Yeah, I know. I’m the worst. I’ve been gone a really long time, and rest assured, I’ve been quite busy. I’ve considered giving up the blogging thing – I’m just not that good at it. I used to be… I used to have a Livejournal that I kept going for years and years until I caught on that my mom had found out about it. That was the end of the LJ. And of course I’ve Myspace-d and Facebook-ed myself silly. But a real blog just seemed like the next practical step. Plus, I’m sort of addicted to reading food blogs. Like, read them continually during the day at work, check for updates on my phone, and then check again at night before I go to sleep. Every day. So I thought I’d create a nice little bloggy of my own… except I had nothing to write about! Let’s face it – my life is hardly interesting. The most exotic thing I do is go to Whole Foods about once a month. So really, if I have nothing to write about, why blog?
These are the thoughts that have plagued me for the past month or so while I wasn’t blogging. I considered just giving up the blog. But then I thought again and decided that I should maybe keep it, and someday maybe I’ll have something interesting to write about. I just need to find my niche. Is it food? Pittsburgh? Volleyball? Trader Joe’s? Crazy people at the gym? Perhaps I’ll figure it all out some day and come back. But until then, consider this my “summer vacation.” It might last longer than the summer… or it might just last until tonight. If anyone has any ideas, or has any thoughts on what I should write about, by all means, let me know.
Thanks!
5.28.2009
4.20.2009
Drivin away from the wreck of the day and the light's always red in the rearview
Holy crap, what a way to start the day!
The bad luck from my last post continued this weekend and into this morning, but luckily nothing absolutely disastrous happened… but disaster was just barely avoided. I’ll start with the good weekend stuff first, though:
Friday after work I went to Trashmart to buy the pretty red bike I’d been eyeing up for a few weeks… except they didn’t have it in stock! I was getting a bike this weekend no matter what it took, so I changed my disappointed sourpuss face into my hopeful face and bought a 2-bike trunk rack for my car. Since I had cleaned out/eaten about ¾ of the contents of my freezer over the past few months and since Trashmart has really cheap frozen Kashi/Healthy Choice/Lean Cuisine meals and paninis, I splurged and decided to stock up. When I got to the register, the total came to exactly $100.00. (The bike rack was about $40… and the food I got will last me for a looooong time) You’d think such a perfect number would be a sign of good things to come… and in a sense it was because Saturday I went on the great 2009 bike hunt through Monroeville!
I woke up early on Saturday and made a HUGE batch of juice for the upcoming week’s smoothies – celery, carrots, apples, oranges, grapefruits, pineapple, mangoes, grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe, and kiwis. This mixture will be combined with bananas, raspberries, blueberries, more mangoes, spinach, and protein powder for super smoothies. It seems funny to me, and I know other people have discovered the same thing, but I feel much more awake when I have my super smoothies in the morning – they wake me up way more than coffee or tea, and I almost never crave sweets now. Plus, I just feel absolutely amazing when I drink them and they’re super yummy! They don’t taste AT ALL like veggies (I even made some people at work try the mix, against their better judgment… they readily agreed that they’re awesome!), and the carrot and celery add a very subtle sweetness to the smoothies.
Anyways, back to Saturday. I had big plans for the day since it was GORGEOUS outside. I went to the gym, ran for the first time in weeks since my knee’s been killing me, lifted weights like a bodybuilder; and then made the bike circuit. First up was Target, where I found my original second choice – a women’s Schwinn Jaguar bike for $149.99. This bike is nice and it caries two reputable names – Schwinn and Jaguar. Plus, I thought it’d be cool to say I bought a Jaguar this weekend… but the consumer reviews weren’t so awesome. Determined to find my first choice and to not make any hasty decisions, I then went to Dick’s and Dunham’s. Dick’s was terrible since their cheapest bike was on sale for $229… Dunham’s just didn’t have much of a selection at all… and then I realized I’d forgotten about Kmart! Why not? What does it hurt to look? Well, good thing I did, because I found the winner of the day. Ladies and Gentlemen, my new best friend is a… Kent Glendale CS Comfort Cruiser bike. It’s a really pretty blue, a cruiser, has 7 gears, a comfy seat, and got better consumer reviews than the Jaguar bike. Plus, it was the same price… and I was already in Kmart and didn’t feel like going back to Target…
I made my way home and went on a short inaugural bike ride around the neighborhood… then came back, mowed what felt like 5 miles of uphill grass (over 1 hour of mowing at a HR of 170!!), and went for another quickie spin around the nabe… then came back, got a drink of water, adjusted the handlebars/seat/reflectors/gears to my liking (normal people would have done all that BEFORE riding it), then went for another longer ride around Wilkins Twp and Turtle Creek. I LOVE my bike!! It’s so comfy and smooth, and it doesn’t feel like I have to try as hard to ride it as I had to with the old crappy hand-me-down bike.
Needless to say, with all the running/lifting/shopping/riding/cutting/riding/riding, I’d worked up quite an appetite. I made my first-ever batch of baked penne, complete with ricotta (my dad hates ricotta, so I never get the real thing at my parents’ house), fresh mozzarella, and garlic bread fashioned out of garlic foccaccia. The penne was good, but nothing too special. The garlic bread, on the other hand, was incredible. I could have easily made a meal out of just that, but I restrained myself and froze most of the rest. I can’t wait till I have it again!
Sunday was a dreary day (thank goodness we had at least one nice day for the weekend!), so I used it to gourmandize my breakfast. I made apple-grapefruit-orange juice, coffee, cinnamon-nutmeg French toast out of the leftover Easter bread from my grandma’s, turkey bacon, and freshly-sliced homefries with green peppers. YUM! Don’t worry, as I do with most of my Sunday breakfast splurges, I only ate about half (less than half, actually) and saved the rest for this morning’s breakfast and lunch. It was all really good, but the star was definitely the homefries with peppers. I don’t normally bother with peppers simply because I don’t usually have them on hand… and it just doesn’t seem worth it to take the time to wash them and cut them when I’m doing a gazillion other things. Lucky for me, Lisa from work had heard me talking about my juice extractor and wordlessly dropped a huge bag of chopped veggies onto my desk one day this past week. I used the carrots and celery sticks in my weekly juice blend and was able to use up the already-chopped green peppers in my homefries. I still have mushrooms and cauliflower if anyone wants them… I don’t like either one.
After indulging in my extravagant breakfast, I relaxed and went to work on clearing up the memory on my computer. When I was home for Easter, my aunt and uncle had said something about me using their digital copies of DVDs they had since they didn’t want them. I went over to their house to load them onto my computer, but had to stop with 2 movies to go because my computer was mysteriously out of memory… even though it shouldn’t have been. So when I finally sat down to check it all out, I noticed I had my iTunes and iPhoto stuff in about 3 different places – not necessary. I copied everything to my external HD for back-up (that needed done anyways – it had been over a year!) and set about deleting a bunch of duplicates. Also, I put my new movies on DVDs, although I can only use them in my computer since they’re data DVDs. I don’t understand how all of that works, but oh well. I’m proud to say that I now have over 24 GB free on my computer, so I’m free to download as much as I like (for a while)! I think I did screw something up, though – when I went to update my iPod with a new playlist, the computer told me neither the computer nor the iPod was authorized to play anything I’d downloaded from iTunes. What?! Luckily, most of the stuff I listen to wasn’t downloaded from iTunes, but still. What on earth? I tried to authorize the computer, but it wouldn’t let me… so who knows what I did to it… Any ideas?
Last night I made my way to the gym for Sunday night volleyball and for once, I played like a demon! My serves were great, my passes and sets were good, and I even got a few hits in! And not just dinky “accidental” hits, but real full-on solid hits! Approach, swing, and everything! It was AWESOME! However, once I got home, I noticed that my knee was hurting a LOT, so I’ve been trying to rest it as much as possible before tonight’s game.
On my way in to work, I VERY NARROWLY avoided disaster/death. I was on the stretch of Penn Ave in Wilkinsburg practically right in front of the Wendy’s, driving in the right lane when a few cars up someone in the left lane wanted to turn into Wendy’s. I was literally right beside a huge black SUV when out of the blue the SUV driver decided he didn’t want to wait for someone to turn, so he came into my lane – WHILE I WAS STILL RIGHT BESIDE HIM! With no time to think, I swerved completely onto the curb and almost hit a phone pole. There’s so much traffic on that road during rush hour that any sane person would have known there was someone beside them and that they’d have to wait and look before moving into another lane. When I got off the curb and back onto the road, the SUV was still in front of me and I got a spectacular look at his license plate before he swerved in front of someone else – so if you see anyone driving around Pittsburgh in a black SUV with the license plate “MIRACLE” (or maybe it was “MIRACL”… I can’t remember if it had the “E” at the end… nice license plate, I guess this person realizes it’s a miracle they’re still alive?), feel free to show them that they’re #1, if you know what I’m saying.
When I got to work, I inspected my car just to be sure there wasn’t any damage, and my wheels/tires are all sorts of screwed up on the passenger side. I called my mom, who’s also my insurance agent, and she told me there wasn’t any point in submitting a claim since I have a deductible. And I’m pretty sure that since there wasn’t a real “accident,” the police wouldn’t be able to do anything. Still, what a jerk. What a way to start the day…
On the bright side, when I have a bad start to the day, I usually have a spectacular night at volleyball… so I’m hoping that’s the case tonight. Our game’s in Greenfield/Squirrel Hill instead of Downtown tonight, so win or lose (ahem, WIN!), we’re treating ourselves to Mineo’s for some pizza after the game! I think I’m almost as excited for dinner as I am for our game!
Here’s hoping your day is/was a lot better than mine!
The bad luck from my last post continued this weekend and into this morning, but luckily nothing absolutely disastrous happened… but disaster was just barely avoided. I’ll start with the good weekend stuff first, though:
Friday after work I went to Trashmart to buy the pretty red bike I’d been eyeing up for a few weeks… except they didn’t have it in stock! I was getting a bike this weekend no matter what it took, so I changed my disappointed sourpuss face into my hopeful face and bought a 2-bike trunk rack for my car. Since I had cleaned out/eaten about ¾ of the contents of my freezer over the past few months and since Trashmart has really cheap frozen Kashi/Healthy Choice/Lean Cuisine meals and paninis, I splurged and decided to stock up. When I got to the register, the total came to exactly $100.00. (The bike rack was about $40… and the food I got will last me for a looooong time) You’d think such a perfect number would be a sign of good things to come… and in a sense it was because Saturday I went on the great 2009 bike hunt through Monroeville!
I woke up early on Saturday and made a HUGE batch of juice for the upcoming week’s smoothies – celery, carrots, apples, oranges, grapefruits, pineapple, mangoes, grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe, and kiwis. This mixture will be combined with bananas, raspberries, blueberries, more mangoes, spinach, and protein powder for super smoothies. It seems funny to me, and I know other people have discovered the same thing, but I feel much more awake when I have my super smoothies in the morning – they wake me up way more than coffee or tea, and I almost never crave sweets now. Plus, I just feel absolutely amazing when I drink them and they’re super yummy! They don’t taste AT ALL like veggies (I even made some people at work try the mix, against their better judgment… they readily agreed that they’re awesome!), and the carrot and celery add a very subtle sweetness to the smoothies.
Anyways, back to Saturday. I had big plans for the day since it was GORGEOUS outside. I went to the gym, ran for the first time in weeks since my knee’s been killing me, lifted weights like a bodybuilder; and then made the bike circuit. First up was Target, where I found my original second choice – a women’s Schwinn Jaguar bike for $149.99. This bike is nice and it caries two reputable names – Schwinn and Jaguar. Plus, I thought it’d be cool to say I bought a Jaguar this weekend… but the consumer reviews weren’t so awesome. Determined to find my first choice and to not make any hasty decisions, I then went to Dick’s and Dunham’s. Dick’s was terrible since their cheapest bike was on sale for $229… Dunham’s just didn’t have much of a selection at all… and then I realized I’d forgotten about Kmart! Why not? What does it hurt to look? Well, good thing I did, because I found the winner of the day. Ladies and Gentlemen, my new best friend is a… Kent Glendale CS Comfort Cruiser bike. It’s a really pretty blue, a cruiser, has 7 gears, a comfy seat, and got better consumer reviews than the Jaguar bike. Plus, it was the same price… and I was already in Kmart and didn’t feel like going back to Target…
I made my way home and went on a short inaugural bike ride around the neighborhood… then came back, mowed what felt like 5 miles of uphill grass (over 1 hour of mowing at a HR of 170!!), and went for another quickie spin around the nabe… then came back, got a drink of water, adjusted the handlebars/seat/reflectors/gears to my liking (normal people would have done all that BEFORE riding it), then went for another longer ride around Wilkins Twp and Turtle Creek. I LOVE my bike!! It’s so comfy and smooth, and it doesn’t feel like I have to try as hard to ride it as I had to with the old crappy hand-me-down bike.
Needless to say, with all the running/lifting/shopping/riding/cutting/riding/riding, I’d worked up quite an appetite. I made my first-ever batch of baked penne, complete with ricotta (my dad hates ricotta, so I never get the real thing at my parents’ house), fresh mozzarella, and garlic bread fashioned out of garlic foccaccia. The penne was good, but nothing too special. The garlic bread, on the other hand, was incredible. I could have easily made a meal out of just that, but I restrained myself and froze most of the rest. I can’t wait till I have it again!
Sunday was a dreary day (thank goodness we had at least one nice day for the weekend!), so I used it to gourmandize my breakfast. I made apple-grapefruit-orange juice, coffee, cinnamon-nutmeg French toast out of the leftover Easter bread from my grandma’s, turkey bacon, and freshly-sliced homefries with green peppers. YUM! Don’t worry, as I do with most of my Sunday breakfast splurges, I only ate about half (less than half, actually) and saved the rest for this morning’s breakfast and lunch. It was all really good, but the star was definitely the homefries with peppers. I don’t normally bother with peppers simply because I don’t usually have them on hand… and it just doesn’t seem worth it to take the time to wash them and cut them when I’m doing a gazillion other things. Lucky for me, Lisa from work had heard me talking about my juice extractor and wordlessly dropped a huge bag of chopped veggies onto my desk one day this past week. I used the carrots and celery sticks in my weekly juice blend and was able to use up the already-chopped green peppers in my homefries. I still have mushrooms and cauliflower if anyone wants them… I don’t like either one.
After indulging in my extravagant breakfast, I relaxed and went to work on clearing up the memory on my computer. When I was home for Easter, my aunt and uncle had said something about me using their digital copies of DVDs they had since they didn’t want them. I went over to their house to load them onto my computer, but had to stop with 2 movies to go because my computer was mysteriously out of memory… even though it shouldn’t have been. So when I finally sat down to check it all out, I noticed I had my iTunes and iPhoto stuff in about 3 different places – not necessary. I copied everything to my external HD for back-up (that needed done anyways – it had been over a year!) and set about deleting a bunch of duplicates. Also, I put my new movies on DVDs, although I can only use them in my computer since they’re data DVDs. I don’t understand how all of that works, but oh well. I’m proud to say that I now have over 24 GB free on my computer, so I’m free to download as much as I like (for a while)! I think I did screw something up, though – when I went to update my iPod with a new playlist, the computer told me neither the computer nor the iPod was authorized to play anything I’d downloaded from iTunes. What?! Luckily, most of the stuff I listen to wasn’t downloaded from iTunes, but still. What on earth? I tried to authorize the computer, but it wouldn’t let me… so who knows what I did to it… Any ideas?
