A 2 Month Recap

I guess I inadvertently took a 2 month break from blogging.  Honestly, things have been quite busy.  Let's have a 2 month recap, shall we?

Three out of five weekends in September I was out of town.  First, I went with my mother to visit my aunt and uncle over Labor Day Weekend.  Our time was basically spent relaxing, eating, and antiquing.  My uncle always grills something really good for us to eat when we visit and this is in additional to all the wonderful things my aunt fixes.  This time, we had pork chops one night and chicken the next. 

A couple weekends later I headed to the beach with two friends to meet up with our soon-to-be-wed friend and some of her friends (confusing yet?).  What shall I say about the weekend?  I like the beach and it was interesting.  Please do not take the lack of information as an indication that I did anything that can't be repeated.  That is enough on that.

The next weekend I headed to Dallas to meet up with my friend Nikki and then onto DC.  We both have birthdays in September and decided that we should celebrate by taking a short trip.  We did lots of walking and metro riding.  I loved it!  A few of my favorite things were The Holocaust Museum, Lincoln Monument, Union Station (mostly for the cupcakes I purchased there), and the Capitol.  I have to say that the White House wasn't as big as thought or set apart from everything else like I thought it would be. 

Lincoln Monument

U.S. Capitol

The best cupcake I have EVER eaten.  No, seriously.

As for October, work has been pretty busy and I was recently in a friend's wedding.  I am looking forward to cooler temperatures (who knows when we'll get those!) and the fall. 

    

Facebook Faux Pas: Part I

Ever log onto facebook, read statuses, and want to respond (unkindly)?  Well, I do.  So, I'm starting a segment where I post some interesting facebook statuses I have come across and my response to them. 

Just a note:  You may not be able to tell from my posts, but I am kind of into correct grammar and spelling.  So, some of the things I post will be due to grammatical errors.  Also, if you take the time to alternate between upper and lower case for each letter of a word (Example:  sTuPid) I want to hit you.  Nothing personal, it just bugs me. 

Facebook status:  We go to school all day and do work, then we come home and do more work?! Thats jank. Give us a break!!
My thoughts:  You just had a break.  It was called summer and it lasted for about 3 months.  If you think this is bad, then you're not going to like the real world.

Facebook status:  If anyone knows of anywhere hiring, id be greatful :)
My thoughts:  Really? Because I thought you'd be grateful.

Facebook status:  my 0 jeans are fitting loose :)
My thoughts:  No one wants to hear about that.  No one.  Also, shouldn't it be fitting loosely?

The Skating Rink: A Parental Advisory

Last weekend my S.S. class had plans to go out to eat and then galactic (black light) bowling.  Our dinner took longer than expected (who knew dinner for 21 could be a little lengthy) and we arrived at the bowling alley to find out that there weren't enough available lanes.  If we wanted to bowl we would have to come back at 11 (yes,  that is p.m.). 

So, we decided to visit a nearby skating rink instead.  I'm not sure how long it's been since you've visited a skating rink, but they are probably pretty much just like you remember.  They could use some cleaning.  During my youth, I did most of my skating (actually rollerblading) on my grandparents' paved driveway.  I did visit a skating rink on several occasions, but my parents never used it as a night-time daycare, which is what the establishment I visited this weekend seemed to be. 

Apparently, skating rinks are THE hangout for junior high kids.  I may be wrong, but I don't think I would have ever been just dropped off at night somewhere without adult supervision at that age.  So, parents and those of you who one day plan to be parents I have a message for you.  I know kids today have more freedom and may seem older than those of us raised in say, the '80s.  They all have their own cell phones and therefore, can be easily reached at anytime.  But they still need to monitored.  Some of you will be relieved to know that most of the children were skating and hanging out with their friends, but I did see several couples sitting in dark corners.  Basically, this was like a club for pre-teens, where dancing is replaced with skating and alcohol with caffeinated beverages.  It was an interesting night to say the least.

It was actually a lot of fun and I even found $5 on the floor.  I was pretty sure it was covered in germs, but I picked it up anyway.  I sanitized it later. 

There were about 3 guys there who were skate dancing (please excuse the highly technical term).  They were really good.  Let's just say that they could dance better on skates that I can at all.  That's not saying much for their talent, but you get the picture.  I'm not sure how they could move like that.  I know I couldn't.  Of course, I felt my night was a success because I made it through without falling.    People who got too close to me made  me nervous.  Now, I can skate, but I can't stop.  So, please don't cut over in front of me.  This results in my hands making a fanning motion to hurry along potential threats.  I did have one run in with a small child.  Fortunately, he was light enough that I could keep him from falling without being pulled down myself.   

