I went grocery shopping again! I found this insanely easy recipe for pie crust. It's one of those dreams come true, no f-ing way recipe. No way a pie crust can be this easy, no way! I decided to try it out on a chicken pot pie before I attempt an apple pie.
I've never made chicken pot pie before but I decided to wing it, seemed easy enough. As for the crust... oh the crust! I almost cried (with joy). I'll talk about it at a later date, for now, here's what I spent on grocery... much better than the $50 dollars I spent the last time I went to Wegmans, at least this time I bought some real food.
Weg xsharp cheddar $2.49
Weg mild cheddar $2.49
Weg frozen broccoli $.89
Weg frozen corn $.89
2 @ $.99 Weg canned tomatoe (whole) $1.99
Weg canola oil $1.99
2 @ 2.49 Palmolive "green" dish soap $4.98
Weg chicken stock $2.99
Spanish onion $1.54
carrots $.99
small celery $.69
mushrooms $2.50
rotisserie chicken $4.99
tax $1.01
Total: $31.31
Now I have to find a recipe that calls for chicken stock and make something before it goes bad. Hmmm... maybe some green beans? Oooh... green beans!!!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Apple-Nut Coffee Cake
I love pie much more than I could ever love cake but pie crusts intimidate me so this is how I get my baked apple fix.
Apple cake! Brilliant!
The sour cream cake always comes out moist and muffin-ish, and is a good base for a lot of fruit/nut combination. I used to have fun experimenting with different fruits and nuts (berries and macadamia, orange and walnut, etc.) but I found that apples and almonds taste the best. You can't beat baked apple.
I more than tripled the amount of apple it calls for and it ended less like cake and more like pudding (which is why it's so slopey in the pic). It still tasted good but I think I'll stick to just one or two apples in the future. I also added some nutmeg, cloves, and just a smidge ground ginger to the nut mix.
It says to bake for 30-35 min. but I use my trusty Pyrex pan and I found that it needs to be baked for 45min to almost an hour. Be sure to let it cool a bit before eating, hot, straight out of the oven apple tastes kind of bland.
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I used 3/4 tsp.)
1 cup sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup finely chopped apple
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter, melted
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and granulated sugar together. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Sift flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.
Fold in apple. Spread butter in greased 8x8x2 inch baking pan.
Combine nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Sprinkle over butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan. Cool thoroughly.
Apple cake! Brilliant!
The sour cream cake always comes out moist and muffin-ish, and is a good base for a lot of fruit/nut combination. I used to have fun experimenting with different fruits and nuts (berries and macadamia, orange and walnut, etc.) but I found that apples and almonds taste the best. You can't beat baked apple.
I more than tripled the amount of apple it calls for and it ended less like cake and more like pudding (which is why it's so slopey in the pic). It still tasted good but I think I'll stick to just one or two apples in the future. I also added some nutmeg, cloves, and just a smidge ground ginger to the nut mix.
It says to bake for 30-35 min. but I use my trusty Pyrex pan and I found that it needs to be baked for 45min to almost an hour. Be sure to let it cool a bit before eating, hot, straight out of the oven apple tastes kind of bland.
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I used 3/4 tsp.)
1 cup sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup finely chopped apple
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter, melted
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and granulated sugar together. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Sift flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.
Fold in apple. Spread butter in greased 8x8x2 inch baking pan.
Combine nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Sprinkle over butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan. Cool thoroughly.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
I Hope Cardboard Houses are Cheap in the Future
Just 'cause I'm a masochist, I decided to check my retirement fund. Needless to say, it's not doing well, at all. A big part of me wants to stop my 401(k) contribution and just start socking 10% of my pay into an ING account. At least it'll earn a 2.75 interest, which is better than the current -13.something rate of return. Something tells me that's not a good idea though...
I guess I'll just sit tight.
I guess I'll just sit tight.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Quantum of Solace
I saw the new Bond movie today, you know, Quantum of Solace. It was a pretty good movie but I do have some complaints.
First off, I really hated the shaky camera effect. Much like the last Bourne movie, the camera blurs and shakes horribly during every action scene. I'm sure it's suppose to add some realism and confusion to the chaos or something but it just makes it really hard to figure out what's happening. Personally, I think it's a way of cheaping out on some decent special effects and stunt doubles.
It's not just the shaky cameras, it's also the random blurry zoom ins. Someone's falling? ZOOOOOM! Blurry zoom to a random piece of ply wood! A big hand to hand combat scene? ZOOOM! Blurry zoom to a plate falling with some face punching thud thud crack sounds in the back.
On top of the shaky cameras, the blurry zooms, we also have the bazillion camera angles. Zip, Zop, Zoom, Zam! The camera angle switches like every two second. The first scene is a car chase and you have the camera shaking like crazy, weird blurry zoom in to like the shutters on the houses they're racing by, and the camera angle changing constantly- Bond from the top, Bond from the back, than random blurry zoom in, than Bond from the bottom, than Bond from back, all in like 5 seconds.
It's really hard to care about the plot when you have no idea what's going on the screen. Hey, where did his car door go? Wait, is that Bond or the bad guy? Whoa, where did the gun come from? Huh? What?
The new Bond girl also looks like Hoopz from the first season of Flavor of Love. That was very distracting.
The most disappointing part? They started the credit with the traditional Bond opening scene. I think they should've used the bunnies:
First off, I really hated the shaky camera effect. Much like the last Bourne movie, the camera blurs and shakes horribly during every action scene. I'm sure it's suppose to add some realism and confusion to the chaos or something but it just makes it really hard to figure out what's happening. Personally, I think it's a way of cheaping out on some decent special effects and stunt doubles.
It's not just the shaky cameras, it's also the random blurry zoom ins. Someone's falling? ZOOOOOM! Blurry zoom to a random piece of ply wood! A big hand to hand combat scene? ZOOOM! Blurry zoom to a plate falling with some face punching thud thud crack sounds in the back.
On top of the shaky cameras, the blurry zooms, we also have the bazillion camera angles. Zip, Zop, Zoom, Zam! The camera angle switches like every two second. The first scene is a car chase and you have the camera shaking like crazy, weird blurry zoom in to like the shutters on the houses they're racing by, and the camera angle changing constantly- Bond from the top, Bond from the back, than random blurry zoom in, than Bond from the bottom, than Bond from back, all in like 5 seconds.
It's really hard to care about the plot when you have no idea what's going on the screen. Hey, where did his car door go? Wait, is that Bond or the bad guy? Whoa, where did the gun come from? Huh? What?
The new Bond girl also looks like Hoopz from the first season of Flavor of Love. That was very distracting.
The most disappointing part? They started the credit with the traditional Bond opening scene. I think they should've used the bunnies:
Monday, November 24, 2008
Perfumes
When I was in high school, Heidi had a mirrored tray on top of her dresser/vanity with all the essential late 90's scents: CK One, Tommy Girl, Cool Water, True Love, Curve, Clinique's Happy, Tresor, Pleasure, etc. I thought it was so bad ass and I wanted one as well, however, I didn't have a job in high school and my parents sure as hell wasn't about to buy me bottles of $50 perfumes for no reason.
I finally got a bottle of Cool Water for Christmas and from there, I started to slowly amass an army of pretty perfume bottles, mostly through gifts and discount retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, never paying retail 'cause, well, perfumes are really expensive. Pretty soon, I had a pretty big collection of perfumes, which is easy if you only buy and never use.
About three years ago, I started to really covet a lot of the perfumes on the market but couldn't justify paying retail for new perfumes when I already had a crap load of perfumes that I never used. No problem! I'll start using up my perfumes! As a reward, I will allow myself to buy 1 new bottle for every 2 old bottle I use up!
I started chronologically and the first to go was my almost a decade old Cool Water. Augh! I don't know if Cool Water always smelled so rank or if it was the age but, if I never want to smell Cool Water again, same for True Love. The whole time I was using up White Jeans, I felt like an old woman. All in all, I've probably used up about 10 or 12 bottles so far. This is what's left:
I quickly abandoned my 1 new for every 2 used plan and just stopped buying new perfumes. I realized that I don't really like perfumes- at all. I just really love the bottles. I had a collection of all my used pretty bottles in the bathroom, collecting dust, but I finally got rid of most of them 'cause really, what's the point of holding onto empty bottles?