Last night I made my way to the gym for Sunday night volleyball and for once, I played like a demon! My serves were great, my passes and sets were good, and I even got a few hits in! And not just dinky “accidental” hits, but real full-on solid hits! Approach, swing, and everything! It was AWESOME! However, once I got home, I noticed that my knee was hurting a LOT, so I’ve been trying to rest it as much as possible before tonight’s game.
On my way in to work, I VERY NARROWLY avoided disaster/death. I was on the stretch of Penn Ave in Wilkinsburg practically right in front of the Wendy’s, driving in the right lane when a few cars up someone in the left lane wanted to turn into Wendy’s. I was literally right beside a huge black SUV when out of the blue the SUV driver decided he didn’t want to wait for someone to turn, so he came into my lane – WHILE I WAS STILL RIGHT BESIDE HIM! With no time to think, I swerved completely onto the curb and almost hit a phone pole. There’s so much traffic on that road during rush hour that any sane person would have known there was someone beside them and that they’d have to wait and look before moving into another lane. When I got off the curb and back onto the road, the SUV was still in front of me and I got a spectacular look at his license plate before he swerved in front of someone else – so if you see anyone driving around Pittsburgh in a black SUV with the license plate “MIRACLE” (or maybe it was “MIRACL”… I can’t remember if it had the “E” at the end… nice license plate, I guess this person realizes it’s a miracle they’re still alive?), feel free to show them that they’re #1, if you know what I’m saying.
When I got to work, I inspected my car just to be sure there wasn’t any damage, and my wheels/tires are all sorts of screwed up on the passenger side. I called my mom, who’s also my insurance agent, and she told me there wasn’t any point in submitting a claim since I have a deductible. And I’m pretty sure that since there wasn’t a real “accident,” the police wouldn’t be able to do anything. Still, what a jerk. What a way to start the day…
On the bright side, when I have a bad start to the day, I usually have a spectacular night at volleyball… so I’m hoping that’s the case tonight. Our game’s in Greenfield/Squirrel Hill instead of Downtown tonight, so win or lose (ahem, WIN!), we’re treating ourselves to Mineo’s for some pizza after the game! I think I’m almost as excited for dinner as I am for our game!
Here’s hoping your day is/was a lot better than mine!
4.17.2009
The Ting Tings
Holy crap, I just checked out City Paper and The Ting Tings are coming to Mr. Smalls on May 16! Anyone wanna go?! :)
I am a little bit insecure, a little unconfident...
I TOTALLY jinxed myself yesterday. And the bad luck hasn’t worn off since.
So I was really hyped up for our game yesterday… I was totally ready to go and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a ball. I got to the games super-early – early enough to watch the entire match of the teams before us, hoping that maybe one of the teams would be short a player and need me to step in. They weren’t, but this gave me extra time to mentally prepare myself… we warmed up a little and then we started playing. I was the first server for our team and my first couple serves were spot-on… and then suddenly I biffed it. I missed a serve. After I said yesterday that I haven’t missed a serve since starting the comp league… ugh. Luckily, I only missed one serve of the night. But the rest of my game was just really off. My sets were decent; in fact, everyone was complimenting my sets all night. Some of my passes were horrible, though, and the few times that I tried to get a hit in, I hit the ball out of bounds. I remarked early in the first game that it seemed like everything was moving in slow-motion. I guess it’s because we all play in the competitive league, too, where the games are much faster-paced and skillful. It’s like we forgot to play slowly – and the saying that you play to the level of your competition is totally true. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one having a bad game day – we all screwed up a few times and we all felt like everything was off and in slow-mo. We lost the first game, but came back to win the other 2 for the match. Plus, we met another one of our players, Fawn. She seems really awesome and I’m already comfortable around her. So we still have one more player to meet, and I’m not even sure what her name is. Theoretically, I’ll find out next week… if she shows up. This is good, though – we technically have 7 people on our team but only 6 are allowed on the court at any one time. So if someone always misses a game, no one ever has to sit out!
To continue my bad luck, my car is literally running on fumes and the little “low fuel” dinger dinged at me for the first time ever this morning on the way into work, startling me so much that I almost went through my windshield trying to stop and not hit a #1 Cochran truck. Luckily I stopped in time, but it was way too close. Last night when I got home, I grabbed my mail and part of it slipped out from between the sheets of an Ulta ad and fell into a big muddy puddle. And I keep dropping things. Chronically. Like, I can’t keep anything at all in between my mitts. Oh, and my mystery knee injury is in full swing pain-wise after last night’s awful vb game… even though I played so horribly there should be no reason for pain.
Oh well. I guess you can’t win them all… I just hope the bad luck stops before it gets ridiculous.
So I was really hyped up for our game yesterday… I was totally ready to go and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a ball. I got to the games super-early – early enough to watch the entire match of the teams before us, hoping that maybe one of the teams would be short a player and need me to step in. They weren’t, but this gave me extra time to mentally prepare myself… we warmed up a little and then we started playing. I was the first server for our team and my first couple serves were spot-on… and then suddenly I biffed it. I missed a serve. After I said yesterday that I haven’t missed a serve since starting the comp league… ugh. Luckily, I only missed one serve of the night. But the rest of my game was just really off. My sets were decent; in fact, everyone was complimenting my sets all night. Some of my passes were horrible, though, and the few times that I tried to get a hit in, I hit the ball out of bounds. I remarked early in the first game that it seemed like everything was moving in slow-motion. I guess it’s because we all play in the competitive league, too, where the games are much faster-paced and skillful. It’s like we forgot to play slowly – and the saying that you play to the level of your competition is totally true. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one having a bad game day – we all screwed up a few times and we all felt like everything was off and in slow-mo. We lost the first game, but came back to win the other 2 for the match. Plus, we met another one of our players, Fawn. She seems really awesome and I’m already comfortable around her. So we still have one more player to meet, and I’m not even sure what her name is. Theoretically, I’ll find out next week… if she shows up. This is good, though – we technically have 7 people on our team but only 6 are allowed on the court at any one time. So if someone always misses a game, no one ever has to sit out!
To continue my bad luck, my car is literally running on fumes and the little “low fuel” dinger dinged at me for the first time ever this morning on the way into work, startling me so much that I almost went through my windshield trying to stop and not hit a #1 Cochran truck. Luckily I stopped in time, but it was way too close. Last night when I got home, I grabbed my mail and part of it slipped out from between the sheets of an Ulta ad and fell into a big muddy puddle. And I keep dropping things. Chronically. Like, I can’t keep anything at all in between my mitts. Oh, and my mystery knee injury is in full swing pain-wise after last night’s awful vb game… even though I played so horribly there should be no reason for pain.
Oh well. I guess you can’t win them all… I just hope the bad luck stops before it gets ridiculous.
4.16.2009
I'll miss the catch if they throw me the ball, I'm the last chick standing up against the wall
Hiya!!
I’m super hyper and excited for tonight’s volleyball game! It’s funny that we’re in the 4th week and I still don’t have any idea who 2 of our players are… then again, we’ve only played one game since we had a bye the first week and last week was canceled. It’s like I CRAVE playing vb sometimes – this morning I kept moving my fingers like I was setting the ball and I keep trying to pass the tennis ball on my desk (note: this doesn’t work well). I’m really digging the competitive league and I think playing in it actually makes me want to play even MORE. I was stoked on Monday when I was in the middle of a long serving streak and the other team had to call a time-out because I am invincible. Ok, I’m not, but it feels that way sometimes. I don’t know that I’ve missed a serve at all since starting the competitive league!
Anyways, that’s enough about VB for this post – I’m sure everyone’s tired of hearing about it. :)
Last night “the boy” and I went to The Rivertowne Pour House (or the “Whore House” as Natalie seems to think it’s called) to celebrate his birthday. His bday was Tuesday (he’s now 29!) and mine’s next Thursday (the 23rd… I’ll be a ripe old 27!). We ordered a homemade pretzel with “beer mustard” to start and Wow-ee! That was some HOT mustard! It was awesome, though, and really helped to clean out my sinuses. If I’d been with my parents I would’ve totally kept the uneaten mustard to take home… but I feel like that’s maybe bad date behavior, so I restrained myself. For dinner I ordered “The Pacino,” which was basically a hot Italian sandwich – per their website, “Thick sliced Italian bread with grilled pepperoni, salami and cappicola, roasted red peppers and sliced banana peppers, then covered with melted provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and Italian dressing.” Minus the tomato and lettuce for me. I love lettuce, but for some reason I don’t like it on hot sandwiches. This sandwich was truly AMAZING. The meat was pleasantly crispy and I think the banana peppers were what “made” it. I ate half of it last night and ate the other half for lunch today – soooooo good. Our beverage selections included (mine): the new pomegranate ale (yum!) and “White Lightning” (meh… a Belgian white beer with coriander, oranges, and mystery spices… I don’t think I’m really into spiced beer) and (his): Pierced East Coast Stout (yum! Similar to Guinness and/or Black Out Stout) and Cartman’s Celtic Red (super yum! The best beer of the night, I think!). I was really happy with this place and I’m excited to go back!
Last week we had a quick dinner at Carl’s on Rt 22 – if you’re not familiar with the area, Carl’s looks like a huge DIVE. It just doesn’t look nice at all from the outside. And to be honest, I’ve been a little intimidated to go there – it seems like the kind of place where dirty old men hang out waiting for cute young girls to mistakenly walk into their lair so they can take them out back and have their way with them… but Carl’s was truly INCREDIBLE! There weren’t that many old men, and actually, there were a bunch of families/middle-aged couples having dinner while we were there. Their beer is relatively cheap (depending on what you get) and the food was ridonkulously yummy! I got their version of a chicken cheesesteak and I was immediately in love. Words can’t accurately describe it. It was just lovely. I’ve only previously had chicken cheesesteaks from Uncle Sam’s and Peppi’s (Uncle Sam’s being the clear victor of the two), but now Uncle Sam’s has some real competition. Just writing about it makes me want to go back. Ugh, and now I’m hungry…
Oh, and of all the awesome things to find at work, I found a package of the new Pepperidge Farms Fruit & Grain Cherry Pomegranate Bagels on my seat today when I came in! How exciting! So a big thanks to Lori for the early birthday present! Guess what’s up to bat for tomorrow’s breakfast! :)
That’s pretty much all I have time for today – I’m heading to WholePaycheck Foods to see if they still have mangoes on sale, then it’s off to the Rec Center to PLAY BALL!
Have a great Friday!
I’m super hyper and excited for tonight’s volleyball game! It’s funny that we’re in the 4th week and I still don’t have any idea who 2 of our players are… then again, we’ve only played one game since we had a bye the first week and last week was canceled. It’s like I CRAVE playing vb sometimes – this morning I kept moving my fingers like I was setting the ball and I keep trying to pass the tennis ball on my desk (note: this doesn’t work well). I’m really digging the competitive league and I think playing in it actually makes me want to play even MORE. I was stoked on Monday when I was in the middle of a long serving streak and the other team had to call a time-out because I am invincible. Ok, I’m not, but it feels that way sometimes. I don’t know that I’ve missed a serve at all since starting the competitive league!
Anyways, that’s enough about VB for this post – I’m sure everyone’s tired of hearing about it. :)
Last night “the boy” and I went to The Rivertowne Pour House (or the “Whore House” as Natalie seems to think it’s called) to celebrate his birthday. His bday was Tuesday (he’s now 29!) and mine’s next Thursday (the 23rd… I’ll be a ripe old 27!). We ordered a homemade pretzel with “beer mustard” to start and Wow-ee! That was some HOT mustard! It was awesome, though, and really helped to clean out my sinuses. If I’d been with my parents I would’ve totally kept the uneaten mustard to take home… but I feel like that’s maybe bad date behavior, so I restrained myself. For dinner I ordered “The Pacino,” which was basically a hot Italian sandwich – per their website, “Thick sliced Italian bread with grilled pepperoni, salami and cappicola, roasted red peppers and sliced banana peppers, then covered with melted provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and Italian dressing.” Minus the tomato and lettuce for me. I love lettuce, but for some reason I don’t like it on hot sandwiches. This sandwich was truly AMAZING. The meat was pleasantly crispy and I think the banana peppers were what “made” it. I ate half of it last night and ate the other half for lunch today – soooooo good. Our beverage selections included (mine): the new pomegranate ale (yum!) and “White Lightning” (meh… a Belgian white beer with coriander, oranges, and mystery spices… I don’t think I’m really into spiced beer) and (his): Pierced East Coast Stout (yum! Similar to Guinness and/or Black Out Stout) and Cartman’s Celtic Red (super yum! The best beer of the night, I think!). I was really happy with this place and I’m excited to go back!
Last week we had a quick dinner at Carl’s on Rt 22 – if you’re not familiar with the area, Carl’s looks like a huge DIVE. It just doesn’t look nice at all from the outside. And to be honest, I’ve been a little intimidated to go there – it seems like the kind of place where dirty old men hang out waiting for cute young girls to mistakenly walk into their lair so they can take them out back and have their way with them… but Carl’s was truly INCREDIBLE! There weren’t that many old men, and actually, there were a bunch of families/middle-aged couples having dinner while we were there. Their beer is relatively cheap (depending on what you get) and the food was ridonkulously yummy! I got their version of a chicken cheesesteak and I was immediately in love. Words can’t accurately describe it. It was just lovely. I’ve only previously had chicken cheesesteaks from Uncle Sam’s and Peppi’s (Uncle Sam’s being the clear victor of the two), but now Uncle Sam’s has some real competition. Just writing about it makes me want to go back. Ugh, and now I’m hungry…
Oh, and of all the awesome things to find at work, I found a package of the new Pepperidge Farms Fruit & Grain Cherry Pomegranate Bagels on my seat today when I came in! How exciting! So a big thanks to Lori for the early birthday present! Guess what’s up to bat for tomorrow’s breakfast! :)
That’s pretty much all I have time for today – I’m heading to WholePaycheck Foods to see if they still have mangoes on sale, then it’s off to the Rec Center to PLAY BALL!
Have a great Friday!
4.13.2009
Fruit Machine
Awesome, awesome weekend. How about a re-cap?
Our volleyball game on Thurs was canceled due to the processions for the fallen police officers, so I had the first evening of my long weekend free for a movie. I rented Bolt at the Redbox and was really pathetically excited to watch it. There were a lot of “awwww!”s and “oh my gosh he’s so CUTE!”s coming from my living room, but really I wasn’t too keen on the movie itself. Bolt was pretty stinkin cute, but the movie just didn’t do it for me.
Friday I woke up early with all intentions of going to the gym, but my bed was just too comfy. I got a shower, made a green monster smoothie, and was on the road by 11. My mom and I had planned on going to my favorite lunch restaurant, but they were closed for Good Friday. :( However, we went to another good place and I had something I’d been craving for weeks – hot bacon dressing. Yum, yum, yum! Dinner was a local fish fry (I got the baked), the first and last of the season for me!
