'll be happier when she's happy. But what will happen to me until she can move me up there? What if I don't find a nice family to love me? I'm so friendly and nice. I don't bark or chew or go poo in the house. My Kristin yells at me when I do those things so I learned if I'm a good girl, I won't get yelled at. I don't want my Kristin to give me away to anyone...I mean, I know I'll get to go stay with someone for a little bit but that will be like a vacation. Not like...forever. Forever sounds scary without my Kristin. I love her lots and don't want to never see her again. Uh oh...I have to go, my Kristin is coming downstairs and she doesn't like it when I'm on her computer. Her old roommate once blamed me for being on her computer snooping around. Ever since then, I think she's been a little suspicious of me. Won't someone please love me and take me home for a few months?

A New Step

Well, the rumors have been circulating so I may as well put an end to them. I am moving to Chicago. I'm planning on leaving Charleston on October 30th. Now I know what you're thinking. "Why in the world would that silly girl leave beautiful Charleston, SC in OCTOBER to move to Chicago? Doesn't she know it's cold?" Well, yes I do. Unfortunately, I don't really know what cold means. But I do feel like it's time for a change. I've been in Charleston for 10 years and I feel like things have kinda stalled out for me. I need a change. Besides, a move doesn't have to be permanent. I'm going to stay in Chicago for 1 year. If I'm miserable...I'll go somewhere else. I'm single & have a job that allows me to do that. If I'm happy (or even just neutral), maybe I'll stay in Chicago a little longer. I grew up in the South, in what I consider to be a normal size city. I want to experience something different.
Why Chicago? I visited last year and LOVED it. It felt like a small city with a big city feel. There was so much to do and explore and so many people. There was that giant Whole Foods and maybe I can get a job working in the Willis (formerly Sears) tower! There is snow (an understatement??) and professional sports and theater and so many other things. I'll be 6 hours from R (moved to St. Louis) and 4 hours from my bro (and H!) so we can go see Les Mis in November.
My biggest problem is finding what to do with my dog. I'll be staying with a friend of mine for the first few months, until I can find a place to live and a job (yeah, I'm moving without one of those). I already feel like I'm imposing by staying for an indefinite amount of time. I don't feel right bringing my sweet dog with me. I'm hoping I can find someone who is willing to keep her for an indefinite amount of time (maybe 3 months?? hopefully less but possibly longer) until I find my own apartment & can transport her to me. I have a couple feelers out but I'm not getting a shiny, happy feeling from any of them. Know of anyone who wants a temporary dog? She's incredibly sweet, housetrained, not a chewer/barker/any other annoying habits that dogs tend to have. She's definitely a cuddler too, if you let her. The only thing is she is very energetic (especially when you first come in the house or let her out of her crate) but she really does calm down fairly quickly. She gets along great with other dogs too! If I can't find a temporary home for her, then I'll have to begin looking for a permanent home...and I really don't want to do that. Any takers? Please???

Epic Fail

I decided to give this cooking thing another try for R. I had been eyeballing a delicious sounding recipe - Teriyaki Pork Kebabs w/Asian Rice. I didn't have the right spice mix for the asian rice so I opted for regular old rice. FAIL! Things started out well, my prep was all done & the kebabs were, well, kebabed. I heated up my grill pan (first fail, should have tried a regular grill but I don't have one) and put the skewer on. I brushed it with the marinade & next thing I knew, the kitchen was full of smoke. Apparently the sugar content was so high that it was burning almost on contact with the hot pan. I tossed those 3 skewers. Next attempt: I did not brush the extra marinade on - still burning so I turned down the heat. Then they just weren't cooking. I had already served him raw meat so clearly I couldn't do that again! I had tossed the remaining 3 skewers in the oven & those actually turned out pretty tasty. I abandoned the noncooking process on the grill pan & put the semi-burnt raw meat in the oven. The skewers that turned out were tasty - teriyaki pork, red & green bell peppers & pineapple.
The rice? Big epic major fail. I shouldn't be allowed to cook rice anymore. I took the lid off the pot to a swirling of smoke...not a good sign. I put some rice in a bowl to the overwhelming odor of smoke...not a good sign. I tasted the rice & felt like I was eating a cigarette....not a good sign. I advised R that we should just go out to eat but he wouldn't hear of it. I begged him to let me make a frozen pizza but he wouldn't hear of it. I forced him to eat a mouthful of smoky rice & he insisted that it was fine (as long as you don't breathe in while eating it...that means not fine!!). He said it was really good...but I'm fairly sure he was lying.
I don't know why I cannot cook for this boy. I swear...maybe next time I'll get it right...maybe. Or he'll stop saying he wants to come over for dinner. He's sweet for eating my cooking failures though. :)