Sidewalk Etiquette

Sidewalk etiquette.  Is there such a thing?
Each morning when I get to work I must make a short walk from the parking lot to the entrance of my office building.  I would say that I am a moderately fast walker.  So, when I get stuck walking behind someone who, to me, is moving rather slowly, it can get aggravating.  At this time, I am faced with the question, "Is it wrong to pass someone on the sidewalk?" 

Now, I realize this may seem like a stupid question, but something about passing someone who is headed to the same place I am on a sidewalk big enough for only two seems rude.  Sometimes you might even have to step down off of the sidewalk onto the road to pass slower moving traffic.  This also seems awkward.  I realize that this is a petty thing to worry about, but I'd at least like to know that there are other people who think about things like this.

Of course, some people (one co-worker in particular) might tell you that I let things bother me too much.  For example, when going out for lunch with a co-worker I feel the need to ask everyone in the department if they would like to go as well.  It just seems like the polite thing to do.  Now, this results in the dilemma of those who would not like to go, but do want lunch brought back to them.  This is not necessarily a problem, but placing multiple orders, which then must be paid for separately, and catering to special requests (extra ice, light on the ice, etc.) can become semi-stressful.

Maybe one day I will be able to carelessly and quickly pass others on my way into work and run out to lunch without feeling obligated to ask if anyone else would like something, but until them then I will continue to contemplate the complexities of sidewalk etiquette and proper lunch practices. 

Creative Writing

Please see below for an informative email on the health benefits of some cookies I brought to work a couple of weeks ago:

I have cookies in my cube. For those of you who like specifics, they are Toffee Crunch Cookies.

For those of you who are health conscious, I have listed some health information below:

-These contain oatmeal. Oatmeal is made from oats. Oats are good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

-These contain milk chocolate chips. The health benefits of milk include good bone health, smooth skin, strong immune system, prevention of illnesses such as hypertension, dental decay, dehydration, respiratory problems, obesity, osteoporosis and even some forms of cancer.

-Also, chocolate is made from cacao beans. Beans are vegetables. Therefore chocolate = vegetable.

-Sugar is made from the sugar cane. Sugar cane grows from the ground. Sugar = vegetable.

I could go on, but I won’t. I’m sure after reading this information the only question you can think of is “Why WOULDN’T I eat a cookie?”

Jessica

A Conversation Between Friends

A Birthday Surprise

What exactly should one do when they want to wish a fellow employee a happy birthday but they have limited supplies?

Well, first they decide to make their own confetti.  Only, there is no colored paper to be found.  So, they make their own with white copy paper and their arsenal of highlighters.  Then, they cut the newly colored paper up into small square and rectangles, which they then place in an inter-office envelope. 

 

I'm sure you're impressed, but, wait, there's more.  Add a birthday message cut apart by letter for the receiver to unscramble and step-by-step instructions.  Voila!  Birthday surprise perfection!



UPDATE:  The birthday surprise went over well.  We were even sent a visual confirmation of its receipt.



Couch to 5k

I am currently attempting Couch to 5k.  Tonight I completed Week 2 Day 3.  Yay!  I'm glad I decided to download the app for my iPhone.  It makes this really easy.  Well, not the actual running, but it tells you exactly what to do and when to do it. Plus, you can make your own playlist so you'll have something to listen to while you're running (or trying to run/wondering when you got so out of shape). What would I do without my iPhone?  Do people really use stop watches to time themselves for this or is there some other type of technology that I missed out on? 

My Monday - a post where I pretend to talk about the start of my week, but mostly only talk about food!

As far as Mondays go, mine wasn't so bad.  Actually, it wasn't bad at all.  Monday is not only the first day of my work week, it is the longest day of my work week.  So, it has the potential to be a very long day.  Yesterday started out well, though.  I had prepared two breakfast items the night before for quick and easy breakfasts during the week.  Last week I ate breakfast at work more than I wanted to and while the food is good, it can get old.  Here are my two breakfast creations: 

1.)  Sausage/cheese/green onion biscuits.  If you don't like green onions, I am sorry.  These are GOOD.
2. Zucchini muffins. "Zucchini in a muffin?" you ask. Yes. Definitely. They are super moist and super yummy.

Also, I had even made myself a lunch to bring to work that day.  As I entered the kitchen to put my lunch in the fridge, I saw that my favorite cookies were back in the vending machine!  These delicous Famous Amos cookies had been absent for a while and replaced with some mini Chips Ahoy, which just couldn't compare.