Wait, I take that back, I do like perfumes, I love the way they smell- in the bottle. I'm not a big fan of smelling perfume on people. It seems like the only time I notice someone's scent is if they've sprayed a bit too much. I always find smelling perfume on a person to be a bit jarring, like I didn't expect it and BOOM! an assault of magnolias or something. Sometimes, someone will stick their wrist out and ask, "I just bought blah blah blah, what do you think?" And yeah, it smells nice but I wouldn't have smelled it on them if they hadn't stuck their wrist under my nose so what's the point in wearing it?
Well, I still plan on wearing perfume every day (though, I should tone it down, I think some days, I spritz on a bit too much...) and use up all my perfumes. I still plan on oohing and ahhing at all the pretty bottles in shop- I'll still probably take some home with me, or request them as gifts. Maybe I'll even finally get a mirrored tray.
I finally got a bottle of Cool Water for Christmas and from there, I started to slowly amass an army of pretty perfume bottles, mostly through gifts and discount retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, never paying retail 'cause, well, perfumes are really expensive. Pretty soon, I had a pretty big collection of perfumes, which is easy if you only buy and never use.
About three years ago, I started to really covet a lot of the perfumes on the market but couldn't justify paying retail for new perfumes when I already had a crap load of perfumes that I never used. No problem! I'll start using up my perfumes! As a reward, I will allow myself to buy 1 new bottle for every 2 old bottle I use up!
I started chronologically and the first to go was my almost a decade old Cool Water. Augh! I don't know if Cool Water always smelled so rank or if it was the age but, if I never want to smell Cool Water again, same for True Love. The whole time I was using up White Jeans, I felt like an old woman. All in all, I've probably used up about 10 or 12 bottles so far. This is what's left:
I quickly abandoned my 1 new for every 2 used plan and just stopped buying new perfumes. I realized that I don't really like perfumes- at all. I just really love the bottles. I had a collection of all my used pretty bottles in the bathroom, collecting dust, but I finally got rid of most of them 'cause really, what's the point of holding onto empty bottles?
Wait, I take that back, I do like perfumes, I love the way they smell- in the bottle. I'm not a big fan of smelling perfume on people. It seems like the only time I notice someone's scent is if they've sprayed a bit too much. I always find smelling perfume on a person to be a bit jarring, like I didn't expect it and BOOM! an assault of magnolias or something. Sometimes, someone will stick their wrist out and ask, "I just bought blah blah blah, what do you think?" And yeah, it smells nice but I wouldn't have smelled it on them if they hadn't stuck their wrist under my nose so what's the point in wearing it?
Well, I still plan on wearing perfume every day (though, I should tone it down, I think some days, I spritz on a bit too much...) and use up all my perfumes. I still plan on oohing and ahhing at all the pretty bottles in shop- I'll still probably take some home with me, or request them as gifts. Maybe I'll even finally get a mirrored tray.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Michelle D. Champagne Strappy Sandals
Another fantastic X-mas present from Jamie!
I tried to wear them today, despite the wind chill factor of negative 50 degrees. I thought maybe I could pull them off with tights... nope. The only tights I have are black and it just looked... weird... maybe if I had gray tights. I like how gray looks with goldish/champagne color.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Bookmark Clean Out!!!
Oh my goodness! Today is so cold!!!
I wore my green striped sweater today and David's all, "Hey, what's the name of that guy on Blues Clues?" It's not what I was going for, but it's what I was thinking...
Mwow mwow!
Here're some stuff to read if you're bored this weekend!
Pimp My Drainpipe- I don't know, the ones in Seattle are almost creepy looking, like it's trying to crawl up the wall.
Has Disney Infected Your Cool Lifestyle- Every once in awhile, we get urbanized Disney stuff- Scene-i-fied Mickey, drugged up looking Alice, creepy looking Cinderella, etc. It's very hit or miss, mostly miss. Classic Disney always outsells.
Playing Recession: What'll We Do When the Novelty Wears Off?- If there are those that can "abandon the game once the novelty wears off" they should just stop now and buy lots of stuff, people's jobs depend on it.
World's Largest Lamborghini Dealer Closes Its Doors- You'd think a Lamborghini dealer would look a little swankier.
ShopPlasticland.Com- Everything on this site is so cute! It kind of makes me think of UO, if they were rockabilly and not hipster.
GOBAMA! and Hindsight Being 20/20: A Recipe for Defeating Prop 8- I wonder if the mentioned study about baby on magazine cover is true.
DSi Import Hands On- I was really looking forward to the new DS but, after seeing this, I think I don't think I'll be upgrading.
The Top 25 DS Games Under $20- You have no idea how far and wide I searched for the Zombie BBQ game. I guess I could've ordered on line but that's not as fun.
I'll give Palin some credit, I think she new Africa was a continent. There's no way a Governor could be that stupid.
Free Obama Sticker by Shepard Fairey- I got one for Michael, he said he hasn't gotten it in the mail yet. Either they're backed up so it's really slow or he mistook it for junk mail and tossed it.
Overweight Women Have More Sex- "These results were unexpected and we don't really know why this is the case," Kaneshiro said in a statement. Um... I can think of a reason but... it might come across as being mean...
Attractive Men Scare Me, So I Only Date Ugly Ones- WTF!
Punk Rock Cookies- I like the nod to Emily. Since when did Hello Kitty considered punk?
Mastercard Rebranding- Yay! Another makeover!
"High-End" Supermarket Wegmans Slashes Prices to Stay Competitive- Wegmans isn't as expensive as a lot of people think- it's way cheaper than Harris Teeter and comparable to Giant prices. People just assume it's pricey 'cause of the decorations and their froo froo-ness. Of course, I did spend almost $50 on not much recently...
Use Only What You Need- Michael was bitching about how Chipotle raised their price- as he grabbed a fist full of napkins! I berated him about how it's people like him grabbing fist full of napkins that's forcing business to drive up prices and how it's so fucking wasteful 'cause, as messy as he is, he's not going to need a fist full of napkins to eat his veggie burritos. He said he'd take the left over and keep it in his car. Of course, he forgot and tossed them. What a waste.
Toronto's Smallest House- I saw on HGTV that there's a similar house in Alexandria, but that one's a bit bigger since it was a two floor.
I wore my green striped sweater today and David's all, "Hey, what's the name of that guy on Blues Clues?" It's not what I was going for, but it's what I was thinking...
Mwow mwow!
Here're some stuff to read if you're bored this weekend!
Pimp My Drainpipe- I don't know, the ones in Seattle are almost creepy looking, like it's trying to crawl up the wall.
Has Disney Infected Your Cool Lifestyle- Every once in awhile, we get urbanized Disney stuff- Scene-i-fied Mickey, drugged up looking Alice, creepy looking Cinderella, etc. It's very hit or miss, mostly miss. Classic Disney always outsells.
Playing Recession: What'll We Do When the Novelty Wears Off?- If there are those that can "abandon the game once the novelty wears off" they should just stop now and buy lots of stuff, people's jobs depend on it.
World's Largest Lamborghini Dealer Closes Its Doors- You'd think a Lamborghini dealer would look a little swankier.
ShopPlasticland.Com- Everything on this site is so cute! It kind of makes me think of UO, if they were rockabilly and not hipster.
GOBAMA! and Hindsight Being 20/20: A Recipe for Defeating Prop 8- I wonder if the mentioned study about baby on magazine cover is true.
DSi Import Hands On- I was really looking forward to the new DS but, after seeing this, I think I don't think I'll be upgrading.
The Top 25 DS Games Under $20- You have no idea how far and wide I searched for the Zombie BBQ game. I guess I could've ordered on line but that's not as fun.
I'll give Palin some credit, I think she new Africa was a continent. There's no way a Governor could be that stupid.
Free Obama Sticker by Shepard Fairey- I got one for Michael, he said he hasn't gotten it in the mail yet. Either they're backed up so it's really slow or he mistook it for junk mail and tossed it.
Overweight Women Have More Sex- "These results were unexpected and we don't really know why this is the case," Kaneshiro said in a statement. Um... I can think of a reason but... it might come across as being mean...
Attractive Men Scare Me, So I Only Date Ugly Ones- WTF!
Punk Rock Cookies- I like the nod to Emily. Since when did Hello Kitty considered punk?