Sobriety

I just got done telling my mom the other day that I don't ever go out to bars (true statement) and yet I spent today on the couch nursing a hangover. I went bowling with A and her husband last night....I'm a much better bowler halfway thru a pitcher of beer!! However, all the way thru the pitcher? Things went back downhill. The black lights & music video directly above the pins didn't help matters.
A and I decided we should keep drinking after we got home. Why that was a good idea, I'm still not sure. We had just finished off her Skinny Girl margarita mix when she announced she was out of liquor. That should have been our sign to stop but I remembered I had the makings of a margarita at my house!! I dashed next door & returned with tequila in hand. Now I should have learned my lesson the other week when I didn't remember the events of the night I drank these margaritas...but do I ever learn? No. Sadly no. So I mixed us up some more drinks and that's all I remember.
I'm never drinking again. I'm certainly never cleaning up regurgitated rice & cheese fries - is it a bad sign when your vomit is greasy? After 9 hours, my headache & urge to vomit are gone....and I feel like I can handle drinking. Water, silly folks, water!
I'm pretty sure her husband enjoyed the singalong that occured though. I'm pretty sure most of you have not heard me sing...but I'm just sayin, Mariah Carey took singing lessons from me and I taught her some pretty good tips.

La Computadora

Alas, I think it is time for a new computer. I have spent the last hour (yes hour, you read that correctly) trying to get the computer booted. It turned on & when I pulled it from the table to my lap to begin typing...the power cord came out & the computer turned off. So I began the process again. I'm terrified to move, thinking the computer will shut off again. I'm going to try to make this one last a few more months - I rarely get on it, using my phone or computer at work more often than not. Any suggestions? Laptop? Desktop? Know of any good deals? In late August, we have tax free day for "school supplies" so I'll probably aim to get one around then.
Not much else new has been happening. I tried to give my...well...I don't know what he is...food poisoning last night. I served him half cooked chicken. hahaha, no not on purpose. I kept eating mine until he said it was not supposed to be red & that I should cook it longer. The chicken was really good though You made a serrano pepper & rosemary butter to put under the skin & then you grilled it. The meat was moist (although that could have been the rawness that made it moist) & flavorful. I'll be making that one again, although I'll make sure to adjust the cooking time so as not to poison anyone else.
Ok, I feel like I'm pushing my luck so I'm going to hit save & will perhaps be back sooner than a month to update you on whatever else may be happening in my life.

Boo!

Today is not going as I had hoped. I walked into work only to be greeted with "hey boo! We found the bib clip." There are 2 problems with this. 1) I got called boo. I hated when that was popular in the 90s. I hate it even more now. 2) I had JUST walked in the door. All my other coworkers seem to get that I'm not friendly until around 10 but not this girl. No ma
tter how much I scowl at her she still keeps trying. And the harder she tries, the longer it takes me to be nice to her! She's still new but I thought she would have learned after 3 months.
Then, I moved from the top of an important people list to somewhere smack in the middle. Boo! Oh well, at least it's the weekend in 3 hours. Surely that should improve matters.

Burn Notice

I never seem to learn my lesson. I really never do...in many ways but today's lesson not learned is about being burned. Sunburned...not other burns, that's a whole different long long long post.
I was down in Hilton Head on Tuesday. Side note: The Jazz Corneris A-MAZE-ING! I had no idea what I was walking in to but I loved it! The music was great, the atmosphere so cool & intimate and...awesome! My mom, aunt & their friends were in town to hear the Martin Lesch Band (brother to my boss) and they were so good! I was pretty sure the trumpeter, bassist or saxophonist was going to die since they were all over 70, but they made it thru the night. Also, the singer of the band (who I thought was named Willie...a white guy named Willie...woo! So hot!) was so good. Unfortunately his name was Whitley which took him down a few notches but his singing took him right back up there! Plus he sang some of my favorite songs, including "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and "In the Midnight Hour". His voice was smooth, like butter, in a velvet jar, wrapped in smoothness.
Anyways, back to the point of this post. I got sunburnt while laying out in the sun on Tuesday. A few rules I should commit to memory:

1: Don't stay out in the sun for more than 3 hours at a time.
2: Always put on a higher SPF than 8.
3: Always reapply sunscreen every 2 hours.
4: Don't jump in the pool immediately after reapplying.