After work, I went to Zumba where I found (for the 2nd time) a rude, rude fellow Zumba-er who had parked in the middle of two parking spots.  If it had only happened once I'd think maybe this lady just wasn't very good at parking, but what we have on our hands is a repeat offender.  If you want to take care of your car and keep it from possibly getting scratched or dinged by other cars, please take up two spots in the BACK of the parking lot.  This was in the front row:

All in all, I had nice Monday (and not just because of the food I ate.)  Work went by quickly and I attempted to appear coordinated at Zumba.  Isure hope the rest of my week goes by as quickly!











Becoming an Artist

About a month ago, I attended one of those classes where they teach you how to paint a pictures in 2 or 3 hours.  No talent is necessary.  By the end of the class you should have your own work of art.  This was my final product:



It didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped and is now collecting dust.  I had fun, though and knew I wanted to try again.  Tonight I had my chance.  Here is my newest masterpiece:

In my opinion, this is definitely an improvement.  I am thinking that I may need to display this - possibly in my cube at work!

Summer

It's summer!  Can you feel it?  I know summer doesn't technically start until June 21st, but it certainly feels like summer here.  

When I was in school I don't think I ever truly appreciated summer like I should have.  I don't remember sleeping late until I was in college.  One summer day (probably before I could drive) I told my mother I was bored.  Her suggestion for entertaining myself was to do some chores around the house.  That wasn't exactly what I was looking for.  Some free time during the day sounds pretty good right now, though!

Now that I'm no longer in school, summer starts for me with a family vacation.  I recently spent a week here:

And I didn't want to come home.  I would like to spend a month (or more) at the beach just to see if I could get tired of it.  It was so nice to relax, sit on the beach, read books, and have no set schedule.  I even (unintentionally) took a technology break.  I brought my laptop and never even turned it on. 

I'm not sure what the rest of my summer holds, but I am looking forward to it.  What about you?  Have any summer plans?

Memory

My memory isn't what it used to be.  I blame my aspartame intake (via diet drinks) over the past 17 years. 

Earlier this week, I wrote myself the following note:

 

Yes, I did remember to go.  It was not a pleasant experience, but that's another story.

Last Friday I forgot my phone at home when I left for work.  This week, I forgot my phone at work when I left for the day.  When I arrived the next morning I was glad to see that it was still sitting on my desk.  I don't know why I am having such a hard time keeping up with it lately. 

Then, I couldn't remember how old I was.  Yes, I am serious.  I was trying to remember how old I would be turning this year and kept going back and forth between two numbers.  This only lasted about 1 or 2 minutes before it finally became clear to me. 

Thankfully, it's only been small things that I forget and only for brief periods of time.  I'm sure it's completely normal.  Right?

Feathers Extensions and Captain D's

I took the plunge.  Yes, I got a feather extension.  I don't know if you've seen this recent trend.  My first thought was that I liked it, but didn't think I could pull it off.  I didn't think about it much after that, but recently checked out behind someone who had several brightly colored feathers in their hair.  I really liked them and decided that I might need to try this.  So, today, when I went to get my hair cut, I got a feather extension (or three to be precise).  I bypassed the brightly colored feathers for something a little more natural and work friendly.  Here are a couple of pictures.  The first is my attempt to show you the three different feathers.

On my way home, I stopped at Captain D's to get some tea to drink.  The employees there were very interesting and complimentary.  First, a female employee sitting just inside the door told me that she liked my shoes and asked where I got them.  I told her I had purchased them a while ago at Gap Outlet.  She then told another female employee behind the counter that they would be visiting Gap Outlet after she gets her check.  She also told more than one employee that she would buy them a shirt (on sale) after she gets her check.  Maybe I should have asked to go on the shopping trip!

After ordering my drink, I had a discussion with female employee #1 and a male employee about my feather extension.  Female Employee #1 wanted to know how it was secured in my hair (I was actually sure) and the male employee told me that it was the best feather extension he had seen.  I'll have to remember to stop by Captain D's more often.  You have to pay for the tea, but the compliments are free!

A Frustrating Friday

Friday was a bit stressful for me. 
 
Unfortunate Incident #1:  When I got in my car to head to work I remembered that I had intended to get some gas the night before.  Somehow I forgot, though.   My fuel light was already on, so what did I do?  I decided to chance it and drive the 20-ish miles to the nearest gas station on my route to work.  (Note:  There is a gas station less than 5 miles from my home, but I don't like to go that way to work.)  The good news is that I successfully made it to the gas station.  The bad news is that of the 2 pumps I could use, 2 were taken.  So, I had to sit and wait.  This seemed like a good time to get my phone out and browse facebook. 