Mastercard Rebranding- Yay! Another makeover!
"High-End" Supermarket Wegmans Slashes Prices to Stay Competitive- Wegmans isn't as expensive as a lot of people think- it's way cheaper than Harris Teeter and comparable to Giant prices. People just assume it's pricey 'cause of the decorations and their froo froo-ness. Of course, I did spend almost $50 on not much recently...
Use Only What You Need- Michael was bitching about how Chipotle raised their price- as he grabbed a fist full of napkins! I berated him about how it's people like him grabbing fist full of napkins that's forcing business to drive up prices and how it's so fucking wasteful 'cause, as messy as he is, he's not going to need a fist full of napkins to eat his veggie burritos. He said he'd take the left over and keep it in his car. Of course, he forgot and tossed them. What a waste.
Toronto's Smallest House- I saw on HGTV that there's a similar house in Alexandria, but that one's a bit bigger since it was a two floor.
Saving is Hard, Here's Why
I went to the grocery store to buy some stuff to make two things, two things, fettuccine alfredo and an apple cake. My total? $49.39!!! That's a pretty expensive dinner and dessert...
So, here's how it breaks down:
XL Eggs 1.79
Wegmans Butter 2.19
Wegman sour cream 1.29
BE cut leaf spinach 1.19
Wegmans flour 1.49
Weg sugar 1.99
diamond sliced almond 2.99
black truffle olive oil 7.99
garlic oil 6.69
2 bottles of Classico alfredo sauce 4.98
Weg coffee filters 1.69
Weg boneless chicken breast 4.32
32 oz minsed garlic 4.99
Macintosh apples 2.06
12 oz mushrooms 2.50
tax 1.24
Yikes!
In my defense, pretty much all of these are multi-use items. I mean, I didn't use the entire box of butter. Actually, I didn't use any of the new butter since I already had some in the fridge. However, with some high use items (like butter) I like to make sure I'll never run out. Today's bill was just stupidly high 'cause I ran out of so many things. My next apple cake, for example, should only cost me like $2 since I already have everything I need.
Some stuff were totally not neccessary, like the oils, however, they make cheap food (like egg and toast) taste awesome and they last a long time. The last tiny bottle of truffle oil, for example, lasted about 6 months.
Still, it's not like I spent $50 on bread, peanut butter, pasta, or any "real" food... Oh well, I think Heidi once spent almost that much on ingredients for waffle... organic milk is almost the twice the cost of regular... at least I'm not that bad. Next time, however, I'm getting just the essentials. I need to stop spending money on extra stuff.
So, here's how it breaks down:
XL Eggs 1.79
Wegmans Butter 2.19
Wegman sour cream 1.29
BE cut leaf spinach 1.19
Wegmans flour 1.49
Weg sugar 1.99
diamond sliced almond 2.99
black truffle olive oil 7.99
garlic oil 6.69
2 bottles of Classico alfredo sauce 4.98
Weg coffee filters 1.69
Weg boneless chicken breast 4.32
32 oz minsed garlic 4.99
Macintosh apples 2.06
12 oz mushrooms 2.50
tax 1.24
Yikes!
In my defense, pretty much all of these are multi-use items. I mean, I didn't use the entire box of butter. Actually, I didn't use any of the new butter since I already had some in the fridge. However, with some high use items (like butter) I like to make sure I'll never run out. Today's bill was just stupidly high 'cause I ran out of so many things. My next apple cake, for example, should only cost me like $2 since I already have everything I need.
Some stuff were totally not neccessary, like the oils, however, they make cheap food (like egg and toast) taste awesome and they last a long time. The last tiny bottle of truffle oil, for example, lasted about 6 months.
Still, it's not like I spent $50 on bread, peanut butter, pasta, or any "real" food... Oh well, I think Heidi once spent almost that much on ingredients for waffle... organic milk is almost the twice the cost of regular... at least I'm not that bad. Next time, however, I'm getting just the essentials. I need to stop spending money on extra stuff.
Friday, November 21, 2008
If I Were in WWII They'd Call Me Spitfire!
I never feel self conscious about what I'm wearing unless I'm wearing a band shirt. I don't know, it feels like... I'm not myself, kind of like I'm wearing a costume. It doesn't help that someone always says something when I do wear one, kind of like how it's a big deal when Eric isn't wearing one (in the two 2.5 years that I've known him, it's only happened twice).
Still, some band tees have bad ass graphics and, some bands I love so much, I have to profess my love on my chest. My favorite band tee was a Nirvana shirt that I loved 'cause it was so different. It was a childish drawing of the member's head with "Nirvana" scrawled on the bottom. Simple and cute. Somehow, Michael ended up with it now it has several bleach spots.
Normally, I don't get that excited over band tees but this, this I was totally stoked to get:
I have a Prodigy shirt!
They're kind of hard to find. I got my shirt from shockhound.com, by far the best site to find band merch. My only complaint is that it's not slim fit. Really, $20 for a basic tee? Oh wait, I also have another complaint. On the site the description read, "Smack my abstract collage bitch up?" Cheesey-ness aside, it's referencing Fat of the Land when the graphic is from the cover of Always Outnumbered Never Out Gunned.
Speaking of The Prodigy...
March 2nd, 2009!!!
Eeep! I haven't been this excited since I learned that AFI are now in studio!
Still, some band tees have bad ass graphics and, some bands I love so much, I have to profess my love on my chest. My favorite band tee was a Nirvana shirt that I loved 'cause it was so different. It was a childish drawing of the member's head with "Nirvana" scrawled on the bottom. Simple and cute. Somehow, Michael ended up with it now it has several bleach spots.
Normally, I don't get that excited over band tees but this, this I was totally stoked to get:
I have a Prodigy shirt!
They're kind of hard to find. I got my shirt from shockhound.com, by far the best site to find band merch. My only complaint is that it's not slim fit. Really, $20 for a basic tee? Oh wait, I also have another complaint. On the site the description read, "Smack my abstract collage bitch up?" Cheesey-ness aside, it's referencing Fat of the Land when the graphic is from the cover of Always Outnumbered Never Out Gunned.
Speaking of The Prodigy...
March 2nd, 2009!!!
Eeep! I haven't been this excited since I learned that AFI are now in studio!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
What Were They Called?
When I was a kid, there was this line of toys called... Squeezeables? I don't recall the name but, the they were a line of small plush people that you could stuff into things. I thought they were really cool and suckered my mom into buying one for me.
I think you were suppose to stuff this little guy into to a plastic stroller.
I really don't understand the appeal now. Kids are so simple.
I think you were suppose to stuff this little guy into to a plastic stroller.
I really don't understand the appeal now. Kids are so simple.
Silver Giani Bini Ballet Flats
Pretty! No?They were one of many early Christmas present from Jaime. I swear, if it weren't for her finding cute shoes for me to wear, I'd be wearing Crocs out of desperation at this point. Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme... but I'd probably be doomed to a life time of fug shoes, and not even fug in a good way.
They're my favorite pair now and I've worn them every day for the past few days. They're pretty comfy but I'm trying to break them in so that they become super comfy.
Jamie got me 5 pairs of shoes, two of which are these flats (silver and gold). Out of all 5, at a size 4 1/2, these were suppose to be the smallest, but they're actually the biggest.
That's cool, they only slip off my feet when I stand on my toes.
Thank you Jamie!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Bookmark Clean Out!!!
I need to reinstall iTunes. Crap. I kind of liked the old iTunes and would rather not have the new one with it's "genius" features. Is there even any point? My CD drive is broken. I have all these CDs that I want to rip to iTunes and I can't. Maybe I'll ask for an external drive for a Christmas present.
Here are some posts I decided to link while I listen to some music:
The New Power Perfumes: You'll Smell Like Your Mom and Like It- It seems like whenever I noticed someone's perfume, it's never in a good way. Though, to be honest, I probably reek at times. I'm trying to use up all my perfumes and some mornings, I fear that I get a bit too zealous.
I interrupt this post to let you know that Gun By Computer (Saul William Remix) by Nine Inch Nails (and Saul Williams) is pretty bad ass. I didn't know who Saul William was until Trent and Saul did that whole Niggy Tardust thing. Eric told me Saul Williams is spoken words over beats. "So he's a rapper..."
"No, it's spoken words over beats."
"Isn't that what rap is?"