Go To Sleep...

I always seem to forget that drinking Mountain Dew past 6 pm is a horrible idea. Pretty sure sleep is nowhere in sight. And I'm sure most of you are thinking the best solution is not to drink anymore Dew but it's friggin delicious so abstaining is not an option.

Hey! Come On In!

I am not the brightest crayon in the box. The deadbolt on my back door was broken and there was a guy here to fix it. I was running a few minutes late so since he was going to be 30-45 minutes...I decided to take a shower while he worked. I know, there is a stranger in my house, getting naked might not be the best plan but I locked the bedroom door...so the guy who fixes locks for a living surely can't get in, right?

Really Rosie?!?!?

I recently purchased the Rosetta Stone program so I can learn French. I wanted to learn just to have something to do, I don't have a trip planned, I don't really know anyone who speaks French but it seemed like a good language (and it was on sale. Italian was not). I have really been enjoying it and have been flying through it! I try to work on the program a little each day and spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours a day. Sometimes I go through lessons and sometimes I participate in a Studio session with a native speaker. Other times I go to Rosetta World and play games, either by myself (there is a really hard bingo game!!) or with other students learning the same language as I am.
Lately, when I go to Rosetta World and have been playing a game, I will make a typo. What is the first thing one does when one makes a typo? Hits backspace, correct? (Oopsy...just made a typo..hehe, guess that proves my point) Apparently, some genius programmer at Rosetta Stone decided to make the "backspace" key the exit button for Rosetta World & Rosetta Studio. So what does that mean for me? I keep getting kicked out of my games! I try to say "bonsoir Je m'appelle Kristin." But then the other person types out "Bonsoir Kristin" so I don't need to tell them my name's Kristin...they already know that. So I hit backspace and BAM! I'm out of the game.
I get back in the game and I say to myself "DO NOT HIT BACKSPACE" (in english, I can't say all that in french just yet). I usually make it about 2 minutes and then get all excited while typing in French and oops. BAM! I'm out of the game again. I thought that maybe my computer was going haywire - after all, that was the problem when I couldn't speak to other players in Rosetta World...but nope. Genius programmers. That is the problem.
I wrote them a very nice email explaining how stupid they were...what do you mean nice emails don't include the word stupid? We shall see if I keep Rosetta Stone. I'm getting tired of the technical issues. Until then...bonne nuit & au revoir.

(BTW...I probably hit backspace 96 times while typing this post)

My Theme Song

This is going to be my theme song for the weekend - I need one of these weekends after this week! It's just been go-go-go, busy-busy-busy. I will not be leaving my couch if I can help it...unless I go out on the boat. But I don't think you can wear a sniggie (that's my offbrand snuggie) out on a boat.

When You Grow....

Super Sadness

I have put myself on a food budget. I'm only allowed to spend half of the ridiculous amount that I normally spend on food. This means a lot more cooking at home. I made a delicious White Rabbit Salad (cottage cheese, honey, fruits, walnuts) to eat for breakfast for the next few mornings. It didn't say it's a breakfast salad but it's lots of fruit plus all the protein from the cottage cheese...so breakfast it is!
I also tried my hand at a Morrocan Orange & Walnut Salad - sounds great, right? I thought so! It did have radishes in it and I'm not exactly sure I like radishes...but I thought I'd try it anyways. You section the orange (first time...I got much better by the 3rd orange!) and then put honey & cinnamon in the bowl and let it soak. Then you combine purple onions, radishes, mixed greens & olive oil. Finally, you put it all together and top it with toasted walnuts. I decided to add some sauteed shrimp to the mix so I could have a little protein with my meal. Everything was smelling super good as I took my first bite. *Bleck!* It was way to oily and way to oniony. I managed to eat it tonight but...I just don't think I can do it again 2 more days. I had to throw it out. Now I have to budget my money even further than I already am to make up for those 2 meals!

She's Here!

The fat kid is here. She's sitting in my bed eating mini Reese's (yum!) And drinking milk. I really need her to go away!I can see how people get fat overnight.