Unfortunate Incident #2:  It was at the time that I found out I had left my phone at home.   Do you how many calls I receive a day?  Well, sometimes none, but I've become so accustomed to dependent on my phone that it feels strange to not have it with me.  Plus, how will I take my facebook/twitter breaks during the day without it?   

Unfortunate Incident #3:  I was looking forward to a pedicure I had scheduled an appointment for after work.  I get off early on Fridays and was going to head straight for my pedicure from the office.  At about 2:30 something came up that several of us had to work on and complete.  I didn't think I was going to finish.  Actually, I didn't.  At 4:30 someone finally took it from me.  By this time I'd already called and cancelled my much anticipated pedicure appointment. 

Unfortunate Incident #4:  While trying to finish the project from Unfortunate Incident #3, something else came up and was brought to me to be fixed.  I had to stop what I was doing to fix it and then go back to the first project.  I like to finish one task before starting another.  That's just how my mind works.  I need to focus on only one thing at a time. 

My day picked up here because I got to get in my freshly washed and vacuumed car and go to a movie and out to eat with friends.   Until....

Unfortunate Incident #5:  Carrie and I shared a meal, which turned out to be a.) not what we thought and b.) more expensive than anticipated.  For sharing, we had to pay for the price of our meal, an extra $5 sharing charge, plus another $4 ($2 x 2) for fried rice.  Why do they even offer regular rice?  Who wants regular rice when you can have fried rice? 

Honestly, I wouldn't have classified Friday as a horrible day, just one with several unpleasant occurrences.  It couldn't have been too bad after all, because Friday is always followed by Saturday!

When I was 15...

I am thankful to have a friend who saves old emails and surveys I wrote/filled out many years ago.  Sometime in the past year she sent several of these to me so I could have a good laugh. 

I believe I got my first email address in 1999.  I would occasionally check it but only had about one person who ever emailed me.  Fast forward to a short time later where I would stay up (after being told to go to bed) and chat online with my friends.  I do remember filling out quite a few surveys, updating my yahoo profile, and visiting the Christian teens chatroom on hotmail (msn?).  Of course, this was all done via dial-up Internet.  What am I saying?  My hometown only recently got dsl and that is not a joke. 

Anyway, I thought I would share some of my infinite wisdom from back in the day <sarcasm>. 

Example #1:

Let's start this off with a good one.  This quote is from a survey dated December 15, 2003.  So, by this time I was in college.

26.) If you had no limitations, what would you be when you grow up and why?: Something really smart, like a doctor, but i am not smart enough, nor will i study enough to be a doctor.  I would just like to work in an office in a big building and have lots of cool office tools..haha.

I’m pretty sure when I said I would like to be a doctor I was thinking about the money.  If you know me then you know that I do not want a job where I have to touch people, especially not sick people.   Also, I really do dislike studying.  The 2^nd half of this quote is the funny part, though.  I actually currently work in a somewhat large office building where I have access to a copier, fax machine, and my very own stapler and tape dispenser.  I am also the proud owner of a copy card.  Seriously, this excites me.  Don't even get me started on name badges that unlock doors and gates..

Example #2 (in three parts):

For this jewel, we will be traveling back in time to January 2000.

IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO
>   WOULD IT BE! I really have no idea, but how about
Freddie Prince, Jr.????

Yes, I remember Freddie Prinze Jr. being pretty popular at this time.  Of course, now he's married, which makes him quite a bit less exciting. I do wish he and Sarah Michelle Gellar all the best!  I'm totally over him now.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED, WHAT WOULD
> IT
>   BE?  I donn't know.  Something that i enjoyed
doing.  Like working with some fine guy.

Even at the age of 15, I had a clear sense of my career goals.  Aren't you impressed?  Please don't judge the fact that I misspelled don't.  I'm sure I just didn't proofread my work.  Surveys were sometimes very lengthy and took a while to finish.

PERSON YOU SENT THIS TO WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO
>   RESPOND: My cousin,(if i were sending it to her)my
own flesh and blood who won't even read the stuff I
send her and asked me to stop sending it.  How
rude!!!

This one really makes me laugh.  Of course, it probably means nothing to you, but I'm putting this in for me.  If someone has a email account you should send them stuff, right?  Apparently not.  I don't think she liked getting surveys and emails from me. 