Saturday was my absolute fave breakfast – a Belgian waffle from King’s. I am in love with these. These would spell trouble for me if I had a King’s really close by and I had money to burn. Lunch was leftovers from Friday’s dinner (my eyes were MUCH bigger than my stomach), and dinner was steak and baked potatoes. I’m not big on steak (or red meat in general), but every now and then I’m ok with it. However, this steak was HUGE and I started to feel a little sick about halfway through. I persisted, though, and finished everything.
Easter Sunday was an extended family breakfast at a new place near our house – I got a “French toast sandwich”: 2 slices of French toast, sausage patties, eggs (egg whites for me – yolks are gross!), and a slice of cheese, all arranged like a sandwich with awesome homefries on the side. I can’t remember the last time I couldn’t finish my breakfast – but yesterday’s breakfast was enormous and I ended up taking about 1/3 of it home for breakfast today. But ohhhhh was it good!! Easter dinner (our family’s “dinner” was at 2:30, haha) consisted of a little bit of ham (not a huge fan of ham), cheesy potato casserole, pierogi casserole, halushki, baked beans, baked pineapple, coleslaw, and massive amounts of fruit salad (for me). I made a little (ok, huge) plate to take home, but then my grandma decided I needed more, so I ended up with 2 HUGE STACKED plates of dinner foods and desserts, a cupful of fruit salad, and pretty much half of a ham – bone and all. Somewhere in the quarter of a second between someone saying “Does anyone want the bone, or are we throwing it out?” and me piping up “I’ll take it!,” I had big dreams of a big pot of ham & bean soup stewing on my stove… so the bone (and about half the ham) came with me! My fridge is currently stuffed – just like my belly last night!
Over the weekend, I bought something I’d been eyeing up for a month or so – a juice extractor! I got the cheapest one I could find at Target (the Hamilton Beach one), even though I’d been researching the Jack Lalanne juicers and the Juicemaster models. I’m hardcore, so I don’t do directions. That said, my first attempt was AWFUL. I thought that since it was a juice EXTRACTOR, I could put an entire orange in, peel and all… but apparently that’s not the case. Now, I DID get just the juice from it – there were no bits of peel in the “juice”… however, the “juice” tasted like bitter rind. Eww. My mom wasn’t fond of my second attempt, but it looked great to me. My third attempt (MY juice) was freakin AWESOME! I made orange strawberry juice and it was incredible. Yesterday morning I made orange strawberry apple juice and it tasted EXACTLY like an Orange Julius. Once I got home last night, I played around some more and made the most awesome juice of all for this week – plum, pear, apple, orange, carrot, celery juice. I made a smoothie with it this morning – the juice plus a ton of spinach, vanilla protein powder, TJ’s frozen wild blueberries, and some ice cubes… this was the greatest smoothie I’ve ever made, hands-down (so far). I’m so excited about it!It takes a little too much time when you factor in cleaning the machine to make fresh juice every day – but I’m hoping that making a big batch on Sunday nights will suffice for smoothies through the week – I have it in a container with a lid, so I’m hoping it stays pretty fresh. So far I’m really digging the juicer – it’s really awesome for using up produce that’s almost bad and it makes really yummy juice!
Two tiny personal victories made this weekend really great (besides family time, of course!):
* While we were at the restaurant for our Easter breakfast, a man who worked there called me a “little one,” as in, he thought I was under 12. His points of reference were my little cousin (6 years old), her parents (36ish?), my mom (44), and my grandma (late 60s). I am MUCH closer in age to my uncle and his wife than I am to my cousin. I’m continually amazed by the amount of people who think I’m under 12. It used to annoy me a little, but now I just think it’s hilarious. Plus it makes me feel better since my boss is always joking and saying that I’m getting old. :)
* I ordered an iced tea at lunch with my mom Friday and for the first time ever, I did not need to add any kind of sugar/Splenda. It sounds silly and trivial, but I always used to think that unsweetened iced tea was gross. Not gross, really, but just not good. But I’ve finally weaned myself off it so that I am quite happy drinking stuff without sugar, artificial or real.
My juice smoothies have been giving me a LOT of energy, so I’m bouncing up in down in my chair at the moment, anxiously awaiting our volleyball game tonight! I should probably get some work done first, though!
¡Hasta luego, amigos!
Our volleyball game on Thurs was canceled due to the processions for the fallen police officers, so I had the first evening of my long weekend free for a movie. I rented Bolt at the Redbox and was really pathetically excited to watch it. There were a lot of “awwww!”s and “oh my gosh he’s so CUTE!”s coming from my living room, but really I wasn’t too keen on the movie itself. Bolt was pretty stinkin cute, but the movie just didn’t do it for me.
Friday I woke up early with all intentions of going to the gym, but my bed was just too comfy. I got a shower, made a green monster smoothie, and was on the road by 11. My mom and I had planned on going to my favorite lunch restaurant, but they were closed for Good Friday. :( However, we went to another good place and I had something I’d been craving for weeks – hot bacon dressing. Yum, yum, yum! Dinner was a local fish fry (I got the baked), the first and last of the season for me!
Saturday was my absolute fave breakfast – a Belgian waffle from King’s. I am in love with these. These would spell trouble for me if I had a King’s really close by and I had money to burn. Lunch was leftovers from Friday’s dinner (my eyes were MUCH bigger than my stomach), and dinner was steak and baked potatoes. I’m not big on steak (or red meat in general), but every now and then I’m ok with it. However, this steak was HUGE and I started to feel a little sick about halfway through. I persisted, though, and finished everything.
Easter Sunday was an extended family breakfast at a new place near our house – I got a “French toast sandwich”: 2 slices of French toast, sausage patties, eggs (egg whites for me – yolks are gross!), and a slice of cheese, all arranged like a sandwich with awesome homefries on the side. I can’t remember the last time I couldn’t finish my breakfast – but yesterday’s breakfast was enormous and I ended up taking about 1/3 of it home for breakfast today. But ohhhhh was it good!! Easter dinner (our family’s “dinner” was at 2:30, haha) consisted of a little bit of ham (not a huge fan of ham), cheesy potato casserole, pierogi casserole, halushki, baked beans, baked pineapple, coleslaw, and massive amounts of fruit salad (for me). I made a little (ok, huge) plate to take home, but then my grandma decided I needed more, so I ended up with 2 HUGE STACKED plates of dinner foods and desserts, a cupful of fruit salad, and pretty much half of a ham – bone and all. Somewhere in the quarter of a second between someone saying “Does anyone want the bone, or are we throwing it out?” and me piping up “I’ll take it!,” I had big dreams of a big pot of ham & bean soup stewing on my stove… so the bone (and about half the ham) came with me! My fridge is currently stuffed – just like my belly last night!
Over the weekend, I bought something I’d been eyeing up for a month or so – a juice extractor! I got the cheapest one I could find at Target (the Hamilton Beach one), even though I’d been researching the Jack Lalanne juicers and the Juicemaster models. I’m hardcore, so I don’t do directions. That said, my first attempt was AWFUL. I thought that since it was a juice EXTRACTOR, I could put an entire orange in, peel and all… but apparently that’s not the case. Now, I DID get just the juice from it – there were no bits of peel in the “juice”… however, the “juice” tasted like bitter rind. Eww. My mom wasn’t fond of my second attempt, but it looked great to me. My third attempt (MY juice) was freakin AWESOME! I made orange strawberry juice and it was incredible. Yesterday morning I made orange strawberry apple juice and it tasted EXACTLY like an Orange Julius. Once I got home last night, I played around some more and made the most awesome juice of all for this week – plum, pear, apple, orange, carrot, celery juice. I made a smoothie with it this morning – the juice plus a ton of spinach, vanilla protein powder, TJ’s frozen wild blueberries, and some ice cubes… this was the greatest smoothie I’ve ever made, hands-down (so far). I’m so excited about it!It takes a little too much time when you factor in cleaning the machine to make fresh juice every day – but I’m hoping that making a big batch on Sunday nights will suffice for smoothies through the week – I have it in a container with a lid, so I’m hoping it stays pretty fresh. So far I’m really digging the juicer – it’s really awesome for using up produce that’s almost bad and it makes really yummy juice!
Two tiny personal victories made this weekend really great (besides family time, of course!):
* While we were at the restaurant for our Easter breakfast, a man who worked there called me a “little one,” as in, he thought I was under 12. His points of reference were my little cousin (6 years old), her parents (36ish?), my mom (44), and my grandma (late 60s). I am MUCH closer in age to my uncle and his wife than I am to my cousin. I’m continually amazed by the amount of people who think I’m under 12. It used to annoy me a little, but now I just think it’s hilarious. Plus it makes me feel better since my boss is always joking and saying that I’m getting old. :)
* I ordered an iced tea at lunch with my mom Friday and for the first time ever, I did not need to add any kind of sugar/Splenda. It sounds silly and trivial, but I always used to think that unsweetened iced tea was gross. Not gross, really, but just not good. But I’ve finally weaned myself off it so that I am quite happy drinking stuff without sugar, artificial or real.
My juice smoothies have been giving me a LOT of energy, so I’m bouncing up in down in my chair at the moment, anxiously awaiting our volleyball game tonight! I should probably get some work done first, though!
¡Hasta luego, amigos!
4.07.2009
Smoke (or puss) gets in your eyes
Greetings!
Sorry for the little blogging vacation – I just don’t seem to have very much time these days. I have no idea what exactly has been taking up my time, but every day feels like it’s shorter and shorter.
This past Friday I was supposed to have my wisdom teeth removed. I say “supposed to” because they’re still in my mouth. I had made arrangements with my grandma for her to get off work, drive an hour to get to my house, take me to the oral surgeon’s, then take me back home and deal with my grouchy groggy self. I had also scheduled a sick day (haha, yeah, I “scheduled” a “sick” day). Grandma showed up on time and surprise! My mom decided to come with her! Yay!! We loaded ourselves into the car and headed to Fox Chapel… as we were driving over the Highland Park Bridge (literally MINUTES away from the dr’s office), my phone rang. The doc’s number. “He was called away” was what they told me… well, that’s fine, when do you want me to show up? We can hang out at the Waterworks for a little while… Nope, he won’t be coming back at all for the day. I was thisclose to completely losing it on the phone. I had done everything – fasted, taken the day off work, interrupted other peoples’ lives to have them take care of me – and suddenly it just wasn’t happening. I just don’t understand – any other times my docs have been “called away,” they’ve come back into the office and stayed late to attend to their patients. It’s just good business. And my other docs are actually *real* doctors, who have real, life-threatening surgeries to attend to. This was an oral surgeon. Seriously, what on earth would take the entire day? So yeah, to say that I was ticked is an understatement. It makes me even madder that my grandma and my mom both took the day off work for nothing. If it had been just me taking the day off, fine. But no, they won’t do the surgery without someone there in case something happens. So anyways, I continued over the bridge and ended up in their office, stormed in and got my x-rays back. I really don’t want to go back there. The dude was Dateline-creepy anyways. Now I’m in the midst of trying to figure out if my dental insurance will pay for another “initial exam” so that I can go somewhere else. If not, I’m going to have to suck it up and disrupt yet another weekend to get this done at Dateline-dude’s practice.
The high point to last Friday is the fact that 1 suckered my mom and grandma into going to not just 1 of my fave places, but 2. First up was Oakmont bakery where I got an almond macaron, just like you’d find at Fauchon in Paris!!!, a cookie monster cookie that’s STILL nearly [unbelievably] untouched in my fridge, and a “Pittsburgh crème paczki” – basically a HUGE overstuffed donut-y thing… yum. I’m currently finishing the paczki at my desk… and there’s cream filling alllll over my face. I’m so professional at work. The second highlight of the day was lunch at my fave restaurant – The Green Mango. I introduced both of them to Thai Iced Tea (holy yum!), spring rolls, and the ever-popular palate-scorcher Drunken Noodles with Chicken. For anyone reading this who doesn’t live in Pittsburgh or who has not yet experienced it’s magical menu, Drunken Noodles is a REALLY hot noodle dish with rice noodles, napa cabbage, chili flakes, some kind of spicy sauce, and I think there’s basil in it. Add some chicken and you have my favorite restaurant meal. They’re called “Drunken” noodles not because they’re made with a;c
What else is new? Nothing entirely exciting. We won last week’s competitive vb games 3-0… we won last week’s recreational vb games 3-0… we lost this week’s competitive vb games 0-3… and we have a rec game on Thursday which is going to be T-O-U-G-H. I’m liking the facts that 1. this is a short work week and 2. this is a pay week. 3. I get to play vb 2 of the 4 days I have to go to work this week.
I am definitely NOT liking the fact that I have some weird eye infection-esque thing going on that is neither an eye infection nor anything that I’ve found any cures for. I am also not liking the fact that I gave myself a black eye last Thursday. Same eye as the non-infection puss-filled eye. Yes, I literally gave myself a black eye. Looks a heck of a lot better today; in fact you can barely tell anymore. It was not so pretty Saturday and Sunday. And ok, yeah, I was secretly proud of myself for giving someone a black eye… even if it was myself. I’m so hardcore.
I’ll spare y’all the details about my revelations that a) I have abs! I actually have ABS! Abs you can see! Defined abs!! and b) my biceps were *ahem* bulging out of my arms yesterday at the gym… and last night in front of the mirror… and this morning in front of the mirror… and this afternoon in front of the bathroom mirror at work… It’s like I’m afraid they’re going to disappear if I don’t keep checking on them. :)
Ooh, and I went on a little download-spree this weekend. Now hanging out on my “new music” playlist is:
1.) Bel Biv Devoe – Poison album – includes such hits as “Do Me!” and of course “Poison.” I’d swear I had this CD when I was in 7th or 8th grade… but of course I had no idea what any of the lyrics meant… then again, I’m still not entirely sure.
2.) Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack – includes a bunch of songs I can’t pronounce, again with lyrics I don’t understand (but for obviously different reasons than Bel Biv Devoe’s Poison). I watched the movie Wednesday night as my last redbox redblog free movie Wednesday rental, but then didn’t have time to return it before vb Thurs, so I ended up paying for it anyways. I’m pretty cool like that. Anyways, given the techno-like beats to the soundtrack, I might try running to this. The lyrics in the first song include, “They can’t touch me. We break off run so fast they can’t even catch me.” Sounds like it might do for a workout.
3.) Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You. I like “The Fear,” but I really bought this because I loved Alright, Still and listened to it for weeks on end before finally getting tired of it. I took a break from it, and now when I listen to it again, I get a little thrill like the first time I heard it. I’m expecting more of the same from this album.
4.) Some 50’s Car Show music CD that my dad bought a few weekends ago – I can’t remember what it’s called, but I love me some oldies and these songs always remind me of summer, being dragged along to car shows with mom and dad.
5.) Tone Loc – Loc-ed After Dark – There is no song that embodies my entire life more than “Wild Thing.” I listened to it as a kid at my grandma’s house, sneaking into my uncle’s bedroom and listening to his cassettes with huge dj-sized headphones while he was at his friends’ houses; I listened to it in high school; I loved it in college; and to this day, no matter how grouchy I am, hearing this sound always, without fail, puts a huge grin on my face. Funky Cold Medina’s pretty awesome, too.