Cool V. Uncool

I got an email today from the head of the cheer program with a picture of one of our 14(maybe 15) year old girls drinking a beer. Now...she tried to hide it but really? Blue can? White stripe down the side with a tiny red stripe beside it? I know she put it in a coozie but really? Everyone knows whats in the can... I'm shocked that this girl was the one in the picture (there were a couple other cheerleaders in the pic...who actually didn't have a beer up and showing which is shocking although I'm just happy they didn't have crack in the picture. Drinking would be the least of what I would worry about with them) because she is a good girl but I think a little bit of a follower. Then again, what 14 year old girl isn't?
I briefly thought about telling her mom except - I wouldn't be surprised if her mom knew (after all the pics were on her facebook page) and I know her mom has been super stressed out and don't want to add to it. Plus it's not like I caught her in the act. Eh...I'm so disappointed in her though.

I Hate Paris in the Springtime...

French Kiss is on. I love that movie. I got it for Christmas but still haven't watched it. Lucky for me it's on tv so I don't even have to go downstairs to get the dvd. besides, I'm busy being the fat kid and laying in bed having milk and cookies. I'm so good at being the fat kid.

Almost...

I almost called Early tonight. Almost. I stopped myself. I realized how awkward the convo would have been. it's been nearly a month since I've talked to him. yes I miss him but what would I say? I could say that much plus a little more but then what? I would need more. I couldn't just say "I miss you" bc that wouldn't be enough. I need more and I guess I'm not prepared to say more. I don't think I could say enough to change his mind. Instead I buried myself in dental info and researching the foaming agent in toothpaste. Sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium n-lauryl sucinate in case you were wondering. Dental information is always nice & comforting. It can't mislead you. It only gives you facts and let's you interpret them.
Now if only I could make my neighbors (not a and w) quiet down so I could get some sleep and get Early out of my head before I convince myself to call him and make a fool out of myself.

Deduce This!

I'm beginning to think I'm not feeling well. Things that lead me to think this:
- my ear hurts every so often, like a quick throb and then it's gone. But it still makes me wince.
- I want to vomit.
- I don't want to eat. This could be because I want to vomit. I tried to eat my cure-all tonight - french fries and sprite but wasn't hungry.
- I'm moody. This is normal but I'm more moody than normal.
- Baby Got Back came on the radio and I wasn't tempted to dance. Sing? Yes. Dance? no :(

Good V. Evil

I should really learn to not watch Extreme Home Makeover...it makes me cry every single time. Seriously. Where do they find these incredibly good people in such crumbly homes? It's so sad but so happy. It makes me want to be a better person ...At least it's followed by Desperate Housewives so I can go back to feeling evil afterwards.

Update: DH is a repeat tonight. Unfortunately that leaves me with that warm fuzzy feeling tonight. I did tune into Worst Cooks In America for the first time and I'm inspired to make a delicious burger now! Except i don't have a grill. I do have a grill pan. Plus it's cold so I'm not so sure I would want to grill outside anyways.

Duh duh duh

Those Were the dreaded duhs. Not good ones. I tried to blog on the way to my date about how I just really hoped he wasn't ugly. I realize how shallow that is but maybe I'm a little on the shallow side. Who isn't? Well the good news, he wasn't ugly. I don't know if I'd go as far as to say super cute...but not ugly. The bad news? He was a douche. Actually an uber douche. Ugh. Why is it so hard to date? This is lame. This should not be so hard.

Lunch Blog

I have an extra long lunch today...so I figured I'd take 2 seconds to blog - I have a date tonight but I can't seem to get stupid Early out of my head. Seriously - it's been over a month. Get out of my head! I should probably not go on a date while thinking about someone else...but eh...
I also just got off match.com. I was waiting for my subscription to run out (which it does in 3 days) and had every intention of getting off there regardless of my relationship status. Now...I am super off there. Officially cancelled.
Thirdly, I want to get another dog. I'd like to name it Jean Valjean. It should be a french dog of some sort because with a name like jean valjean, it can't be a big goofy dog. The name doesn't fit. Plus Jean Valjean (who, initially at least, will be referred to by his full name) would give Evie someone to play with. They'd have so much fun. I'm not actually going to get another dog but I like the idea.

I Want...

I want an afro puff. Seriously. I'm not lying. My patient had a super cute one and yes, she was black & yes she rocked it...but I could rock it too. The black part, I can't do much about. But white girls can have afro puffs, right? She had this super cool 70's earthy feel about her...all because of her hair. It did make it difficult to clean her teeth though because I couldn't get close enough. The hair was in the way.