"Well, it is... but Saul doesn't really rap, he just kind of talks in a rhythmic way, over beats."
"So he raps."
"No. Just listen to it, you'll get it."
And I did, and yeah, I get it.
A Happy Home is One that Buys Stuff- When I was a kid, one of my favorite jingle was, "Kid sister! Kid sister! Kid sister and me!" I think that's how it went.
Women Germier than Men, Study Finds- "Women also may have more bacteria living under the surface of the skin where they are not accessible to washing, Knight added." Oh good golly, I think I'm going to be sick.
If I'm in a certain mood, Flyleaf's Cassie gets me a little bit emotional, even though I heard that the whole thing was a Columbine urban myth. Augh, I'm so lame.
Virginia State Result- As I was checking to see the % of McCain vs. Obama, I realized that most of South Western Counties share their name with people I know: Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson, Symth (well, I know a Smith), Carroll, Pulaski, Montgomery, and Tazewell. Most of these are common last names but Pulaski and Tazewell? Coincidentally, they were both teachers at my high school.
Cash rules everything around me,
C.R.E.A.M. get
the money, dollar dollar bill y'all.
Drama in Real Life: Burgled Again- I am stupidly paranoid when it comes to making sure my car is locked. I have to press the button to make my car make that "beep beep" noise at least 3 times before I'm confident that my car is locked. Maybe I should just keep in unlocked. I'm sure there's something very zen Buddhist-ish about that theory.
Two Princes by the Spin Doctors is one of the first "grown up song" that I learned all the words to.
Author Michael Crichton has "Died Unexpectedly"- I am a big believer in the Rule of Three- it has never failed me. This means that 2 other people that I know (or know of, or someone I know knows) will die soon. I hate waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I can't believe I actually bought an All American Reject CD. I'm not going to lie, I do like Move Along. I just wish I had started using iTunes a lot earlier, I would've just downloaded the single.
Saks to Close Tween Makeover Paradise "Club Libby Lu"- We have, well, had one in Tysons. A couple of years back, their DM tried to recruit me. I asked what Club Libby Lu was and she couldn't really give me an answer that didn't make Libby Lu sound absolutely horrific. Really? Seriously? The idea seemed so lame, no thank you.
Justin needs to stop being a vain douche, return to his roots, and make another NSYNC album. From what I understand he's the last hold out.
Proud to be an American. However, Not So Proud to be a Californian- I was pretty bummed that Prop 8 passed. I really don't understand what people have against two consensual adults choosing to get married. How can you argue that gay marriage is detrimental to the sanctity of marriage when Britney Spears can get married in a drunk stupor just to annul it the next day? Not that I'm in any position to judge CA. I live in VA, we're probably a decade away from having such a proposition to even vote "No" on.
Yeah, Handlebars by Flobots still kind of gets me a a bit choked up.
Your Single Best Action for Saving Action- Mine? Not eating out so freaking much. I can't believe how much money I'm saving. Still, I miss eating at a sit down restaurants where the waiter/waitress actually brings your food to your table. Pretty soon, I'll probably become one of those people who thinks a dinner at Friday's is a nice splurge. I don't know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing...
Last Night in New York City- Wow. I guess New Yorkers really like Obama.
Where's My Sticker?- The first time I voted, I didn't get a sticker, or the year after that. I wave very bummed. This year, I made damn sure I got my sticker!
The Irritation Threshold and Lifestyle Inflation- An interesting article on on lifestyle inflation.
Blind Melon is so under appreciated.
Suddenly, it Maybe be Cool to be an American Again- I thought the whole pretending to be Canadian was a Daily Show joke or something... People really do that?
Obama's Historic Triumph- This was in India? One thing this election made me realize is how stupid I am when it comes to world politic. I mean, how freaking impressive is it that someone in India, not only cared enough to make that sculpture, but also knew to write "Congrats". I don't know how to say "congratulations" in... Oh crap, what language do they speak in India? Hindi...?
I think fade out is a really lame lame lame way to end a song and I can't believe Nine Inch Nail's Discipline ends in a fade out. Boo, kind of disappointed. Erik once told me that no Nirvana songs end in fade outs. I kind of think he just made stuff up to tell me, or just talked out of his ass or something- there's no way anyone knows that much random facts about music. Then again... it is Erik... One day, out of boredom, I was asking him random, obscure questions about The Clash (his favorite band). "Who was the shortest member of the band?", "How many tattoos did Joe Strummer have and where were they located?" He knew the answer to every single one of them. He also brought up a good point, "You know, I could be making up all the answers and you wouldn't know." True... Then again, I can probably name and locate most of Davey's tattoos. When you love, you care, and when you care, you just know these things.
Here are some posts I decided to link while I listen to some music:
The New Power Perfumes: You'll Smell Like Your Mom and Like It- It seems like whenever I noticed someone's perfume, it's never in a good way. Though, to be honest, I probably reek at times. I'm trying to use up all my perfumes and some mornings, I fear that I get a bit too zealous.
I interrupt this post to let you know that Gun By Computer (Saul William Remix) by Nine Inch Nails (and Saul Williams) is pretty bad ass. I didn't know who Saul William was until Trent and Saul did that whole Niggy Tardust thing. Eric told me Saul Williams is spoken words over beats. "So he's a rapper..."
"No, it's spoken words over beats."
"Isn't that what rap is?"
"Well, it is... but Saul doesn't really rap, he just kind of talks in a rhythmic way, over beats."
"So he raps."
"No. Just listen to it, you'll get it."
And I did, and yeah, I get it.
A Happy Home is One that Buys Stuff- When I was a kid, one of my favorite jingle was, "Kid sister! Kid sister! Kid sister and me!" I think that's how it went.
Women Germier than Men, Study Finds- "Women also may have more bacteria living under the surface of the skin where they are not accessible to washing, Knight added." Oh good golly, I think I'm going to be sick.
If I'm in a certain mood, Flyleaf's Cassie gets me a little bit emotional, even though I heard that the whole thing was a Columbine urban myth. Augh, I'm so lame.
Virginia State Result- As I was checking to see the % of McCain vs. Obama, I realized that most of South Western Counties share their name with people I know: Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson, Symth (well, I know a Smith), Carroll, Pulaski, Montgomery, and Tazewell. Most of these are common last names but Pulaski and Tazewell? Coincidentally, they were both teachers at my high school.
Cash rules everything around me,
C.R.E.A.M. get
the money, dollar dollar bill y'all.
Drama in Real Life: Burgled Again- I am stupidly paranoid when it comes to making sure my car is locked. I have to press the button to make my car make that "beep beep" noise at least 3 times before I'm confident that my car is locked. Maybe I should just keep in unlocked. I'm sure there's something very zen Buddhist-ish about that theory.
Two Princes by the Spin Doctors is one of the first "grown up song" that I learned all the words to.
Author Michael Crichton has "Died Unexpectedly"- I am a big believer in the Rule of Three- it has never failed me. This means that 2 other people that I know (or know of, or someone I know knows) will die soon. I hate waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I can't believe I actually bought an All American Reject CD. I'm not going to lie, I do like Move Along. I just wish I had started using iTunes a lot earlier, I would've just downloaded the single.
Saks to Close Tween Makeover Paradise "Club Libby Lu"- We have, well, had one in Tysons. A couple of years back, their DM tried to recruit me. I asked what Club Libby Lu was and she couldn't really give me an answer that didn't make Libby Lu sound absolutely horrific. Really? Seriously? The idea seemed so lame, no thank you.
Justin needs to stop being a vain douche, return to his roots, and make another NSYNC album. From what I understand he's the last hold out.
Proud to be an American. However, Not So Proud to be a Californian- I was pretty bummed that Prop 8 passed. I really don't understand what people have against two consensual adults choosing to get married. How can you argue that gay marriage is detrimental to the sanctity of marriage when Britney Spears can get married in a drunk stupor just to annul it the next day? Not that I'm in any position to judge CA. I live in VA, we're probably a decade away from having such a proposition to even vote "No" on.
Yeah, Handlebars by Flobots still kind of gets me a a bit choked up.
Your Single Best Action for Saving Action- Mine? Not eating out so freaking much. I can't believe how much money I'm saving. Still, I miss eating at a sit down restaurants where the waiter/waitress actually brings your food to your table. Pretty soon, I'll probably become one of those people who thinks a dinner at Friday's is a nice splurge. I don't know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing...