6.) Joan Jett – I think I covered this in my last post, eons ago. I’m still addicted to “Do You Wanna Touch Me There (Oh Yeah).”
7.) Blind Pilot – The song “Go On, Say It.” I’m 100% sure this was an iTunes free download, but once I actually listened to it, I was craving the entire album. I’ve never heard of this group before… and I can’t find them on the free download sites, so for now I have to stick to one song. All I know is, it fit my mood perfectly, like an old sweatshirt for the soul, yesterday as I was driving in the rain/sleet/freaky April snow to my vb game. They (he?) sound like a beautiful cross between Rufus Wainwright, Guster, and I’m not sure who else. It’s amazing to my ears.
8.) Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow – I developed an awesome car dance specifically for this song. I used to hate the BEP, but their music is great for working out and getting pumped up (“I’m a beast when you turn me on, into the future cybertron. Harder, faster, better, stronger…”)…yup!
9.) Linkin Park/Jay-Z – Collision Course - Ok, I know I’m about a gazillion years late getting this one. Truth is, I love Jay-Z, but I’ve always kind of disliked Linkin Park… that is, until I downloaded Minutes to Midnight solely for “Bleed It Out,” AKA my vb anthem. Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of “Numb/Encore” and it’s really been psyching me up to work out. It’s kind of sad how working out is my prime motivator for downloading new songs.
10.) Seether – “Careless Whisper.” I was never a fan of this song in its original version… perhaps because I was too young when it came out. It just sounded too soft and mushy and icky. But although I am not at all a Seether fan (I think they’re too soft and mushy to be on The X), I’m loving their cover of this song. It just really sounds like they’re totally PO’d and I respect that. I have quite a temper on myself, so sometimes I just need “angry” music.
11.) The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing – On the exact opposite spectrum of music, this is just too poppy and happy to not love it. Ok, I guess it could get old really fast because it’s kind of annoying, but for right now, I love it. This Britpop group is quite catchy. Ever heard the song “Shut Up And Let Me Go?” Yep, that’s them. Also popular is the song “That’s Not My Name.” Good car-dancing music. Car-dancing choreography is also a huge factor in what music I download. :)
That’s it for now, sorry for the relatively boring post. Although, I guess none of my posts are really exciting. Probably because my life is lackluster. Maybe I should name this blog “This Lackluster Life.” Kind of like “This American Life,” but with a running commentary on my excruciatingly boring life. Hmm… ideas, ideas…
Sorry for the little blogging vacation – I just don’t seem to have very much time these days. I have no idea what exactly has been taking up my time, but every day feels like it’s shorter and shorter.
This past Friday I was supposed to have my wisdom teeth removed. I say “supposed to” because they’re still in my mouth. I had made arrangements with my grandma for her to get off work, drive an hour to get to my house, take me to the oral surgeon’s, then take me back home and deal with my grouchy groggy self. I had also scheduled a sick day (haha, yeah, I “scheduled” a “sick” day). Grandma showed up on time and surprise! My mom decided to come with her! Yay!! We loaded ourselves into the car and headed to Fox Chapel… as we were driving over the Highland Park Bridge (literally MINUTES away from the dr’s office), my phone rang. The doc’s number. “He was called away” was what they told me… well, that’s fine, when do you want me to show up? We can hang out at the Waterworks for a little while… Nope, he won’t be coming back at all for the day. I was thisclose to completely losing it on the phone. I had done everything – fasted, taken the day off work, interrupted other peoples’ lives to have them take care of me – and suddenly it just wasn’t happening. I just don’t understand – any other times my docs have been “called away,” they’ve come back into the office and stayed late to attend to their patients. It’s just good business. And my other docs are actually *real* doctors, who have real, life-threatening surgeries to attend to. This was an oral surgeon. Seriously, what on earth would take the entire day? So yeah, to say that I was ticked is an understatement. It makes me even madder that my grandma and my mom both took the day off work for nothing. If it had been just me taking the day off, fine. But no, they won’t do the surgery without someone there in case something happens. So anyways, I continued over the bridge and ended up in their office, stormed in and got my x-rays back. I really don’t want to go back there. The dude was Dateline-creepy anyways. Now I’m in the midst of trying to figure out if my dental insurance will pay for another “initial exam” so that I can go somewhere else. If not, I’m going to have to suck it up and disrupt yet another weekend to get this done at Dateline-dude’s practice.
The high point to last Friday is the fact that 1 suckered my mom and grandma into going to not just 1 of my fave places, but 2. First up was Oakmont bakery where I got an almond macaron, just like you’d find at Fauchon in Paris!!!, a cookie monster cookie that’s STILL nearly [unbelievably] untouched in my fridge, and a “Pittsburgh crème paczki” – basically a HUGE overstuffed donut-y thing… yum. I’m currently finishing the paczki at my desk… and there’s cream filling alllll over my face. I’m so professional at work. The second highlight of the day was lunch at my fave restaurant – The Green Mango. I introduced both of them to Thai Iced Tea (holy yum!), spring rolls, and the ever-popular palate-scorcher Drunken Noodles with Chicken. For anyone reading this who doesn’t live in Pittsburgh or who has not yet experienced it’s magical menu, Drunken Noodles is a REALLY hot noodle dish with rice noodles, napa cabbage, chili flakes, some kind of spicy sauce, and I think there’s basil in it. Add some chicken and you have my favorite restaurant meal. They’re called “Drunken” noodles not because they’re made with a;c
What else is new? Nothing entirely exciting. We won last week’s competitive vb games 3-0… we won last week’s recreational vb games 3-0… we lost this week’s competitive vb games 0-3… and we have a rec game on Thursday which is going to be T-O-U-G-H. I’m liking the facts that 1. this is a short work week and 2. this is a pay week. 3. I get to play vb 2 of the 4 days I have to go to work this week.
I am definitely NOT liking the fact that I have some weird eye infection-esque thing going on that is neither an eye infection nor anything that I’ve found any cures for. I am also not liking the fact that I gave myself a black eye last Thursday. Same eye as the non-infection puss-filled eye. Yes, I literally gave myself a black eye. Looks a heck of a lot better today; in fact you can barely tell anymore. It was not so pretty Saturday and Sunday. And ok, yeah, I was secretly proud of myself for giving someone a black eye… even if it was myself. I’m so hardcore.
I’ll spare y’all the details about my revelations that a) I have abs! I actually have ABS! Abs you can see! Defined abs!! and b) my biceps were *ahem* bulging out of my arms yesterday at the gym… and last night in front of the mirror… and this morning in front of the mirror… and this afternoon in front of the bathroom mirror at work… It’s like I’m afraid they’re going to disappear if I don’t keep checking on them. :)
Ooh, and I went on a little download-spree this weekend. Now hanging out on my “new music” playlist is:
1.) Bel Biv Devoe – Poison album – includes such hits as “Do Me!” and of course “Poison.” I’d swear I had this CD when I was in 7th or 8th grade… but of course I had no idea what any of the lyrics meant… then again, I’m still not entirely sure.
2.) Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack – includes a bunch of songs I can’t pronounce, again with lyrics I don’t understand (but for obviously different reasons than Bel Biv Devoe’s Poison). I watched the movie Wednesday night as my last redbox redblog free movie Wednesday rental, but then didn’t have time to return it before vb Thurs, so I ended up paying for it anyways. I’m pretty cool like that. Anyways, given the techno-like beats to the soundtrack, I might try running to this. The lyrics in the first song include, “They can’t touch me. We break off run so fast they can’t even catch me.” Sounds like it might do for a workout.
3.) Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You. I like “The Fear,” but I really bought this because I loved Alright, Still and listened to it for weeks on end before finally getting tired of it. I took a break from it, and now when I listen to it again, I get a little thrill like the first time I heard it. I’m expecting more of the same from this album.
4.) Some 50’s Car Show music CD that my dad bought a few weekends ago – I can’t remember what it’s called, but I love me some oldies and these songs always remind me of summer, being dragged along to car shows with mom and dad.
5.) Tone Loc – Loc-ed After Dark – There is no song that embodies my entire life more than “Wild Thing.” I listened to it as a kid at my grandma’s house, sneaking into my uncle’s bedroom and listening to his cassettes with huge dj-sized headphones while he was at his friends’ houses; I listened to it in high school; I loved it in college; and to this day, no matter how grouchy I am, hearing this sound always, without fail, puts a huge grin on my face. Funky Cold Medina’s pretty awesome, too.
6.) Joan Jett – I think I covered this in my last post, eons ago. I’m still addicted to “Do You Wanna Touch Me There (Oh Yeah).”
7.) Blind Pilot – The song “Go On, Say It.” I’m 100% sure this was an iTunes free download, but once I actually listened to it, I was craving the entire album. I’ve never heard of this group before… and I can’t find them on the free download sites, so for now I have to stick to one song. All I know is, it fit my mood perfectly, like an old sweatshirt for the soul, yesterday as I was driving in the rain/sleet/freaky April snow to my vb game. They (he?) sound like a beautiful cross between Rufus Wainwright, Guster, and I’m not sure who else. It’s amazing to my ears.
8.) Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow – I developed an awesome car dance specifically for this song. I used to hate the BEP, but their music is great for working out and getting pumped up (“I’m a beast when you turn me on, into the future cybertron. Harder, faster, better, stronger…”)…yup!
9.) Linkin Park/Jay-Z – Collision Course - Ok, I know I’m about a gazillion years late getting this one. Truth is, I love Jay-Z, but I’ve always kind of disliked Linkin Park… that is, until I downloaded Minutes to Midnight solely for “Bleed It Out,” AKA my vb anthem. Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of “Numb/Encore” and it’s really been psyching me up to work out. It’s kind of sad how working out is my prime motivator for downloading new songs.
10.) Seether – “Careless Whisper.” I was never a fan of this song in its original version… perhaps because I was too young when it came out. It just sounded too soft and mushy and icky. But although I am not at all a Seether fan (I think they’re too soft and mushy to be on The X), I’m loving their cover of this song. It just really sounds like they’re totally PO’d and I respect that. I have quite a temper on myself, so sometimes I just need “angry” music.
11.) The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing – On the exact opposite spectrum of music, this is just too poppy and happy to not love it. Ok, I guess it could get old really fast because it’s kind of annoying, but for right now, I love it. This Britpop group is quite catchy. Ever heard the song “Shut Up And Let Me Go?” Yep, that’s them. Also popular is the song “That’s Not My Name.” Good car-dancing music. Car-dancing choreography is also a huge factor in what music I download. :)
That’s it for now, sorry for the relatively boring post. Although, I guess none of my posts are really exciting. Probably because my life is lackluster. Maybe I should name this blog “This Lackluster Life.” Kind of like “This American Life,” but with a running commentary on my excruciatingly boring life. Hmm… ideas, ideas…
3.29.2009
Say hello to my little friend
I'd like to introduce everyone to my new best friend, kale. I never thought I'd like kale. In fact, I was pretty sure I'd hate it. It just looks like it'd be bitter and nasty. But you know what? Kale is AWESOME!
Kale can be made into scrumptious chips, as demonstrated above. The taste is similar to potato chips but they're much healthier. All you do is rinse, dry, and pull apart the kale, drizzle some EVOO, sprinkle some sea salt and maybe some cracked black pepper, and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges start turning brown. Yummm. They're very fragile when you take them out, so be careful when you're storing them. They have such a surprisingly good taste to them!
My second experiment with kale was an even bigger success:
This is wilted kale cooked with onions, half a granny smith apple, some dried cranberries, and sprinkled with some slivered almonds. Oh. My. Goodness. I was in love once I tasted this. The cranberries and the apples take over the taste of the kale, so that instead of bitterness, you're left with a pleasant sweetness. I ate about 1/3 of this and saved the rest for later in the week, but I'm really tempted to eat all of it now for dessert! Imagine that - kale for dessert! No joke, though - this was incredible!
I spent the rest of my afternoon making a half batch of homemade bagels:
(gettin chubby)
Boiled, baked and beautiful!
My bagel shaping skills really need to be sharpened, but who really cares as long as they taste awesome? Actually, I shaped them a lot better this time than in previous attempts, but they stuck to my counter when it was time to boil them, thus rendering them nearly shapeless. Still, they're awesome and I can't wait until later in the week to have one!
Now to backtrack...
When I got home Friday afternoon I was excited to see a FedEx package waiting for me by my door. What could it be?
After seeing these lovelies on several peoples' blogs, I decided to write to the company (One Natural Experience, or O.N.E.) to see if I could possibly score some coupons or maybe a free sample. I certainly wasn't expecting 12 samples!! Lucy was kind enough to send me three samples of each flavor, to make a full case!
It's time for their close-ups:
Amazon Acai - according to the O.N.E. website, this drink:
May help combat premature aging
May help increase energy levels
May improve mental clarity
Cashew Juice - the site says it could:
soothe the throat
calm the stomach
promote healthy skin
Coffee Berry Juice - O.N.E. states the antioxidants in this might help:
Fight the buildup of free radicals
Protect against oxidative stress
And finally...
The ever-popular Coconut Water, about which it is said:
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is excellent for replacing lost
electrolytes from exercise or illness
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is an all-natural sports/energy drink
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is a natural isotonic beverage – contains a similar level of electrolytes found in human blood.
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water may help promote smoother,
more hydrated skin
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is non-allergenic
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is rich in potassium. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and heart function
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is an effective oral rehydration medium and keeps the body cool.
I'm beyond excited to try all these flavors out, especially the Coffee Berry! I'd never heard of such a thing until I started seeing this stuff on other blogs. A HUGE thank you to Lucy and the O.N.E. crew for sending that over to me! Product reviews to come as I try em!
It's been quite the busy weekend, what with baking, cooking, the excitement of new products, and a visit to my parents! I even managed to squeeze in a MUCH-needed haircut! (Dude, $2.99 at a place called Great Clips! It was their Grand Opening, so I literally got a haircut for $2.99 (plus a generous tip, of course!)... How sweet is that?!) Since Desperate Housewives is a) on late and b) a repeat, I'm heading off to read the 4th Twilight book and rest up for our competitive volleyball game tomorrow! Hooray for Mondays!! :)
Kale can be made into scrumptious chips, as demonstrated above. The taste is similar to potato chips but they're much healthier. All you do is rinse, dry, and pull apart the kale, drizzle some EVOO, sprinkle some sea salt and maybe some cracked black pepper, and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges start turning brown. Yummm. They're very fragile when you take them out, so be careful when you're storing them. They have such a surprisingly good taste to them!
My second experiment with kale was an even bigger success:
This is wilted kale cooked with onions, half a granny smith apple, some dried cranberries, and sprinkled with some slivered almonds. Oh. My. Goodness. I was in love once I tasted this. The cranberries and the apples take over the taste of the kale, so that instead of bitterness, you're left with a pleasant sweetness. I ate about 1/3 of this and saved the rest for later in the week, but I'm really tempted to eat all of it now for dessert! Imagine that - kale for dessert! No joke, though - this was incredible!
I spent the rest of my afternoon making a half batch of homemade bagels:
(gettin chubby)
Boiled, baked and beautiful!