Wedding Daze

This weekend, a very good friend of mine got married. I'm so excited for her & was very happy to be invited to support her in the beginning of this new chapter of her life. The wedding was so much fun - perhaps one of the most fun weddings I've been to! At first I was all sad-like because I didn't have a date...but I took A since she is also friends with the bride and she was a much more fun date than any boy! I didn't have to worry about keeping her entertained and that she was having fun. No, I did not have a built in dance partner but A and I did shag a couple times...or tried. A had to be the boy and I was the mostly clueless girl - but by the end, we were either drunk enough to think we looked good doing it or we really did look like we knew what we were doing. Either way it was fun.
Plus, another girl wasn't able to make it to the wedding (sad face) but her boyfriend did come so I adopted him as my dance partner - he wasn't exactly willing...but I dragged him into it!
It was a wedding filled weekend - next weekend is going to seem quite tame.

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream For...

BACON! We finally won food trivia! It's been five months of trying but we finally did it. I'm going to be riding this high for like a month! I'm so glad I decided to go. And hopefully my other effort from tonight will have paid off as well but I'll have to wait on that....oh and the prize? A pound of bacon & a $10 gift certificate to e.v.o.

They're Gonna Make Me Go To Rehab

I fell off the wagon. I didn't just fall off. The wagon then ran me over. I spent the past 5 days moping around my house as much as possible. I feel a little like Linus (I think...) from the Peanuts, carrying my blanket around with me.
I just finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett and I'm pretty sure the character of Skeeter is based on me. I mean, minus the whole part about writing a book about interracial relations. And the part about doing something important & helpful with their life. But the part about having the boyfriend who wants to take "space" as though the relationship was physics and not a human relationship. Sounds so freaking familiar. At least her's decides that he does actually like her - mine? Not so much. Oh well. It happens. I'm taking Skeeter's stance and am trying not to feel sorry for myself every minute of the day. It hasn't been going so well thus far but there's always tomorrow. I know I need to keep myself busy and find things to do. I even made a list. It's finding the energy & desire to do them so I can stop moping.
I have a date supposedly later on this week. An official time has not been set but the offer has been made. I didn't much want to but I said yes because it doesn't make sense to wait on Early to change his mind. That's not going to happen. I'd like it to though. *sigh*

Dear Y102.5,
Please stop playing sappy ass music that applies to my life. You generally don't have a great playlist to begin with but when you play songs like "i can't make you love me", "don't speak", and"i will survive", I begin to think it is intentional. Why don't you just put "duke of earl" on repeat in case there is any chance of me forgetting about him for 2 minutes.

Also I'd like to send a shout out to the lady who works at Bojangles: Bitch, if I want extra seasoning on my fries, then just do it. Don't tell me they are already in the bag.

Your forcefully loyal listener,
Kristin

which way do I go?

It's a New Dawn, A New Day...

and I'm feeling good...and I'm quoting Michael Buble songs. That needs to stop! Bear with me, this post is going to be full of randomness

1. I'm not starting the new year off as a vegetarian. Bacon & hashbrowns for breakfast. Pork & sauerkraut & collards for dinner. But I am cooking at home a lot more, which has been fun, minus all the leftovers.

2. I was brushing my teeth last night and found myself staring at a picture on my bathroom wall. Why do I still have a picture of C & I, and 2 other friends, hanging on my wall? He won't speak to me. I'm just prolonging my torture. So the picture came down. And, you know what? If people (yes there are multiples - crazy, I know) don't want to speak to me, fine, don't. I tried to talk to all of you, but it's your loss. I'm done pining away for a phone call or text. I've got better things to do and I'll find friends who do want to talk to me. Bump you.

3. I'm rethinking my Chicago move. I mean, I really want to go but I think Evie would be miserable. Is it weird to consider what I think my dog would want? She hates the cold! I was thinking about leaving her with my dad for a year while I got settled in and decided if I wanted to stay there...but a whole year without her? I'd be lost! Who would I go on a walk with in the mornings? Who would I talk to around the house? Who would snuggle up on the couch with me?

4. Which brings me to my next thought: My most used Christmas presents this year? My snuggie & the blankets my aunt made Evie and I. Evie's blanket has given her couch priveledges, which she loves. And mine, I'm curled up under if I don't have the Snuggie on.

5. I used my Kindle to read a book for the first time last night. I definitely need to invest in a cover. It hurts my wrist to hold it. My wrist is at a weird angle. Also, I hit the "next page" button too early and always have to flip back. It's going to take some getting used to.

Ok...that's it for randomness today. I'm off to take a shower & then head to the gym. I know, that's backwards but I'll shower after the gym too.