Last Night in New York City- Wow. I guess New Yorkers really like Obama.
Where's My Sticker?- The first time I voted, I didn't get a sticker, or the year after that. I wave very bummed. This year, I made damn sure I got my sticker!
The Irritation Threshold and Lifestyle Inflation- An interesting article on on lifestyle inflation.
Blind Melon is so under appreciated.
Suddenly, it Maybe be Cool to be an American Again- I thought the whole pretending to be Canadian was a Daily Show joke or something... People really do that?
Obama's Historic Triumph- This was in India? One thing this election made me realize is how stupid I am when it comes to world politic. I mean, how freaking impressive is it that someone in India, not only cared enough to make that sculpture, but also knew to write "Congrats". I don't know how to say "congratulations" in... Oh crap, what language do they speak in India? Hindi...?
I think fade out is a really lame lame lame way to end a song and I can't believe Nine Inch Nail's Discipline ends in a fade out. Boo, kind of disappointed. Erik once told me that no Nirvana songs end in fade outs. I kind of think he just made stuff up to tell me, or just talked out of his ass or something- there's no way anyone knows that much random facts about music. Then again... it is Erik... One day, out of boredom, I was asking him random, obscure questions about The Clash (his favorite band). "Who was the shortest member of the band?", "How many tattoos did Joe Strummer have and where were they located?" He knew the answer to every single one of them. He also brought up a good point, "You know, I could be making up all the answers and you wouldn't know." True... Then again, I can probably name and locate most of Davey's tattoos. When you love, you care, and when you care, you just know these things.
Monday, November 17, 2008
No, Really, I Like Belts.
I'm starting to get into belts. I like to wear my shirts on the long side so most of the time, no one can even see my belts but... I'm starting to get into belts. There are so many belts I want to buy but, I have to remind myself, there's no point in buying any more belts. For one thing, like I said, it's usually hidden under a shirt. For another, much like purses, even though I have many, I usually default to my favorite:
When I was interviewing Chris, I asked him what fashion item he's really into. He thought for a second and responded "Belts!" He was wearing the standard three row pyramid studded belt.
"Belts?"
"Yeah, belts! I know it's kind of weird but I really like belts."
So, about a week or two after I hired him, Chris and I are working when I get an email from our belt buyer asking for feedback about what kind of belts I would like to see for back to school. Oh how perfect! I have my belt expert working with me! I asked Chris for some ideas and he's just,
"...Belts?... um... I don't... know..."
Dude! You're suppose to be my belt expert! Fail. About a year later, we were joking around and he confessed that the belt thing was a total BS. I knew it! Who gets into belts?
That's cool, Chris ended up being one of our best hires. We have three awesome people returning for the Holidays! It's going to be fun!
On a random note: I have to spend a crap load on car maintenance tomorrow. Boo!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Miff-Tastic!
I need another bag like... well, I don't. I have so many bags they're almost starting to feel like a burden, almost. I just feel kind of guilty having so many when I use the same, tired, grey one practically every day. Still, how can I resist, it's Miffy! And she's on a turtle! And it was only like $6! It's a pretty big bag. It's also lined in this super slick fake satin material, has tons of easy to reach pockets, and has a removable shoulder strap!
I was surprised that Miffy didn't catch on here in the US. I was so excited when I learned we would be carrying her stuff. What's not to like? It's Miffy!
We recently got in a Pucca shirt. I love Pucca, I hope she does well here in the US. Pucca is the girl on the right, the dude on the left is Garu, her love interest. He's a ninja. Who doesn't love ninjas?
The Cat Who Smelled a Rat
Even though always I've seen those "The Cat Who..." books in bookstores, The Cat Who Smelled a Rat is the first one I've read. I get to the end, someone gets arrested, and I'm all, "Huh, wait. Where was the crime? Oh, what, that? Really? It's over?"It's a very chill book, like it was written for very old people who can't handle a lot of excitement. Nothing exciting happens in this book, at all. Even the deaths are are boring and written about in the most uninteresting fashion. No one really seems to care that these people are dead other than, "Aw man, another one? Gee, that sucks."
That's not to say the book was boring, it was uneventful, but not boring. I really enjoyed reading about the strange cultures of old, rich folks in a small, former mining community. A culture where post office murals are considered tourist attractions, batik showings draws a large crowd, and curling is the hot new thing. It's all very foreign to me. I imagine if I were old, rich, and lived in parts of Loudoun like Purcellville or Middleburg, my life would be just as boring but not boring. Maybe I'll chat up my old rich neighbor in the local tack shop or discuss the latest gossip at the super fancy boucherie (butcher shop).
St. John would be my go to brand for casual weekday of visiting my horses, antique-ing, and shopping at those little over priced boutiques that sells $80 rhinestone cat collars. If I want to fancy shmancy it up, like to a charity dinner, I guess I'd go for Oscar de la Renta. Old people love Oscar, right? Isn't that what Barbara Bush always wore?I want to grow up to be old and rich. Not the bling-tard kind of rich, just a subtle, slightly smug kind of rich. I want to laze in my $15K antique chaise with a cup of tea, reading about people like me in "The Cat Who..." series.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Don't Fix It if It Ain't Broke!
The Manassas Salvation Army Thrift Store is my favorite thrift store.
Or rather, it was my favorite...
I went there once and it was closed with a tiny little hand drawn sign with a crude little map letting us know they moved. I was too bummed to even pay attention to the map. Michael happened to remember that it was on "Balls Road" so, today, we set out to find the new Salvation Army.
Well, it wasn't on "Balls Road" it was on "Balls Ford Road" or something to that effect. No matter, it's like me and that thrift store were forever linked- I some how just knew where to go.
They went and turned it all yuppy:
I don't know, I like my thrift store bare boned and, well, thrift store-ish. The selection seemed to have been sorted for the suburban crowd. Lots of Liz Claiborn and Nine West bags but no vintage to be found. Poo...
Oh well, maybe they'll be sending all their non-suburban old, fug stuff to their Herndon store. That one's much closer to me anyway.
Oh, and by the way, is this what they spent my donation money on? Fancy shmancy murals and brand new fixtures? Pfft! I thought I was helping poor people or something...
Or rather, it was my favorite...
I went there once and it was closed with a tiny little hand drawn sign with a crude little map letting us know they moved. I was too bummed to even pay attention to the map. Michael happened to remember that it was on "Balls Road" so, today, we set out to find the new Salvation Army.
Well, it wasn't on "Balls Road" it was on "Balls Ford Road" or something to that effect. No matter, it's like me and that thrift store were forever linked- I some how just knew where to go.
They went and turned it all yuppy:
I don't know, I like my thrift store bare boned and, well, thrift store-ish. The selection seemed to have been sorted for the suburban crowd. Lots of Liz Claiborn and Nine West bags but no vintage to be found. Poo...
Oh well, maybe they'll be sending all their non-suburban old, fug stuff to their Herndon store. That one's much closer to me anyway.
Oh, and by the way, is this what they spent my donation money on? Fancy shmancy murals and brand new fixtures? Pfft! I thought I was helping poor people or something...
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
PHILISTINES!!!
Do you know what's annoying, almost down right offensive? When I take the time and effort to create a special buttermilk/secret ingredient marinade 24 hours in advance so that the chicken can soak in all the buttermilk/secret ingredient flavors and someone goes and drowns it in ketchup. Ketchup! You throw ketchup on something and all you end up tasting is the ketchup!
Hell, if you were going to just throw ketchup all over it, I could've just Shake 'n Baked you something. It would've been faster (and cheaper).
I do like ketchup with my fried chicken... but we're talking like Popeyes or KFC chicken- the flavorless dry kind. My chicken was spicy and awesome, like someone genetically cross bred a chicken with a bottle of Texas Pete... and buttermilk... which is pretty much my "secret" recipe.
Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken
Yields: 4 Servings
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1 Tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 grated Parm. cheese
2 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 Tablespoon olive oil
In a large bowl, whisk buttermilk, hot sauce, mustard, garlic, pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parm., flour, paprika, cayenne, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 2 Tablespoon of the oil; mix well. Remove chicken from the marinade; place in seasoned bread crumb mixture. Turn to coat. Place chicken on a baking rack and let sit for 20 minutes so that crumbs will adhere better.