My bagel shaping skills really need to be sharpened, but who really cares as long as they taste awesome? Actually, I shaped them a lot better this time than in previous attempts, but they stuck to my counter when it was time to boil them, thus rendering them nearly shapeless. Still, they're awesome and I can't wait until later in the week to have one!
Now to backtrack...
When I got home Friday afternoon I was excited to see a FedEx package waiting for me by my door. What could it be?
After seeing these lovelies on several peoples' blogs, I decided to write to the company (One Natural Experience, or O.N.E.) to see if I could possibly score some coupons or maybe a free sample. I certainly wasn't expecting 12 samples!! Lucy was kind enough to send me three samples of each flavor, to make a full case!
It's time for their close-ups:
Amazon Acai - according to the O.N.E. website, this drink:
May help combat premature aging
May help increase energy levels
May improve mental clarity
Cashew Juice - the site says it could:
soothe the throat
calm the stomach
promote healthy skin
Coffee Berry Juice - O.N.E. states the antioxidants in this might help:
Fight the buildup of free radicals
Protect against oxidative stress
And finally...
The ever-popular Coconut Water, about which it is said:
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is excellent for replacing lost
electrolytes from exercise or illness
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is an all-natural sports/energy drink
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is a natural isotonic beverage – contains a similar level of electrolytes found in human blood.
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water may help promote smoother,
more hydrated skin
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is non-allergenic
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is rich in potassium. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and heart function
O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is an effective oral rehydration medium and keeps the body cool.
I'm beyond excited to try all these flavors out, especially the Coffee Berry! I'd never heard of such a thing until I started seeing this stuff on other blogs. A HUGE thank you to Lucy and the O.N.E. crew for sending that over to me! Product reviews to come as I try em!
It's been quite the busy weekend, what with baking, cooking, the excitement of new products, and a visit to my parents! I even managed to squeeze in a MUCH-needed haircut! (Dude, $2.99 at a place called Great Clips! It was their Grand Opening, so I literally got a haircut for $2.99 (plus a generous tip, of course!)... How sweet is that?!) Since Desperate Housewives is a) on late and b) a repeat, I'm heading off to read the 4th Twilight book and rest up for our competitive volleyball game tomorrow! Hooray for Mondays!! :)
3.27.2009
i got a new attitude... and food!
Afternoon, all! The past week or so has been quite a whirlwind, but it’s all been pretty good. I started getting to work at or before 8 am, so I’ve been leaving around 4 and going straight to the gym. Yesterday was just fantastic because I was home from the gym by 6:30, and by 9 I had gotten in a full day of work, a really good workout, watched a movie, cooked, ate dinner, baked brownies, got my stuff ready for today, washed dishes, checked in with my parents, solidified weekend plans, and caught up on blog reading. Whew! I’ve been really productive! Maybe this waking up early thing isn’t so bad after all…
Lunch today was totally new for me – an Amy’s Indian Samosa Wrap and Fantastic World Foods Vegetarian Great Lakes Cheddar Broccoli soup. Sorry, no pics – I had to pick the one cell phone that doesn’t have a camera on it. I was pleasantly surprised at the Amy’s Samosa Wrap – the ingredients included tofu and my experience thus far with tofu has been less than stellar (though not awful enough for me to blacklist it yet). The wrap was slightly smaller than I’d expected, but it was bursting with flavorful goodness! I couldn’t taste the tofu at all, and didn’t even notice the texture of it since it was mixed with potatoes. It didn’t taste exactly like samosas from an Indian restaurant, but they were a much healthier and equally tasty alternative. The Cheddar Broccoli soup, on the other hand, got a big thumbs down. To be fair, the package was a little expired. I tried to eat it, and managed to get nearly halfway through, but I had to throw it out before I threw it up. Blech. I also sneaked in a Champagne Mango from WF since I had seen them featured on eatliverun.com (sorry, can’t do hyperlinks when I post from work). Luckily, the mango made up for the soup and I was sated. :)
It seems like any time I lift weights at the gym I become abnormally ravenous the next day. I lifted Wednesday and yesterday and I just COULD NOT stop eating yesterday! I think I planned better for today, but still – I’m anticipating a hefty snack before dinner tonight.
My plan to clean out my freezer and pantry by eating everything up is coming along swimmingly. In fact, I’ve started doing the same thing with my drawers at work – I’ve been giving away some of the food and trying to eat up the rest that I’ve neglected. A lot of the food is expired (hence today’s soup at lunch), but I’m trying to eat it anyway. Safe, right?
I have to get a bunch of stuff done, so I gotta run. I’ll probably be heading to my parents’ house this weekend, so yippee for free food!
Have a great weekend!
Lunch today was totally new for me – an Amy’s Indian Samosa Wrap and Fantastic World Foods Vegetarian Great Lakes Cheddar Broccoli soup. Sorry, no pics – I had to pick the one cell phone that doesn’t have a camera on it. I was pleasantly surprised at the Amy’s Samosa Wrap – the ingredients included tofu and my experience thus far with tofu has been less than stellar (though not awful enough for me to blacklist it yet). The wrap was slightly smaller than I’d expected, but it was bursting with flavorful goodness! I couldn’t taste the tofu at all, and didn’t even notice the texture of it since it was mixed with potatoes. It didn’t taste exactly like samosas from an Indian restaurant, but they were a much healthier and equally tasty alternative. The Cheddar Broccoli soup, on the other hand, got a big thumbs down. To be fair, the package was a little expired. I tried to eat it, and managed to get nearly halfway through, but I had to throw it out before I threw it up. Blech. I also sneaked in a Champagne Mango from WF since I had seen them featured on eatliverun.com (sorry, can’t do hyperlinks when I post from work). Luckily, the mango made up for the soup and I was sated. :)
It seems like any time I lift weights at the gym I become abnormally ravenous the next day. I lifted Wednesday and yesterday and I just COULD NOT stop eating yesterday! I think I planned better for today, but still – I’m anticipating a hefty snack before dinner tonight.
My plan to clean out my freezer and pantry by eating everything up is coming along swimmingly. In fact, I’ve started doing the same thing with my drawers at work – I’ve been giving away some of the food and trying to eat up the rest that I’ve neglected. A lot of the food is expired (hence today’s soup at lunch), but I’m trying to eat it anyway. Safe, right?
I have to get a bunch of stuff done, so I gotta run. I’ll probably be heading to my parents’ house this weekend, so yippee for free food!
Have a great weekend!
3.24.2009
if you got money and you know it, take it out your pocket and show it and throw it!
I learned something very important and profound today. You know that sinking feeling you get when you look at your checkbook balance and discover that no matter how much you scrimp and save, you’re never going to get ahead? For some unknown reason, I got that same feeling when I realized today that it’s “actually going to be okay.” Thanks to my tax return, this has been the first month since buying the house that I haven’t had to take money out of my savings to pay my bills. It’s crazy, but I’m somewhat confused and unwilling to believe that it’s going to be fine. Maybe I just need more time to process this. I mean, I haven’t felt “safe” since July. My nerves have kind of gotten used to the frenzied pace of bank-to-bank transfers. I’m not sure how to chill out.
I’ve been on a strange Joan Jett kick lately. Especially the song “Do you wanna touch me there (Oh Yeah).” It’s like crack to my ears. Ear crack. It makes me want to go run. Awesome.
I’ve also been on a gorgonzola kick… like, I’m craving mold. How weird is that? I wonder if it has anything to do with the new Joan Jett obsession?
Last night was our first match in the competitive volleyball league. We played at the Downtown YMCA, which was quite an experience. First off, let me just say that I HATE going into Downtown Pittsburgh. Really hate it. I avoid it at all costs. Second, I’m stubborn and I absolutely flat-out REFUSE to pay for parking unless I’m spending the entire day somewhere. What kind of parking is available downtown? Parking garages and metered parking. Aargh! Luckily, our game wasn’t until 8 and parking is free after 6 or so. Still, it took me a good 15 minutes to find a spot, nevermind the nearly half hour it took me to get there from Point Breeze. I am NOT thrilled with this arrangement. I don’t know what I’m going to do when we have games at 6 – I’ll have to leave work by 5 to be absolutely sure I get there in time (and I’ll have to pay for parking, at least a little bit of it).
Anyways, the game was GREAT!! We lost the first 2 games, but won the last one. And you know what? It might be heresy, but I’m kind of glad we lost. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want us to lose all our games and I’m definitely not sabotaging us. What I mean is that I think our egos needed to be taken down a peg. I didn’t have any high expectations for this league – in fact, I was so nervous before our game yesterday that I literally couldn’t speak. One of my teammates showed up early to watch the other teams with me and I was the absolute worst conversationalist ever. However, once we started playing, everything changed. The game really wasn’t that much more difficult than our more challenging Rec league games. And the scores were ridiculously close – we went into extra points the first game and lost the 2nd only by 2 points (the minimum by which the games must be won). AND we played really well. Even I played really well for once – I was all over the court (in a good way), got all my serves in, was ready for anything, and I even got a hit in! I was so proud of our team that I sent a kind of emotional email to all my teammates after our game… I almost ended it by telling everyone I loved them, haha. It was a fantastic night, and I’m super excited for our next game!
As a result of a combo of my nervousness/tenseness last night and my high-energy game, I was EXHAUSTED last night. I haven’t been that tired in so long! I tried to read a chapter of my book before bed and it took all my strength to keep my eyes open. I fell asleep really quickly and really didn’t want to get up this morning – I was so comfy! But I hauled myself out of bed and managed to make it into work by 8:07 – for the second time this week! I’m trying really hard to come in earlier to work so that I can get out earlier and enjoy the sunshine and warmer weather. Trying to balance gym time with my desire to be outdoors is killing me! It’s like there’s never enough time in the day!
Ooh, and I’m potentially going to the PUMP/PSL happy hour tonight at Buffalo Blues! Yay! Hopefully if I go, I can be one of the first 100 through the door so I can get a free beer. Mmm, free!
I suppose I should get back to work. Have a great week everyone!
I’ve been on a strange Joan Jett kick lately. Especially the song “Do you wanna touch me there (Oh Yeah).” It’s like crack to my ears. Ear crack. It makes me want to go run. Awesome.
I’ve also been on a gorgonzola kick… like, I’m craving mold. How weird is that? I wonder if it has anything to do with the new Joan Jett obsession?
Last night was our first match in the competitive volleyball league. We played at the Downtown YMCA, which was quite an experience. First off, let me just say that I HATE going into Downtown Pittsburgh. Really hate it. I avoid it at all costs. Second, I’m stubborn and I absolutely flat-out REFUSE to pay for parking unless I’m spending the entire day somewhere. What kind of parking is available downtown? Parking garages and metered parking. Aargh! Luckily, our game wasn’t until 8 and parking is free after 6 or so. Still, it took me a good 15 minutes to find a spot, nevermind the nearly half hour it took me to get there from Point Breeze. I am NOT thrilled with this arrangement. I don’t know what I’m going to do when we have games at 6 – I’ll have to leave work by 5 to be absolutely sure I get there in time (and I’ll have to pay for parking, at least a little bit of it).
Anyways, the game was GREAT!! We lost the first 2 games, but won the last one. And you know what? It might be heresy, but I’m kind of glad we lost. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want us to lose all our games and I’m definitely not sabotaging us. What I mean is that I think our egos needed to be taken down a peg. I didn’t have any high expectations for this league – in fact, I was so nervous before our game yesterday that I literally couldn’t speak. One of my teammates showed up early to watch the other teams with me and I was the absolute worst conversationalist ever. However, once we started playing, everything changed. The game really wasn’t that much more difficult than our more challenging Rec league games. And the scores were ridiculously close – we went into extra points the first game and lost the 2nd only by 2 points (the minimum by which the games must be won). AND we played really well. Even I played really well for once – I was all over the court (in a good way), got all my serves in, was ready for anything, and I even got a hit in! I was so proud of our team that I sent a kind of emotional email to all my teammates after our game… I almost ended it by telling everyone I loved them, haha. It was a fantastic night, and I’m super excited for our next game!
As a result of a combo of my nervousness/tenseness last night and my high-energy game, I was EXHAUSTED last night. I haven’t been that tired in so long! I tried to read a chapter of my book before bed and it took all my strength to keep my eyes open. I fell asleep really quickly and really didn’t want to get up this morning – I was so comfy! But I hauled myself out of bed and managed to make it into work by 8:07 – for the second time this week! I’m trying really hard to come in earlier to work so that I can get out earlier and enjoy the sunshine and warmer weather. Trying to balance gym time with my desire to be outdoors is killing me! It’s like there’s never enough time in the day!
Ooh, and I’m potentially going to the PUMP/PSL happy hour tonight at Buffalo Blues! Yay! Hopefully if I go, I can be one of the first 100 through the door so I can get a free beer. Mmm, free!
I suppose I should get back to work. Have a great week everyone!
3.19.2009
if i had my little way, i'd eat peaches everyday
Pears are the weirdest fruit, in my opinion. I mean, they look like apples and the taste isn’t entirely dissimilar. But they’re NOT apples, and the texture is rougher, grainier. And then you have to wonder, what really GOES with pears? Almond butter? Cinnamon sugar? Nothing?
It’s been a very “fruitful” week for me (pun intended), and I suppose that’s a good thing. Except I cut into a spectacular-looking peach two days ago and was completely crestfallen when I saw that it had rotten from the inside out. Ick. I stocked up on plums at Aldi’s Tuesday and I have to say, these are by far the best plums I’ve ever had in my entire life – they’re so juicy and sweet; they’re absolutely perfect. While buying the plums, I noticed some bundles of asparagus and decided to add them to my too-full armload. I’ve only tried asparagus one other time, when my friend Andy made me try it while we were still in college (about [eek!] six years ago). I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, but I still haven’t had any since then. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to make it tonight.
In my rapidly accelerating excitement over the warmer temperatures, I haven’t been to the gym since Monday evening. Tuesday night I took a long walk around my neighborhood and several surrounding neighborhoods and last night I went to the Highland Park sand volleyball courts to do some practicing... and some pooper-scooper-ing. As I’ve mentioned before, despite the sign on the gate leading into the courts that states no dogs are allowed inside the courts, there are dog turds EVERYWHERE. So I went to the courts prepared – all kitted out with a garden shovel and a strong plastic bag. I scooped up one court, but the other one is still covered. Scooping someone else’s dog’s poop so you can practice your serve? THAT’S hardcore.
Oh, and I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but I got my new heart rate monitor pedometer watch in the mail on Saturday!! I was so excited to get it that I put it on immediately and walked around my house, counting my steps and taking note of my mph. It’s pretty sweet! My new goal of sorts, though “unofficial,” is to take at least 10,000 steps throughout the day. It’s pretty rough when you have a sedentary job, but it’s not too bad. It equals out to roughly an hour of walking + going through my day normally. And I’m probably getting a lot more than 10,000 because I keep turning the pedometer off and forgetting to turn it back on. Oh well. I think I’m doing better with it today – it’s 1 pm and I’ve gotten in 2,752 steps so far… a quarter of the way there!