Example #3:

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MARRIAGE: I don't really
think a/b it.  I am only 15. It's not like i am a/b to
get married or anything.

I am no long "only 15," and now do think about marriage.  I don't seem to be any closer to it than when I was 15, though.   

Mushrooms, Applesauce, and Waffles??

I don't know about you, but I go through phases were some foods are sooo good to me.  Eventually, I get tired of them and move onto something else.  That's normal, right?  I think so.

A couple of months ago I started really craving mushrooms.  Now I always enjoy mushrooms, but for some reason I started really wanting them.  I had previously tried to find a satisfying stuffed mushroom recipe and failed.  The first recipes I tried were okay, but just not good enough.  While jumping from blog to blog one day I came across a recipe for stuffed mushrooms on Dine and Dish.  I decided I needed to try it out and I am so glad I did.  I made the mushrooms on a Friday night.  They were so good to me that I made them again a day or two later.  As far as I am concerned my search is over.  If you like mushrooms, please do yourself a favor and try this recipe. 

About the same time I was going through my mushroom phase (which I don't think has even ended) I bought myself some individual servings of applesauce for my lunch.  It had been quite a while since I'd had any, and I had forgotten just how much I enjoy it.  The 6 servings I bought did not last long.

Most recently, my obsession has been frozen waffles.  Back in the day I used to eat these quite often.  For me, there is a science to preparing a waffle correctly.  It must be toasted and then the butter must be applied quickly so that it can completely melt.  If the butter is not melting as it should, the waffle can be placed on top of the toaster while it's on to speed up the process.  In the past, I would then add my favorite syrup (which was the only kind I liked) so that I would have the perfect buttery syrupy mixture.  Since that time, I became somewhat of a waffle snob.  I had what may have been my first homemade waffle and fell in love.  Frozen waffles just weren't good enough anymore.  I decided I didn't like them...until lately.  I don't know how or why it happened, but I fixed myself some frozen waffles one night.  (I should note here that since my previous experience I have sworn off of syrup altogether.  They stopped making the one kind I liked and I am happy without it.  Just give me plenty of butter!)  Yes, it is still important that the butter melt.  Then, though, I decided to drizzle my waffles with a powdered sugar and milk mixture.  When the butteryness mixes with the sweetness of the powdered sugar glaze I get a wonderful creation and want to eat a whole box of waffles, but I refrain.

I'm sure this too will pass, but I am enjoying it while it's here.    Too bad I don't ever crave anything really healthy like carrots.  Nevermind, that doesn't sound like any fun.



I'm back....again

I am attempting to make yet another return to blogging.  Honestly, blogging has crossed my mind multiple times.  I even found a list the other day that I had made of possible blog topics.  Unfortunately, I never followed through with that.  But today is the day I will try again!

Let's see, what have I been up to since Christmas?  Mostly, I've been working and am always looking forward to Friday and the beginning of the weekend.  And then, before I know it, it's Monday again.  Thankfully, I like my job, but I also like free time.  I need a 2nd Saturday every weekend.  I would do the things that needed to be done on the first Saturday and use the 2nd Saturday to rest and/or do the things I would like to do. 

I am in no way totally consumed with work.  I make time for fun and have even gone on a couple of weekend trips.  One weekend I traveled with my friend Nikki to see:



Wicked!

I had never seen Wicked before, and was totally hooked after watching it live!  It was sooo wonderful.  I even had to download the soundtrack after I got home.  It did start to get a little old after hearing it the umpteenth time.

The following weekend I was lucky enough to take a trip with my sister and cousin to the beach.   The weather was beautiful and it was so nice to just sit on the beach and enjoy the sun.  The water, though, was still very cold.  I got in so I could say that I had done it.  I didn't stay in too long, though.  The coldness turned into numbness and was also a little painful.

Also, last weekend was Easter and I died some Easter eggs.  I also made some scrumptious cookies (if do say so myself), but I didn't think to take of pictures of those.  Yes, I am twentysomething and I dyed Easter eggs.  I think it's fun and I enjoy the bright colors.

Hello???

I have been away for quite a while. Don't worry, you didn't miss anything interesting. In fact, let me see if I can sum up this period of time with a few photos and words.

I had a wonderful Christmas with my family. I spent quite a bit of time on Christmas Eve doing some baking. Here are three of my creations:

1. Cheese Straws




2. Oreo Cheesecake Cookies




3. Dishpan Cookies





Otherwise, my life has consisted of work, sleep, Zumba (occassionally), some traveling ( more on that later), and of course, some fun activities. The time seems to be flying by. Is this a sign that I'm getting older?