Meanwhile, put remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven; heat oven to 400 degrees. After about 5 minutes, place chicken on heated baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until crispy, golden, and baked through.
Hell, if you were going to just throw ketchup all over it, I could've just Shake 'n Baked you something. It would've been faster (and cheaper).
I do like ketchup with my fried chicken... but we're talking like Popeyes or KFC chicken- the flavorless dry kind. My chicken was spicy and awesome, like someone genetically cross bred a chicken with a bottle of Texas Pete... and buttermilk... which is pretty much my "secret" recipe.
Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken
Yields: 4 Servings
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1 Tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 grated Parm. cheese
2 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 Tablespoon olive oil
In a large bowl, whisk buttermilk, hot sauce, mustard, garlic, pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parm., flour, paprika, cayenne, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 2 Tablespoon of the oil; mix well. Remove chicken from the marinade; place in seasoned bread crumb mixture. Turn to coat. Place chicken on a baking rack and let sit for 20 minutes so that crumbs will adhere better.
Meanwhile, put remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven; heat oven to 400 degrees. After about 5 minutes, place chicken on heated baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until crispy, golden, and baked through.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Zotz! I Love Those!
After hearing like the hundredth customer say, "Zots! I used to love these when I was little!" I decided to give them a try.
At first I was like, "Meh, it's just a tarty, fruit flavored, hard candy." But then, but then... Oh man, oh man! Whoa!!!
It's like a fizzy party in my mouth!
Greg Settle
This is Greg Settle's hair.
Greg was my friend in middle and high school. I haven't seen him since graduation but I did talk to him a few years back when he called me out of the blue just to catch up. That was a nice surprise.
Back in sophomore year (maybe freshman?) Greg used to have chin length hair and he told me that he was thinking about cutting it. "Noooo!!!" I said. "Your hair is so pretty! Please don't cut it!!!" and so forth. Greg did have nice hair, but I didn't really care if he cut it or not. I was just going through a phase where I would make guys do/not do stuff, just to see if I could.
The next day, I was sitting in the cafeteria, finishing up my homework, waiting for school to begin, when, plop! A lock of hair falls onto my book. I was pretty bummed that he had cut his hair but I thought it was really sweet that he thought to save me a big chunk.
I found his lock of hair yesterday while cleaning out my stuff. I'm not sure what I'm suppose to do with it. There are certain things that I have a very hard time tossing- anything with Jesus on it, anything given as gifts, and anything that reminds me of the past. Even though I haven't spoken to him in years, he was a good friend, and a good sport, I don't feel right throwing away his hair. At the same time, I have no idea what I'm suppose to do with this, or why I should even keep it. After all, it's weird to hold unto someone's hair... this isn't the Victorian times and he's not my long dead lover or anything.
I thought about sending it to Daria, she did go out with the dude after all, but I think it'll just confuse her... "Why do you have this and why are you sending it to me?..."
So Greg, I hope you come across this via a vanity google search. If you do, drop me a line- you can find my email address on my profile. Sometimes, I think to look for your face when Washington Post does their Fallen Solider spread but I'm afraid I'll see you there. It would be nice to know that you're still alive.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Twinsies!
Me:
Michale (not really sure what he's doing there- foot modeling, I believe):
Michael was all "Wah wah wah- you're wearing the same shoes as me, someone's is going to say something." I told him that black, high top Converse are very ubiquitous and no one's even going to notice, let along care. He wasn't convinced.
Of course, not more than two minutes inside Target some old lady stops us and goes, "Oh how cute! You guys are wearing the same shoes!"
Michale (not really sure what he's doing there- foot modeling, I believe):
Michael was all "Wah wah wah- you're wearing the same shoes as me, someone's is going to say something." I told him that black, high top Converse are very ubiquitous and no one's even going to notice, let along care. He wasn't convinced.
Of course, not more than two minutes inside Target some old lady stops us and goes, "Oh how cute! You guys are wearing the same shoes!"
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Bookmark Clean Out!!!
Boo...
Don't you hate it when you think you're going to eat something for dinner and it turns out you can't? I swear I had a package of lobster ravioli in my freezer. Today, at work, I thought, "Hmm... I'll have some lobster ravioli for dinner!" I even kind of looked forward to it but, it turns out, that I don't have any raviolis after all. Boo...
Oh well, here're some things that I found interesting:
Half of Doctors Routinely Prescribe Placebos- "The NYT says that 30 percent to 40 percent of depressed patients who are given placebos get better, which is almost as good as the results from real anti-depressants." So, was Tom Cruise right?
More Women are Selling Their Eggs to Make Ends Meet- A 26 year old with FIVE children? I mean, I'm not one to judge but damn... that's got to be hard.
Americans Finally Start Saving Again- Does "savings" include retirement savings? Augh,.
Yummy Stir Fry Sauce- Sounds easy. I'm going to have to try it with some frozen vegetable mix and chicken.
Domestic Bliss- I'm very neutral and apathetic when it comes to Brangelina but these pictures are pretty rad.
Restaurant Closed After Dead Deer Found in Kitchen- Why did it have to happen in a Chinese restaurant? Oh well, at least it wasn't a cat.
Left Brain v Right Brain Test- When I first see it, she's going clock wise, but it seems like she changes direction every time I look at it.
Keep Your Clothes On, Plenty of Them- Who was Jane Seymour again? I guess she was a Bond girl, but besides that. Was she the blond in all those Old Navy ads like ten years ago?
Pepsi's New Logo a Bargain at Several Million Dollars- Yay! More corporate logo make overs!
Faced With a Broken Health Care System, Some Doctors are Opting-Out- My aunt thinks her son will become a rich doctor and take care of her in her old age. She better hope he doesn't become a general practitioner. Daria worked at a receptionist at a general practitioner's office. They are not rich.
Leopard and Plaid- I still haven't had the guts to go out in the plaid and leopard print combo. Well, I did wear my leopard ballet slipper with a plaid top a few times. I still like the look. I still want to try it.
Beauty Hack: The Aspirin Mask- I haven't tried this in awhile... maybe tonight.
Credit Card Companies Have Realized that You are Broke- I have noticed that I've been getting less CC offers in the mail.
WTF Broccoli Part Deuce- Goodbye creepy faces on packaging.
LG Sticks "Life's Good" Tag line Where the Economy is: The Crapper- I always wondered if LG stood for "Life's Good" as in "Life is Good" or "Life's Good" as in "life's"- possessive adjective and "good" as in noun.
10 Easy, Nutritious Food for When You've Contracted the Plague- The one time I had a flat, defined stomach was a couple of years back when I got horridly sick. Not eating meant no stomach pooch and the non-stop coughing gave my ab muscle quite the work out.
Shoes for Display- Some shoes are a work of art, might as well display them as such.
Don't you hate it when you think you're going to eat something for dinner and it turns out you can't? I swear I had a package of lobster ravioli in my freezer. Today, at work, I thought, "Hmm... I'll have some lobster ravioli for dinner!" I even kind of looked forward to it but, it turns out, that I don't have any raviolis after all. Boo...
Oh well, here're some things that I found interesting:
Half of Doctors Routinely Prescribe Placebos- "The NYT says that 30 percent to 40 percent of depressed patients who are given placebos get better, which is almost as good as the results from real anti-depressants." So, was Tom Cruise right?
More Women are Selling Their Eggs to Make Ends Meet- A 26 year old with FIVE children? I mean, I'm not one to judge but damn... that's got to be hard.
Americans Finally Start Saving Again- Does "savings" include retirement savings? Augh,.
Yummy Stir Fry Sauce- Sounds easy. I'm going to have to try it with some frozen vegetable mix and chicken.
Domestic Bliss- I'm very neutral and apathetic when it comes to Brangelina but these pictures are pretty rad.
Restaurant Closed After Dead Deer Found in Kitchen- Why did it have to happen in a Chinese restaurant? Oh well, at least it wasn't a cat.
Left Brain v Right Brain Test- When I first see it, she's going clock wise, but it seems like she changes direction every time I look at it.
Keep Your Clothes On, Plenty of Them- Who was Jane Seymour again? I guess she was a Bond girl, but besides that. Was she the blond in all those Old Navy ads like ten years ago?