As for the date I had Friday, it went really well! We met at Mad Mex and I had a large Shamrockin’ Rita frozen margarita and about ¼ of my spicy Mad Mex chicken burrito – it was HUMONGOID!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a huge burrito! It was really yummy, though, and I ended up eating the leftovers for two additional meals. I went to his place on Monday night and he cooked baked ziti for me. He used to work as a restaurant chef before becoming an electrical engineer, so his ziti was REALLY good. I was definitely impressed. We also had a bottle of beer from the Great Lakes Brewing Co. – I think it was called Black Out Stout. It was one of the best dark beers I’ve ever had – it tasted just like a shot of espresso! It was another good date. He’s supposed to come over to my place this weekend, but I may have to cancel – I might have to go home for a family thing.
I should probably do more work now… things have been absolutely ridiculous at work, hence why I haven’t had a chance to write anything lately. Today is finally a little more manageable. I have no idea where the rest of my week went.
And I have to give a shout-out to the birthday girl, Lori! Today’s her birthday and she didn’t even get to take a full half day… but she got yummy food and awesome cookies to make up for the craziness! Hope you have fun tonight, Lori! :)
Have a good day/night, everyone!
It’s been a very “fruitful” week for me (pun intended), and I suppose that’s a good thing. Except I cut into a spectacular-looking peach two days ago and was completely crestfallen when I saw that it had rotten from the inside out. Ick. I stocked up on plums at Aldi’s Tuesday and I have to say, these are by far the best plums I’ve ever had in my entire life – they’re so juicy and sweet; they’re absolutely perfect. While buying the plums, I noticed some bundles of asparagus and decided to add them to my too-full armload. I’ve only tried asparagus one other time, when my friend Andy made me try it while we were still in college (about [eek!] six years ago). I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, but I still haven’t had any since then. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to make it tonight.
In my rapidly accelerating excitement over the warmer temperatures, I haven’t been to the gym since Monday evening. Tuesday night I took a long walk around my neighborhood and several surrounding neighborhoods and last night I went to the Highland Park sand volleyball courts to do some practicing... and some pooper-scooper-ing. As I’ve mentioned before, despite the sign on the gate leading into the courts that states no dogs are allowed inside the courts, there are dog turds EVERYWHERE. So I went to the courts prepared – all kitted out with a garden shovel and a strong plastic bag. I scooped up one court, but the other one is still covered. Scooping someone else’s dog’s poop so you can practice your serve? THAT’S hardcore.
Oh, and I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but I got my new heart rate monitor pedometer watch in the mail on Saturday!! I was so excited to get it that I put it on immediately and walked around my house, counting my steps and taking note of my mph. It’s pretty sweet! My new goal of sorts, though “unofficial,” is to take at least 10,000 steps throughout the day. It’s pretty rough when you have a sedentary job, but it’s not too bad. It equals out to roughly an hour of walking + going through my day normally. And I’m probably getting a lot more than 10,000 because I keep turning the pedometer off and forgetting to turn it back on. Oh well. I think I’m doing better with it today – it’s 1 pm and I’ve gotten in 2,752 steps so far… a quarter of the way there!
As for the date I had Friday, it went really well! We met at Mad Mex and I had a large Shamrockin’ Rita frozen margarita and about ¼ of my spicy Mad Mex chicken burrito – it was HUMONGOID!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a huge burrito! It was really yummy, though, and I ended up eating the leftovers for two additional meals. I went to his place on Monday night and he cooked baked ziti for me. He used to work as a restaurant chef before becoming an electrical engineer, so his ziti was REALLY good. I was definitely impressed. We also had a bottle of beer from the Great Lakes Brewing Co. – I think it was called Black Out Stout. It was one of the best dark beers I’ve ever had – it tasted just like a shot of espresso! It was another good date. He’s supposed to come over to my place this weekend, but I may have to cancel – I might have to go home for a family thing.
I should probably do more work now… things have been absolutely ridiculous at work, hence why I haven’t had a chance to write anything lately. Today is finally a little more manageable. I have no idea where the rest of my week went.
And I have to give a shout-out to the birthday girl, Lori! Today’s her birthday and she didn’t even get to take a full half day… but she got yummy food and awesome cookies to make up for the craziness! Hope you have fun tonight, Lori! :)
Have a good day/night, everyone!
3.11.2009
Go go Speedracer!
I was so excited because it was warm this morning and it became sunny… but then it also became cold! I had planned on going to the sand courts to practice my serves, do some running drills, etc., but I only brought shorts and a tank. Guess that’s out. :(
Tomorrow’s the big game! Hopefully it’ll be 2 games! We play a team we’ve beaten before, but they were a challenge the first time around. I don’t think they’ll be any less difficult tomorrow. Then, if we beat them, we’ll likely be playing the #1 team from the other division, who is coincidentally undefeated. However, I’ve seen some of their competition and fully understand why they’re undefeated – they’re good, that’s a definite, but they haven’t played any really challenging teams this year. With a lot of luck and a lot of hard work, I’m sure we can win the whole dang thing!
I was so proud of myself Monday and yesterday because I FINALLY broke through my speed barrier. I had been stuck on doing super-slow 12-13 minute miles and I had remained relatively content – after all, I’m not a natural runner and I was just proud of myself for being able to run at all. However, Monday night I took a huge leap and ran an 11-minute mile!! That’s kind of an estimate, but I was running between 5.2 and 5.6 mph the entire time, with a good half a mile or more at 5.6 mph. I know that’s not really fast for most people, but like I said, I’m just proud that I’m able to do it at all. :)
Also at the gym on Monday, I was unexpectedly asked out on a date! Remember the guy I played volleyball with at the gym a couple weeks ago, who also plays in the PSL league? Well, he asked me out to dinner! I was totally shocked, and I remember having a totally blank look on my face after he asked me. Like, “Uhh… me? Dinner?” I mean, no one ever asks me out! I’m pretty much the most standoffish person in the history of the world. I was just flabbergasted. So that should be interesting.
Since my plans to play in the sand have been thwarted, I might head over to the Market District Giant Eagle tonight. It’s been a looooong time since I’ve been there and I miss it. I plan on finding the whole wheat Fig Newtons I keep reading about and some 100-calorie bags of Kettle Corn. Never mind that I’m not really into popcorn…I just keep spotting it everywhere I turn and it’s driving me nuts. I even popped a bag that expired on Nov. 18 2007 today.
Oh, if only I could leave work now…
Tomorrow’s the big game! Hopefully it’ll be 2 games! We play a team we’ve beaten before, but they were a challenge the first time around. I don’t think they’ll be any less difficult tomorrow. Then, if we beat them, we’ll likely be playing the #1 team from the other division, who is coincidentally undefeated. However, I’ve seen some of their competition and fully understand why they’re undefeated – they’re good, that’s a definite, but they haven’t played any really challenging teams this year. With a lot of luck and a lot of hard work, I’m sure we can win the whole dang thing!
I was so proud of myself Monday and yesterday because I FINALLY broke through my speed barrier. I had been stuck on doing super-slow 12-13 minute miles and I had remained relatively content – after all, I’m not a natural runner and I was just proud of myself for being able to run at all. However, Monday night I took a huge leap and ran an 11-minute mile!! That’s kind of an estimate, but I was running between 5.2 and 5.6 mph the entire time, with a good half a mile or more at 5.6 mph. I know that’s not really fast for most people, but like I said, I’m just proud that I’m able to do it at all. :)
Also at the gym on Monday, I was unexpectedly asked out on a date! Remember the guy I played volleyball with at the gym a couple weeks ago, who also plays in the PSL league? Well, he asked me out to dinner! I was totally shocked, and I remember having a totally blank look on my face after he asked me. Like, “Uhh… me? Dinner?” I mean, no one ever asks me out! I’m pretty much the most standoffish person in the history of the world. I was just flabbergasted. So that should be interesting.
Since my plans to play in the sand have been thwarted, I might head over to the Market District Giant Eagle tonight. It’s been a looooong time since I’ve been there and I miss it. I plan on finding the whole wheat Fig Newtons I keep reading about and some 100-calorie bags of Kettle Corn. Never mind that I’m not really into popcorn…I just keep spotting it everywhere I turn and it’s driving me nuts. I even popped a bag that expired on Nov. 18 2007 today.
Oh, if only I could leave work now…
3.08.2009
nan you're a window shopper
Quick weekend recap, then I'm off to bed! I can't seem to get my body attuned to one less hour today, even though I've been looking forward to today since we turned the clocks back. I love me some daylight. But I also love me some sleep. My body's just confused.
Today was my first "Day of Funk" for 2009. I'm sure there will be many more to come, but today was just the perfect occasion. What is this "Day of Funk?" Basically, I woke up at noon (actually, 8:30, then fell asleep and re-woke intermittently until noon when I forced myself out of bed), did not wash my hair, did not get out of pajamas, did not go to the gym, did not eat anything healthy, and basically did not do anything productive. In short, I was a scuzzball. When I forced myself out of bed around noon to get some Puffins, I immediately realized the day was going to suck because a.) it was POURING outside; b.) my vb team was supposed to meet at the HP sand courts for a practice but we canceled it due to the rain; c.) about 30 minutes after canceling our practice, it became sunny outside (though not long enough for a practice); and d.) I had some wicked crampage going on. Blah. Instead of being a productive member of society, I read a little, slept a little, watched a little tube, caught up on some blog reading, and made some beer bread and lemon cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting.
Homemade beer bread.
My tray of lemony goodness.
I garnished them with perfect little blueberries. I wanted to use strawberries, but I ran out on Friday.
Ironically, the cupcakes LOOK good, but taste kind of off... they have a weird consistency. They taste good enough, but still, they're different. The beer bread also tasted kind of strange, but in a good way. It almost tasted like biscuits. Strange. Maybe my taster's off...?
Anyways, Saturday I took myself on a mini shopping spree/tour. I headed down to the Strip District and reveled in the craziness. One of my first stops was Wholey's, which is famous for its uber-fresh seafood and eclectic offerings:
Yes, the fish are still swimming, waiting to be taken home and fried up (or baked, or grilled
...)
There's a large variety of fish available - this picture doesn't do the place justice at all.
Sleepin' with the fishes...
These big suckers were kind of creepy.
Mmm, who doesn't love some Beef Tongue?
Or better yet, Tripe?
Once I turned the corner from the crazy meats, I found this glorious statue of goodness:
It was difficult, but I managed to restrain myself.
And finally, as I was about to leave, I found the one thing I was really SEARCHING for this weekend:
This isn't a McGinnis Sisters-sized little "sampler" bottle... this is the real deal. Mmm, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it!
When I left Wholey's, I was immediately greeted by this display:
That just ain't right. It's just downright mean. Keep walking, Lindsay, keep walking.
I mosied down to the Oriental grocery store and picked up some goodies for some future dinners:
That's Pad Thai sauce, Kung Pao sauce, and Large Rice Noodles. Yum.
Also:
Super-cute chopsticks for the next time I make sushi. So cheap!
I doubled back to put my purchases in my car, then realized all the shopping was making my tummy growl. By sheer coincidence, I realized this as soon as I stopped in front of Sunseri's bakery... where they have breads, rolls, and pizzas galore being sold on the sidewalk. I caved and got a piece of "pizza" on Sunseri's bread:
It. Was. Huge. Seriously. This is it folded over - the guy seriously gave me the biggest piece available. And guess how much money? $1. Rock. Frickin. On.
I stopped in Mon Aime Chocolat and sampled Rosemary Goat Milk Gelato, but they don't allow pictures. Plus, the sample ended up in my mouth pretty quickly. It was different, but it was REALLY good. My next stop was La Prima for an iced coffee since my pizza made me thirsty, but while trying to get my camera out of my bag, half of my coffee spilled all over me. Smooth move, and yet, classic Lindsay.
My last stop of the day was the Pittsburgh Popcorn Company - a place I've heard a lot about, but never had the urge to try. The thing that drew me in was the sign proclaiming the flavor of the day to be HAZELNUT NUTELLA POPCORN. Gasp!!
Mmmmmm nutellllllllaaaaaaaaa...
I'm not big on popcorn, but that's some quality crack right there. Crack doesn't come cheap, though - my small bag of popcorn cost me $4.25! Definitely a splurge item. But it was pretty great.
When I left the Strip, this was the temperature, per my car:
Not bad for the first week of March in Pittsburgh!
On the way home I passed the new Children's Hospital in Lawrenceville. It looks pretty cool and reminds me of the Centre Pompidou in Paris with all the crazy colors:
You know you've got skillz when you can take decent pictures while driving. :)
I also decided to make a very important pit-stop:
Highland Park Sand Volleyball Courts
The gate was unlocked! Yay! Look at all that beautiful sand!
But wait a second... what's all that stuff in the sand?
I love that I took not one, but TWO pictures of dog poop. Only me.
And then there's this pretty obvious sign right at the entrance:
Hmm...
Speaking of volleyball, you can't really tell from the picture below, but my hand is a lovely shade of eggplant:
Thank you, super-hard volleyball from Thursday night's game.
I made a few more stops Saturday, including Dunham's, Target, and Dick's. I got these beauties:
New Camelbak! ARGYLE! How cool is that?!
Ultra-cool kids' Peanuts toothbrushes... bet you wish you had a small mouth too, right? This was the bargain of the day at a whopping $1.02 for TWO toothbrushes! Hot dang! Also, I hate to admit it, but they DO work a whole lot better in my mouth.
And finally:
What you see above is two things: 1. my beautiful new volleyball with pretty blue flowers; and 2. what I call my "baby harness." You know how some parents have those leashes or harnesses that they put on their small children (and some older children... I've seen it) when they go to the mall? Yeah, well, they make them for volleyballs too. And since I think of my volleyball as my baby, it's only fitting that I should get it a harness so that I never lose it again. Actually, my baby harness has a practical purpose (and a more appropriate name): it's a "Practice Pal." Basically, this is supposed to enable you to practice by yourself without having to constantly chase your ball. Perfecto. Just what I needed. I was so excited to try it, I used it in my "dining room" AKA room with absolutely ZERO furniture (nope, not even a table). I think my baby harness was meant to be used outside or in a gym, though. It has quite a bounce-back.
Lastly, I tried to kill myself by going on a 30-minute, almost entirely uphill (and HUGE uphills) bike ride on Saturday.
By the time I was walking (yep, I couldn't even ride the last one) my bike up the last hill to my house, I was literally WHEEZING. I don't know if I've ever wheezed before. I seriously contemplated lying down in the middle of the road. It. Was. Torture. And yet, once I had regained consciousness on my kitchen floor, I couldn't wait to do it again. Sometimes I think I'm completely insane.
I seriously need to hit some hay. Like now.
Today was my first "Day of Funk" for 2009. I'm sure there will be many more to come, but today was just the perfect occasion. What is this "Day of Funk?" Basically, I woke up at noon (actually, 8:30, then fell asleep and re-woke intermittently until noon when I forced myself out of bed), did not wash my hair, did not get out of pajamas, did not go to the gym, did not eat anything healthy, and basically did not do anything productive. In short, I was a scuzzball. When I forced myself out of bed around noon to get some Puffins, I immediately realized the day was going to suck because a.) it was POURING outside; b.) my vb team was supposed to meet at the HP sand courts for a practice but we canceled it due to the rain; c.) about 30 minutes after canceling our practice, it became sunny outside (though not long enough for a practice); and d.) I had some wicked crampage going on. Blah. Instead of being a productive member of society, I read a little, slept a little, watched a little tube, caught up on some blog reading, and made some beer bread and lemon cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting.
Homemade beer bread.
My tray of lemony goodness.
I garnished them with perfect little blueberries. I wanted to use strawberries, but I ran out on Friday.
Ironically, the cupcakes LOOK good, but taste kind of off... they have a weird consistency. They taste good enough, but still, they're different. The beer bread also tasted kind of strange, but in a good way. It almost tasted like biscuits. Strange. Maybe my taster's off...?
Anyways, Saturday I took myself on a mini shopping spree/tour. I headed down to the Strip District and reveled in the craziness. One of my first stops was Wholey's, which is famous for its uber-fresh seafood and eclectic offerings:
Yes, the fish are still swimming, waiting to be taken home and fried up (or baked, or grilled
...)
There's a large variety of fish available - this picture doesn't do the place justice at all.
Sleepin' with the fishes...
These big suckers were kind of creepy.
Mmm, who doesn't love some Beef Tongue?
Or better yet, Tripe?
Once I turned the corner from the crazy meats, I found this glorious statue of goodness:
It was difficult, but I managed to restrain myself.
And finally, as I was about to leave, I found the one thing I was really SEARCHING for this weekend:
This isn't a McGinnis Sisters-sized little "sampler" bottle... this is the real deal. Mmm, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it!
When I left Wholey's, I was immediately greeted by this display:
That just ain't right. It's just downright mean. Keep walking, Lindsay, keep walking.
I mosied down to the Oriental grocery store and picked up some goodies for some future dinners:
That's Pad Thai sauce, Kung Pao sauce, and Large Rice Noodles. Yum.
Also:
Super-cute chopsticks for the next time I make sushi. So cheap!
I doubled back to put my purchases in my car, then realized all the shopping was making my tummy growl. By sheer coincidence, I realized this as soon as I stopped in front of Sunseri's bakery... where they have breads, rolls, and pizzas galore being sold on the sidewalk. I caved and got a piece of "pizza" on Sunseri's bread:
It. Was. Huge. Seriously. This is it folded over - the guy seriously gave me the biggest piece available. And guess how much money? $1. Rock. Frickin. On.
I stopped in Mon Aime Chocolat and sampled Rosemary Goat Milk Gelato, but they don't allow pictures. Plus, the sample ended up in my mouth pretty quickly. It was different, but it was REALLY good. My next stop was La Prima for an iced coffee since my pizza made me thirsty, but while trying to get my camera out of my bag, half of my coffee spilled all over me. Smooth move, and yet, classic Lindsay.
My last stop of the day was the Pittsburgh Popcorn Company - a place I've heard a lot about, but never had the urge to try. The thing that drew me in was the sign proclaiming the flavor of the day to be HAZELNUT NUTELLA POPCORN. Gasp!!
Mmmmmm nutellllllllaaaaaaaaa...
I'm not big on popcorn, but that's some quality crack right there. Crack doesn't come cheap, though - my small bag of popcorn cost me $4.25! Definitely a splurge item. But it was pretty great.
When I left the Strip, this was the temperature, per my car:
Not bad for the first week of March in Pittsburgh!
On the way home I passed the new Children's Hospital in Lawrenceville. It looks pretty cool and reminds me of the Centre Pompidou in Paris with all the crazy colors:
You know you've got skillz when you can take decent pictures while driving. :)
I also decided to make a very important pit-stop:
Highland Park Sand Volleyball Courts
The gate was unlocked! Yay! Look at all that beautiful sand!
But wait a second... what's all that stuff in the sand?
I love that I took not one, but TWO pictures of dog poop. Only me.
And then there's this pretty obvious sign right at the entrance:
Hmm...
Speaking of volleyball, you can't really tell from the picture below, but my hand is a lovely shade of eggplant:
Thank you, super-hard volleyball from Thursday night's game.
I made a few more stops Saturday, including Dunham's, Target, and Dick's. I got these beauties:
New Camelbak! ARGYLE! How cool is that?!
Ultra-cool kids' Peanuts toothbrushes... bet you wish you had a small mouth too, right? This was the bargain of the day at a whopping $1.02 for TWO toothbrushes! Hot dang! Also, I hate to admit it, but they DO work a whole lot better in my mouth.
And finally:
What you see above is two things: 1. my beautiful new volleyball with pretty blue flowers; and 2. what I call my "baby harness." You know how some parents have those leashes or harnesses that they put on their small children (and some older children... I've seen it) when they go to the mall? Yeah, well, they make them for volleyballs too. And since I think of my volleyball as my baby, it's only fitting that I should get it a harness so that I never lose it again. Actually, my baby harness has a practical purpose (and a more appropriate name): it's a "Practice Pal." Basically, this is supposed to enable you to practice by yourself without having to constantly chase your ball. Perfecto. Just what I needed. I was so excited to try it, I used it in my "dining room" AKA room with absolutely ZERO furniture (nope, not even a table). I think my baby harness was meant to be used outside or in a gym, though. It has quite a bounce-back.
Lastly, I tried to kill myself by going on a 30-minute, almost entirely uphill (and HUGE uphills) bike ride on Saturday.
By the time I was walking (yep, I couldn't even ride the last one) my bike up the last hill to my house, I was literally WHEEZING. I don't know if I've ever wheezed before. I seriously contemplated lying down in the middle of the road. It. Was. Torture. And yet, once I had regained consciousness on my kitchen floor, I couldn't wait to do it again. Sometimes I think I'm completely insane.
I seriously need to hit some hay. Like now.
3.06.2009
it feels like the first time... it feels like the very first time!
First things first: WE WON!!! Our volleyball team won the second round of semi finals and now we’re going to play next week for the Division final! If we win the game at 6:45, we’ll move on to play for the league Championship at 7:45. We’re so excited! This is the farthest we’ve gone, and true to form, we almost biffed it last night. In fact, we lost our first game of the match. But we’re fighters and we rallied to come back and win the match. Plus, I had some amazing saves ;). W00t!
Also exciting at vb was the news that I’ll be playing in not one league, but TWO next season (which starts in 2-3 weeks). I’ll be playing with my regular team in the competitive league and with a mix-and-match of teammates and other players for the rec league. I’m so psyched! I’d thought everyone had forgotten about the rec league and that I was just going to have to play in Comp, but now I get 2 nights of volleyball! Double your pleasure, double your fun!
After the game last night, I was so hyped up (a little Barry Manilow will do that to ya!) that I ended up going to the gym and running. It was nice to do that again, to have that energy back. Doesn’t feel so great today, but it was nice last night.
As for the title of this post, I’m eating pizza – REAL pizza from a pizza place, not just sauce on Ezekiel bread like I’m accustomed to – for the first time in MONTHS. OMG. IT’S SO GOOD. It tastes like the most wonderful thing in the world right now; like it’s the best pizza ever. Really, I’m sure it’s mediocre lukewarm pizza, but it makes me happy. Unfortunately, it’s not making my stomach so happy. Apparently my tum-tum is not used to all the grease anymore. But it’s soooooo worth it. Mmmm, num, num!
No big plans for the weekend, but I feel like being social for once… actually, I’d like to go for a drink or two after work, but I don’t have any money. I considered going to my parents’ house for the weekend, but a Saturday morning Strip District stroll sounds nice too. I guess it depends on the weather – it’s supposed to be warm, but I heard it was going to rain all weekend. I don’t do a rainy Strip. Yes, I am a baby.
Have a great Friday!
Also exciting at vb was the news that I’ll be playing in not one league, but TWO next season (which starts in 2-3 weeks). I’ll be playing with my regular team in the competitive league and with a mix-and-match of teammates and other players for the rec league. I’m so psyched! I’d thought everyone had forgotten about the rec league and that I was just going to have to play in Comp, but now I get 2 nights of volleyball! Double your pleasure, double your fun!
After the game last night, I was so hyped up (a little Barry Manilow will do that to ya!) that I ended up going to the gym and running. It was nice to do that again, to have that energy back. Doesn’t feel so great today, but it was nice last night.
As for the title of this post, I’m eating pizza – REAL pizza from a pizza place, not just sauce on Ezekiel bread like I’m accustomed to – for the first time in MONTHS. OMG. IT’S SO GOOD. It tastes like the most wonderful thing in the world right now; like it’s the best pizza ever. Really, I’m sure it’s mediocre lukewarm pizza, but it makes me happy. Unfortunately, it’s not making my stomach so happy. Apparently my tum-tum is not used to all the grease anymore. But it’s soooooo worth it. Mmmm, num, num!
No big plans for the weekend, but I feel like being social for once… actually, I’d like to go for a drink or two after work, but I don’t have any money. I considered going to my parents’ house for the weekend, but a Saturday morning Strip District stroll sounds nice too. I guess it depends on the weather – it’s supposed to be warm, but I heard it was going to rain all weekend. I don’t do a rainy Strip. Yes, I am a baby.
Have a great Friday!
3.04.2009
Inside my shell I wait and bleed
When you expect the worst, you’re almost never disappointed. In today’s case, this rings true.
I had to leave early to go to the dentist in order to figure out just what we were going to do about my crazy broken tooth. Let’s be honest – it’s been a while. In exact terms, it’s been nearly 2 years to the date. I do what I can remember, brushing and flossing-wise, but I’m never very optimistic when it comes time to take that trip to Sonic brush heaven. My expectations for today included being chastised for waiting 2 years to come back, and finding out I have to get my wonderfully impacted wisdom teeth out and unearthing about 10 cavities. Luckily, I over-exaggerated my expectations (though not by a whole lot). Aside from the gentle scolding, it was relatively pain-free and my teeth now look shiny and sparkly and uber-white (thank you, Sonic brush!). On the other hand, I was scolded for letting my wisdom teeth grow in so far (the one that broke off was a wisdom tooth that broke through and the other two are quite impacted… no one’s really sure where the fourth one has gone…) and I need to have surgery to get all 3 wisdom teeth out. Oh, and I have a tiny cavity. But just one, not ten. :)
Another thing that was interesting to note from la dentista is that my mouth is apparently tiny. Put that on a match.com profile and see how many replies you get. Yup, apparently my mouth is so small that I shouldn’t use adult toothbrushes anymore – I should get a kid’s toothbrush. That’s news to me. I’m kind of excited, though. I’m gonna go shopping for a cool Batman brush if I can find one. My toothbrush will be cooler than yours. :)
Speaking of buying new things, I got my new Vera Wang glasses last night! I got a call en route to the gym, which was perfect since the eye doc’s is on the way. However, when I got home and took out my contacts, I noticed that the glasses looked kind of large on my face. Like, the lens extends too far. I’m going to wear them to work either Friday or next week to see if anyone else thinks they’re too big – maybe I’m just used to my old (super-cute and small) glasses. We’ll see.
Plans for the evening are to rent a movie at redbox (they’re doing free Wednesday rentals now when you check out the redblog!), make dinner, watch my movie and relax. Tomorrow starts the volleyball finals, so I’ll need to be well-rested!
G’night!
I had to leave early to go to the dentist in order to figure out just what we were going to do about my crazy broken tooth. Let’s be honest – it’s been a while. In exact terms, it’s been nearly 2 years to the date. I do what I can remember, brushing and flossing-wise, but I’m never very optimistic when it comes time to take that trip to Sonic brush heaven. My expectations for today included being chastised for waiting 2 years to come back, and finding out I have to get my wonderfully impacted wisdom teeth out and unearthing about 10 cavities. Luckily, I over-exaggerated my expectations (though not by a whole lot). Aside from the gentle scolding, it was relatively pain-free and my teeth now look shiny and sparkly and uber-white (thank you, Sonic brush!). On the other hand, I was scolded for letting my wisdom teeth grow in so far (the one that broke off was a wisdom tooth that broke through and the other two are quite impacted… no one’s really sure where the fourth one has gone…) and I need to have surgery to get all 3 wisdom teeth out. Oh, and I have a tiny cavity. But just one, not ten. :)
Another thing that was interesting to note from la dentista is that my mouth is apparently tiny. Put that on a match.com profile and see how many replies you get. Yup, apparently my mouth is so small that I shouldn’t use adult toothbrushes anymore – I should get a kid’s toothbrush. That’s news to me. I’m kind of excited, though. I’m gonna go shopping for a cool Batman brush if I can find one. My toothbrush will be cooler than yours. :)
Speaking of buying new things, I got my new Vera Wang glasses last night! I got a call en route to the gym, which was perfect since the eye doc’s is on the way. However, when I got home and took out my contacts, I noticed that the glasses looked kind of large on my face. Like, the lens extends too far. I’m going to wear them to work either Friday or next week to see if anyone else thinks they’re too big – maybe I’m just used to my old (super-cute and small) glasses. We’ll see.
Plans for the evening are to rent a movie at redbox (they’re doing free Wednesday rentals now when you check out the redblog!), make dinner, watch my movie and relax. Tomorrow starts the volleyball finals, so I’ll need to be well-rested!
G’night!
3.03.2009
it's been the worst day since yesterday
Although it’s freezing here in Pgh, I’m at least thankful that it’s not snowing. I’m predicting one more snow for the season, but I hope that we don’t even get that. Snow is my enemy.
I seem to be screwing up everything I touch, which is really not fun. I hope this loser streak ends at some point in the near future.
Shall I recap the past few days?
Sunday was really cool and fun – my parents came to visit and took me out to dinner at the Olive Garden. We also stopped at Moio’s and I was the recipient of both a slice of heavenly almond torte and a luscious walnut brownie. I’ve eaten a few bites of each every night. :) Normally I think it’s foolish to buy brownies from a bakery – they’re so easy to make at home and they taste just as great. But Moio’s… wow. They’re fudgy and cakey at the same time, with huge walnut pieces and awesome chocolate frosting. These brownies are totally worth every penny. My parents challenged me to get something new at the Olive Garden, so I tried the 5-cheese baked ziti. Healthy, I know (but I only ate about 1/3 of it and took the rest home). It was good, but I like a lot of sauce on my pasta and this was a little dry. When I reheated the rest for dinner last night, I added another ¼ cup or so of spaghetti sauce.
In addition to feeding me, my dad fixed my closet door since it broke moments before they arrived. He also installed a new light beside the closet since the closet door slammed into the light and effectively killed it. I needed a new one anyways – the old one was u-g-l-y. Not that the new one’s much prettier, but still… my daddy’s the best!!