Pepsi's New Logo a Bargain at Several Million Dollars- Yay! More corporate logo make overs!
Faced With a Broken Health Care System, Some Doctors are Opting-Out- My aunt thinks her son will become a rich doctor and take care of her in her old age. She better hope he doesn't become a general practitioner. Daria worked at a receptionist at a general practitioner's office. They are not rich.
Leopard and Plaid- I still haven't had the guts to go out in the plaid and leopard print combo. Well, I did wear my leopard ballet slipper with a plaid top a few times. I still like the look. I still want to try it.
Beauty Hack: The Aspirin Mask- I haven't tried this in awhile... maybe tonight.
Credit Card Companies Have Realized that You are Broke- I have noticed that I've been getting less CC offers in the mail.
WTF Broccoli Part Deuce- Goodbye creepy faces on packaging.
LG Sticks "Life's Good" Tag line Where the Economy is: The Crapper- I always wondered if LG stood for "Life's Good" as in "Life is Good" or "Life's Good" as in "life's"- possessive adjective and "good" as in noun.
10 Easy, Nutritious Food for When You've Contracted the Plague- The one time I had a flat, defined stomach was a couple of years back when I got horridly sick. Not eating meant no stomach pooch and the non-stop coughing gave my ab muscle quite the work out.
Shoes for Display- Some shoes are a work of art, might as well display them as such.
Friday, November 7, 2008
More Money More Problems
Yesterday, I checked my savings and saw that I am only (roughly) $400 away from making my savings goal!
!!!
Ideally, I would've met my goal by now so that I don't have to worry about trying to save $400 during Christmas time but... Oh well. I'm still pretty proud of myself. I know I'll meet my goal by the end of the year.
I honestly don't know how I did it. I mean, I spent a lot of extra money trying to pay my car off early, and I still bought too much crap... ate out a little too much... etc. I really feel like I didn't try very hard, which is why I'm a bit surprised. Despite my "success" I'm also a bit bummed and disappointed in myself. If I were able to accomplish this without really trying, imagine how much I would have if I really tried?
Oh well... Realistically, I'm not going to be cutting down on my daily cup of coffee from Nordstroms, especially not when Mr. Hottie McHotterson works there.
So, 2009 should be interesting. Housing prices are plummeting, maybe I'll actually be able to afford a decent house next year. Of course, if I'm going to do that, I should probably find a job that pays more so I can afford a mortgage and a life... It's a thought that pains me because I love my job and I love my company. I would like to pay off my car in 2009. It's going to be painful and hard, but, not having any debt would be pretty sweet. CD rates are pretty high right now, maybe I should take advantage of the rates. Oh, and I guess I should invest and buy some of this cheap stock that everyone's talking about.
I'll have to give all this some thought.
For now, I'm going to enjoy a lovely day of thrifting! My favorite thrift store closed shop and moved!!! Heartbreaking. I have no idea where it is now. Sniff.
!!!
Ideally, I would've met my goal by now so that I don't have to worry about trying to save $400 during Christmas time but... Oh well. I'm still pretty proud of myself. I know I'll meet my goal by the end of the year.
I honestly don't know how I did it. I mean, I spent a lot of extra money trying to pay my car off early, and I still bought too much crap... ate out a little too much... etc. I really feel like I didn't try very hard, which is why I'm a bit surprised. Despite my "success" I'm also a bit bummed and disappointed in myself. If I were able to accomplish this without really trying, imagine how much I would have if I really tried?
Oh well... Realistically, I'm not going to be cutting down on my daily cup of coffee from Nordstroms, especially not when Mr. Hottie McHotterson works there.
So, 2009 should be interesting. Housing prices are plummeting, maybe I'll actually be able to afford a decent house next year. Of course, if I'm going to do that, I should probably find a job that pays more so I can afford a mortgage and a life... It's a thought that pains me because I love my job and I love my company. I would like to pay off my car in 2009. It's going to be painful and hard, but, not having any debt would be pretty sweet. CD rates are pretty high right now, maybe I should take advantage of the rates. Oh, and I guess I should invest and buy some of this cheap stock that everyone's talking about.
I'll have to give all this some thought.
For now, I'm going to enjoy a lovely day of thrifting! My favorite thrift store closed shop and moved!!! Heartbreaking. I have no idea where it is now. Sniff.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Anxious
Eeep!!!
I'm so nervous!!!
Can you stand it?!
Eeep!!!
I'm glued to CNN. Why CNN? Because, of all the major news networks, I feel that they are the most thorough, most balanced, and most non-partisan.
Pfffffffft!!! No! I'm watching CNN over others for one reason only:
Anderson Cooper. Sigh~ Who cares if he's possibly gay?
He's not just eye candy, no... the man's smart. He's won awards, knows all the big words, can name all the states and what not.
Interesting fact: His mom is Gloria Vanderbilt.
My favorite anchor dude is still Peter Jennings (RIP). He won my heart during his like 48 hour 9/11 coverage-a-thon. I was thinking, "Wow, Peter Jenning's still on air?!" when he broke down and slightly freaked out about how he's been on air for too long and he wants to go home, change his pants, call his kids, and sleep or something. Poor man, I just wanted to hug him.
I'm so nervous!!!
Can you stand it?!
Eeep!!!
I'm glued to CNN. Why CNN? Because, of all the major news networks, I feel that they are the most thorough, most balanced, and most non-partisan.
Pfffffffft!!! No! I'm watching CNN over others for one reason only:
Anderson Cooper. Sigh~ Who cares if he's possibly gay?
He's not just eye candy, no... the man's smart. He's won awards, knows all the big words, can name all the states and what not.
Interesting fact: His mom is Gloria Vanderbilt.
My favorite anchor dude is still Peter Jennings (RIP). He won my heart during his like 48 hour 9/11 coverage-a-thon. I was thinking, "Wow, Peter Jenning's still on air?!" when he broke down and slightly freaked out about how he's been on air for too long and he wants to go home, change his pants, call his kids, and sleep or something. Poor man, I just wanted to hug him.
Don't Rock the Vote- Please
So there's this over whelming messages today:
JUST VOTE!!!
Um... no.
I mean, I'm going to go and vote, some time within the next hour or so probably, once I get dressed. After wards I'll probably go out to eat (I have a hankerin' for some IHOP, not sure why), and spend the rest of the day following the election- it's going to be fun. I'm excited.
However, this message of:
JUST VOTE
JUST VOTE
JUST VOTE
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST GO OUT THERE AND VOTE!
NO EXCUSES, JUST VOTE!!!
is wrong.
If you don't care, don't vote. If you are neutral, apathetic, perfectly cool with either choices, or think we're doomed regardless of who wins, then save yourself some trouble and stay home. Seriously. Voting is about making a choice and one of the choice that you can make is to not vote. I'm not being sarcastic. Really. Nothing wrong with staying home and not voting.
I'd rather you stay home then cancel out someone else's vote.
Now, normally, I would say that there's no "wrong" reason to vote for, or against, a candidate. If the reason is important enough to sway your decision, then it's an important reason, the right reason (for you). It's your vote. Your reason is not any more, or any less, valid than my reason. Yesterday, however, I realized that there is a wrong reason to vote, and that reason is "For the hell of it".
"Meh, I'll decide when I get there."
"I'm just going to close my eyes and go 'eeny, meeny, miney, mo'."
"I don't care, they all suck. I'm just going to vote so I can go into work late."
"My friend promised me dinner if I voted for XYZ".
Dude, just stay home!
One customer was buying an election t-shirt for her election party (the fete kind) and she told me that she's just going to close her eyes, twirl the paper around, and drop her pen at random. Where the pen lands, is where she votes. "I mean, what else am I suppose to do when they're both idiots?"
Um... don't vote?...
Seriously, I live in Virginia. This is a major swing state. If you have a reason for voting (even if that reason is shallow) I'm okay if your vote cancels out my vote. However, if all you're going to do is go roshambo with your BF to pick your candidate before going into the booth- STAY HOME.
If all you want to do is vote, and not vote for someone, then stay home and don't ruin it for someone who cares- even if that person is only voting for XYZ 'cause he has a cat, and not a dog like Candidate ABC...
JUST VOTE!!!
Um... no.
I mean, I'm going to go and vote, some time within the next hour or so probably, once I get dressed. After wards I'll probably go out to eat (I have a hankerin' for some IHOP, not sure why), and spend the rest of the day following the election- it's going to be fun. I'm excited.
However, this message of:
JUST VOTE
JUST VOTE
JUST VOTE
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST GO OUT THERE AND VOTE!
NO EXCUSES, JUST VOTE!!!
is wrong.
If you don't care, don't vote. If you are neutral, apathetic, perfectly cool with either choices, or think we're doomed regardless of who wins, then save yourself some trouble and stay home. Seriously. Voting is about making a choice and one of the choice that you can make is to not vote. I'm not being sarcastic. Really. Nothing wrong with staying home and not voting.
I'd rather you stay home then cancel out someone else's vote.
Now, normally, I would say that there's no "wrong" reason to vote for, or against, a candidate. If the reason is important enough to sway your decision, then it's an important reason, the right reason (for you). It's your vote. Your reason is not any more, or any less, valid than my reason. Yesterday, however, I realized that there is a wrong reason to vote, and that reason is "For the hell of it".
"Meh, I'll decide when I get there."
"I'm just going to close my eyes and go 'eeny, meeny, miney, mo'."
"I don't care, they all suck. I'm just going to vote so I can go into work late."
"My friend promised me dinner if I voted for XYZ".
Dude, just stay home!
One customer was buying an election t-shirt for her election party (the fete kind) and she told me that she's just going to close her eyes, twirl the paper around, and drop her pen at random. Where the pen lands, is where she votes. "I mean, what else am I suppose to do when they're both idiots?"
Um... don't vote?...
Seriously, I live in Virginia. This is a major swing state. If you have a reason for voting (even if that reason is shallow) I'm okay if your vote cancels out my vote. However, if all you're going to do is go roshambo with your BF to pick your candidate before going into the booth- STAY HOME.
If all you want to do is vote, and not vote for someone, then stay home and don't ruin it for someone who cares- even if that person is only voting for XYZ 'cause he has a cat, and not a dog like Candidate ABC...
Monday, November 3, 2008
Childhood Fave
Yay!!!
They still make these!!!
I don't know what it says but I bet it says something along the line of "Best Thing EVER!"
Aren't they cute? The chocolate is this awesome creamy chocolate that has a hint of caramel... oooh. The cracker part is all buttery and crunchy and totally rad.
They still make these!!!
I don't know what it says but I bet it says something along the line of "Best Thing EVER!"
Aren't they cute? The chocolate is this awesome creamy chocolate that has a hint of caramel... oooh. The cracker part is all buttery and crunchy and totally rad.
Cat Socks
My mom knows I only wear cat socks. She saw these and got them for me. Awww!
Why cat socks?
I've always thought New Year Resolutions were kind of lame. I mean, if you want to use New Years as an inspiration to make some positive changes in your life, super! Awesome! I, however, think New Year is a bit arbitrary and got tired of people constantly asking, "So, what's your New Year resolution?".
If you ask me, that question is kind of rude. "What's your New Year resolution?" is basically asking, "So, which of your glaring flaws did you decide to make a half ass attempt at fixing?" We're basically going around asking people, "So, what's wrong with you?" Of course, if you don't have a resolution, you're basically saying, "Dude, I'm perfect. Nothing needs to be fixed." I guess you can go into a long winded explanation about how you accept your self for who you are and personal growth is an on-going process, blah blah blah but no one cares. All they want to hear are things like, "lose weight", "stop smoking", "don't over spend", "stop being a bitch", etc.
So, one year, I decided that my New Year resolution would be to only buy socks with cats on them. It was a snarky response to a question I hated being asked. It was also the only resolution that I ever kept. For that year, I did only buy socks with cats on them.
The year after that, since I had all these cat socks. Ask anyone who's into self-improvement/personal growth and they will tell you that the key to successful growth is to build upon previous success. Right? So, the year after, I decided to build upon my previous success (of keeping my resolution) and only wear socks with cats on them. After all, I had all these cat socks. I almost kept that one... blew it in November when I ran out of clean cat socks.
I really like cat socks, cat socks are rad.
I don't wear shoes in doors so, putting my shoes on is the last thing I do before I leave. Therefore, the last thing I see, before hurriedly leaving, are really cute cats on my toes. Aww... it's going to be a good day!
Why cat socks?
I've always thought New Year Resolutions were kind of lame. I mean, if you want to use New Years as an inspiration to make some positive changes in your life, super! Awesome! I, however, think New Year is a bit arbitrary and got tired of people constantly asking, "So, what's your New Year resolution?".
If you ask me, that question is kind of rude. "What's your New Year resolution?" is basically asking, "So, which of your glaring flaws did you decide to make a half ass attempt at fixing?" We're basically going around asking people, "So, what's wrong with you?" Of course, if you don't have a resolution, you're basically saying, "Dude, I'm perfect. Nothing needs to be fixed." I guess you can go into a long winded explanation about how you accept your self for who you are and personal growth is an on-going process, blah blah blah but no one cares. All they want to hear are things like, "lose weight", "stop smoking", "don't over spend", "stop being a bitch", etc.
So, one year, I decided that my New Year resolution would be to only buy socks with cats on them. It was a snarky response to a question I hated being asked. It was also the only resolution that I ever kept. For that year, I did only buy socks with cats on them.
The year after that, since I had all these cat socks. Ask anyone who's into self-improvement/personal growth and they will tell you that the key to successful growth is to build upon previous success. Right? So, the year after, I decided to build upon my previous success (of keeping my resolution) and only wear socks with cats on them. After all, I had all these cat socks. I almost kept that one... blew it in November when I ran out of clean cat socks.
I really like cat socks, cat socks are rad.
I don't wear shoes in doors so, putting my shoes on is the last thing I do before I leave. Therefore, the last thing I see, before hurriedly leaving, are really cute cats on my toes. Aww... it's going to be a good day!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy
Dry skin + dry cold air + dry heater + compulsive hand washing habit= really gross dry hands.
My hands are dry year round. During winter, they are gross- ashy, dry, red... so dry that the skins crack and... yeah... I'll stop with the gross details.
The thing is, I used to have really soft hands. People used to remark on how soft and smooth my hands were. I'm not too sure what happened... I blame my hand washing compulsion. As dry as my hands get, I don't use lotion too often. First off, as often as I wash my hands, it'll probably get washed off before it has time to do anything. I feel like I'm wasting my money. Secondly, I hate that greasy lotiony feeling on my hands- it makes my hands feel like a filth magnet. BLECH!
This is my jar of Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy in Rosewater. Jamie was the first one to tell me about it and it is great. It absorbs really quickly and makes my hands feel silky soft. Really, my hands go from fine grade, ashy sandpaper to silk- the expensive thick kind. Oooh.
The only down side is that it's very heavily scented. I love rose scented stuff (it also comes in other scents) but my nose starts to hurt after awhile. Oh wait, I lied, there are two down sides. The other downside is that it's kind of hard to find. You can get it on-line, of course, but the only other places I've seen it are small, independent, mom and pop kind of gift stores in the more rural towns.
It costs a bit more than drug store brands but a little goes a very long way, so, the cost per use is actually pretty good.
My hands are dry year round. During winter, they are gross- ashy, dry, red... so dry that the skins crack and... yeah... I'll stop with the gross details.
The thing is, I used to have really soft hands. People used to remark on how soft and smooth my hands were. I'm not too sure what happened... I blame my hand washing compulsion. As dry as my hands get, I don't use lotion too often. First off, as often as I wash my hands, it'll probably get washed off before it has time to do anything. I feel like I'm wasting my money. Secondly, I hate that greasy lotiony feeling on my hands- it makes my hands feel like a filth magnet. BLECH!
This is my jar of Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy in Rosewater. Jamie was the first one to tell me about it and it is great. It absorbs really quickly and makes my hands feel silky soft. Really, my hands go from fine grade, ashy sandpaper to silk- the expensive thick kind. Oooh.
The only down side is that it's very heavily scented. I love rose scented stuff (it also comes in other scents) but my nose starts to hurt after awhile. Oh wait, I lied, there are two down sides. The other downside is that it's kind of hard to find. You can get it on-line, of course, but the only other places I've seen it are small, independent, mom and pop kind of gift stores in the more rural towns.
It costs a bit more than drug store brands but a little goes a very long way, so, the cost per use is actually pretty good.
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