Sunday night I forced myself to go to the gym. I had planned on going before my parents came, but they showed up extra early. By the time they left, I was stuffed and practically immobile. But I made myself go, and to my surprise, the volleyball net was set up!! I decided to be sociable and secured a spot on the team that was sitting out – which coincidentally had a PSL player on it! Not only was there a PSL player on my gym team, but he (I think his name was Eric… we’ll say it’s Eric, anyways) plays for the team that we’re up against in the semi-finals on Thursday! How cool is that?! It was nice to play with him (tee hee, that’s what she said) and I’m supremely confident that we can beat them Thursday. In fact, we already creamed them once, earlier in the season. Now watch, we’ll totally biff it up. :)
Also playing volleyball was a guy who I swear I’ve seen before, but I can’t remember where. Sure, it was probably the gym, but I feel like I actually KNOW him… and I kinda want to know him. He’s kinda cute, but not in an obvious way. And he seemed really funny and nice – he was the one who told me to just join in wherever I wanted. As is usually the case, I’ll probably never see him again and I’ll forget about him in a few weeks. But I can’t help but think that I know him from somewhere else…
Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Worked late, went to the gym, then went to Giant Eagle to rent The Wackness from redbox and to pick up a prescription for my upcoming dentist appointment. Ugh, I’m totally NOT looking forward to that. I have to leave work early tomorrow to go. As I think I said in my last post, something hard and crunchy fell out of my mouth while I was eating my homemade pea soup. Guess what that hard crunchy thing was? Yep, part of a tooth. Sunday night I discovered where it had come from (top left molar-ish region). Actually, I’m wondering if it’s not part of a wisdom tooth – the last time I was brave enough to visit the dentist he told me I’d need surgery to remove the wisdom teeth since they were starting to grow in… gee, I wonder why I didn’t go back… ? So tomorrow should at least be eventful in an awkward/uncomfortable way if nothing else… much like today, to tell the truth.
Today I’ve just been screwing everything up at work. Around 3:15 I just had to get out for a little bit because I thought I was losing my mind, so I grabbed Natalie and we made a quick stop at Trader Joe’s. It was SOOO nice just to leave work for 15 minutes. I should really take breaks more often.
Tonight is another gym night, followed by a quick detour to either Giant Eagle or Shop N Save to drop off last night’s redbox movie, making dinner (I’m attempting Emeril’s “Pan Roasted Salmon with Lentils”), packing tomorrow’s lunch (no more slacking this week!), getting a shower, and starting my taxes. I’ve finished making excuses and I can’t afford $140 to have H&R Block figure out my messed-up taxes (thank you, home-ownership!), so today I worked on printing all my 1098s and 1099s so that I’d have them ready to rock.
Hasta luego, and wish me luck on my taxes!
I seem to be screwing up everything I touch, which is really not fun. I hope this loser streak ends at some point in the near future.
Shall I recap the past few days?
Sunday was really cool and fun – my parents came to visit and took me out to dinner at the Olive Garden. We also stopped at Moio’s and I was the recipient of both a slice of heavenly almond torte and a luscious walnut brownie. I’ve eaten a few bites of each every night. :) Normally I think it’s foolish to buy brownies from a bakery – they’re so easy to make at home and they taste just as great. But Moio’s… wow. They’re fudgy and cakey at the same time, with huge walnut pieces and awesome chocolate frosting. These brownies are totally worth every penny. My parents challenged me to get something new at the Olive Garden, so I tried the 5-cheese baked ziti. Healthy, I know (but I only ate about 1/3 of it and took the rest home). It was good, but I like a lot of sauce on my pasta and this was a little dry. When I reheated the rest for dinner last night, I added another ¼ cup or so of spaghetti sauce.
In addition to feeding me, my dad fixed my closet door since it broke moments before they arrived. He also installed a new light beside the closet since the closet door slammed into the light and effectively killed it. I needed a new one anyways – the old one was u-g-l-y. Not that the new one’s much prettier, but still… my daddy’s the best!!
Sunday night I forced myself to go to the gym. I had planned on going before my parents came, but they showed up extra early. By the time they left, I was stuffed and practically immobile. But I made myself go, and to my surprise, the volleyball net was set up!! I decided to be sociable and secured a spot on the team that was sitting out – which coincidentally had a PSL player on it! Not only was there a PSL player on my gym team, but he (I think his name was Eric… we’ll say it’s Eric, anyways) plays for the team that we’re up against in the semi-finals on Thursday! How cool is that?! It was nice to play with him (tee hee, that’s what she said) and I’m supremely confident that we can beat them Thursday. In fact, we already creamed them once, earlier in the season. Now watch, we’ll totally biff it up. :)
Also playing volleyball was a guy who I swear I’ve seen before, but I can’t remember where. Sure, it was probably the gym, but I feel like I actually KNOW him… and I kinda want to know him. He’s kinda cute, but not in an obvious way. And he seemed really funny and nice – he was the one who told me to just join in wherever I wanted. As is usually the case, I’ll probably never see him again and I’ll forget about him in a few weeks. But I can’t help but think that I know him from somewhere else…
Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Worked late, went to the gym, then went to Giant Eagle to rent The Wackness from redbox and to pick up a prescription for my upcoming dentist appointment. Ugh, I’m totally NOT looking forward to that. I have to leave work early tomorrow to go. As I think I said in my last post, something hard and crunchy fell out of my mouth while I was eating my homemade pea soup. Guess what that hard crunchy thing was? Yep, part of a tooth. Sunday night I discovered where it had come from (top left molar-ish region). Actually, I’m wondering if it’s not part of a wisdom tooth – the last time I was brave enough to visit the dentist he told me I’d need surgery to remove the wisdom teeth since they were starting to grow in… gee, I wonder why I didn’t go back… ? So tomorrow should at least be eventful in an awkward/uncomfortable way if nothing else… much like today, to tell the truth.
Today I’ve just been screwing everything up at work. Around 3:15 I just had to get out for a little bit because I thought I was losing my mind, so I grabbed Natalie and we made a quick stop at Trader Joe’s. It was SOOO nice just to leave work for 15 minutes. I should really take breaks more often.
Tonight is another gym night, followed by a quick detour to either Giant Eagle or Shop N Save to drop off last night’s redbox movie, making dinner (I’m attempting Emeril’s “Pan Roasted Salmon with Lentils”), packing tomorrow’s lunch (no more slacking this week!), getting a shower, and starting my taxes. I’ve finished making excuses and I can’t afford $140 to have H&R Block figure out my messed-up taxes (thank you, home-ownership!), so today I worked on printing all my 1098s and 1099s so that I’d have them ready to rock.
Hasta luego, and wish me luck on my taxes!
2.28.2009
a bottle of red... a bottle of white...
This was me after spending my evening cooking:
Rockin out to some Wake Me Up (Before You Go-Go) and some Tom Jones while swigging not-so-cheap boxed wine (it was a lot cheaper before it became "trendy") and creating a culinary masterpiece.
Do you ever bite down in something soft and feel something hard and wonder what it is? I've been doing that a lot lately and it happened again tonight. I had the sense to grab the hard object out of my mouth and I'd SWEAR it's part of a tooth - it's white and really hard and a little shiny on the outside. I didn't eat anything that was hard and white today, so I don't think it's food. The funny thing is, none of my teeth hurt and I can't feel where any of them have broken off. Odd.
I tried eggs for the second time this year when I made 2 egg whites as part of breakfast. Not so bad with some Texas Pete and ketchup. Not bad at all. Good progress.
Last night I took a relatively unnecessary trip to Trash Mart. Sure, I needed to get some things, but I really didn't need to spend $50. On the other hand, they had some kind of milk that I had never seen before. It's skim milk but it supposedly doesn't taste like skim (and it's not "Super Skim" or "Ultra Skim"). I bought a regular carton and a chocolate carton since it sounded good. I had the chocolate this morning and while it doesn't taste as watery as regular skim, it tasted oddly almost like 8th continent lite chocolate soy milk (though the ingredients said that it was not soy milk). It was kind of weird. Not bad, necessarily, but not quite what I expected.
I'm also super excited because I bought something I've never bought before: seeds! Not the kind you eat, but the kind you plant! I bought 4 packets - butter lettuce, scallions, baby carrots (they're cute - they only grow to about 4 inches!), and broccoli. I always look forward to spring, but now I'm REALLY excited because I'll get to plant something. I have no idea where I'm going to put my little garden, but I'm psyched nonetheless. :)
Before I headed to the gym today, I decided to head over to Bed Bath & Beyond, followed by Half Price Books. At BB&B I used some new-homeowner gift cards to purchase The Biggest Loser food scale (which I totally played around with tonight), and at HPB I purchased a few magazines for $1.50 and 2 books that I've heard a lot about but never thought I'd want to read: Eat, Pray, Love (only $1) and The Memory Keeper's Daughter (only $2). Unfortunately, they didn't have the magazines and books that I really wanted - I've had my eye on possibly getting a Women's Health subscription (I found them online for $9.95/year) and the second book of the Shopaholic series (Shopaholic Takes Manhattan). I'm not normally much of a "fluff" reader and in the past I've really kind of hated "girly" books, but I want to see the movie and I always like to try reading the books before the movies whenever possible (and my mom gave me her copy on the cruise since she didn't like it). Well, I really liked it (and sadly, I identified with it a LOT), and after only a few days, I finished it last night. That's fast for me, considering I usually only read a chapter or two a night. Anyways, hopefully my new purchases will keep me entertained until the library comes through with the Shopaholic books.
Oh, and apparently I'm bringin sexy back, roadside. Last night on the way home from Trash Mart, I was stopped at a stop light on Ardmore and this car full of guys pulled up beside me and started honking the horn. I looked over and they were all looking at me, smiling and nodding their heads (what IS that?! is that some new flirting technique?). When I got home, I checked my car in case something was on it, or if maybe my trunk was open, but nope. They apparently were honking at me... and then coming home from the gym today, in broad daylight, 3 guys in a Penske truck did the same thing. THE SAME EXACT THING. I don't know if they were the same guys (though that'd be quite a weird coincidence) or if I'm just oozing hotness in my Trash Mart gear and post-workout messiness. I'm gonna go with the option that says I'm awesome.
So on to the events of this evening! I had planned to make homemade split pea soup and I totally pulled through. Here you can see the ingredients that went into my fabu-stew:
Soaked split peas (duh)...
TJ's crushed garlic (I'm lazy when it comes to garlic), black pepper, bay leaves, Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle (for some extra flav-a), carrots, fresh parsley, celery, diced ham, and chopped onions. I split my finger pretty deep while I was trying to cut the carrots. Ouch.
Here it is as it's cooking, pre-blending:
And finally, after I blended (erm, "liquefied") about half of it to make it thicker:
As I was cooking, I sipped on this:
(see, I started out with a glass...)
Since I let my soup cook for a long time, I got kinda hungry (all that crazy kitchen dancing will do that to ya!), so I ate part one of dinner - part 2 was a pretty big bowl of my awesome creation.
Above is a slice of Japaleno Cheddar bread from Trash Mart (half-off bakery goods are the greatest things ever!) dipped in tomato basil spaghetti sauce. Mmm!
Followed soon after by...
Believe it or not, this is just one sweet potato sliced into sticks and baked (yummy homemade sweet potato fries!)... it seemed to make a LOT of fries, but I totally scarfed them down. In fact, I tried them in a new combination:
Yup, I went there. I dipped my sweet potato fries in greek yogurt. And you know what? It really wasn't too scary. In fact, it was kinda good. I think I made my fries a little too spicy (too much Mrs. Dash. She's a wicked one.), so the yogurt was a nice complement to the spiciness. I was pretty proud of myself for branching out a bit!
As for my homemade split pea soup, yeah, it was pretty awesome - as expected. Next time I make it, I might omit sea salt since there's ham in it. I mean, this batch is just about incredible, but it might have just a weeeee bit too much salt. Still, yum!
My parents are potentially coming to visit tomorrow, so yay! Free dinner! Also, I'm pretty stoked to have my mom try my soup - she's never tried split pea before. My dad's a lost cause; he'll say it's disgusting because it's almost all veggies. But I'm totally making my mom try it, whether she wants to or not. Yep, I'm gonna force-feed. :)
It's about time for bed (I can't believe I've been writing this for an hour!)... peace.
Rockin out to some Wake Me Up (Before You Go-Go) and some Tom Jones while swigging not-so-cheap boxed wine (it was a lot cheaper before it became "trendy") and creating a culinary masterpiece.
Do you ever bite down in something soft and feel something hard and wonder what it is? I've been doing that a lot lately and it happened again tonight. I had the sense to grab the hard object out of my mouth and I'd SWEAR it's part of a tooth - it's white and really hard and a little shiny on the outside. I didn't eat anything that was hard and white today, so I don't think it's food. The funny thing is, none of my teeth hurt and I can't feel where any of them have broken off. Odd.
I tried eggs for the second time this year when I made 2 egg whites as part of breakfast. Not so bad with some Texas Pete and ketchup. Not bad at all. Good progress.
Last night I took a relatively unnecessary trip to Trash Mart. Sure, I needed to get some things, but I really didn't need to spend $50. On the other hand, they had some kind of milk that I had never seen before. It's skim milk but it supposedly doesn't taste like skim (and it's not "Super Skim" or "Ultra Skim"). I bought a regular carton and a chocolate carton since it sounded good. I had the chocolate this morning and while it doesn't taste as watery as regular skim, it tasted oddly almost like 8th continent lite chocolate soy milk (though the ingredients said that it was not soy milk). It was kind of weird. Not bad, necessarily, but not quite what I expected.
I'm also super excited because I bought something I've never bought before: seeds! Not the kind you eat, but the kind you plant! I bought 4 packets - butter lettuce, scallions, baby carrots (they're cute - they only grow to about 4 inches!), and broccoli. I always look forward to spring, but now I'm REALLY excited because I'll get to plant something. I have no idea where I'm going to put my little garden, but I'm psyched nonetheless. :)
Before I headed to the gym today, I decided to head over to Bed Bath & Beyond, followed by Half Price Books. At BB&B I used some new-homeowner gift cards to purchase The Biggest Loser food scale (which I totally played around with tonight), and at HPB I purchased a few magazines for $1.50 and 2 books that I've heard a lot about but never thought I'd want to read: Eat, Pray, Love (only $1) and The Memory Keeper's Daughter (only $2). Unfortunately, they didn't have the magazines and books that I really wanted - I've had my eye on possibly getting a Women's Health subscription (I found them online for $9.95/year) and the second book of the Shopaholic series (Shopaholic Takes Manhattan). I'm not normally much of a "fluff" reader and in the past I've really kind of hated "girly" books, but I want to see the movie and I always like to try reading the books before the movies whenever possible (and my mom gave me her copy on the cruise since she didn't like it). Well, I really liked it (and sadly, I identified with it a LOT), and after only a few days, I finished it last night. That's fast for me, considering I usually only read a chapter or two a night. Anyways, hopefully my new purchases will keep me entertained until the library comes through with the Shopaholic books.
Oh, and apparently I'm bringin sexy back, roadside. Last night on the way home from Trash Mart, I was stopped at a stop light on Ardmore and this car full of guys pulled up beside me and started honking the horn. I looked over and they were all looking at me, smiling and nodding their heads (what IS that?! is that some new flirting technique?). When I got home, I checked my car in case something was on it, or if maybe my trunk was open, but nope. They apparently were honking at me... and then coming home from the gym today, in broad daylight, 3 guys in a Penske truck did the same thing. THE SAME EXACT THING. I don't know if they were the same guys (though that'd be quite a weird coincidence) or if I'm just oozing hotness in my Trash Mart gear and post-workout messiness. I'm gonna go with the option that says I'm awesome.
So on to the events of this evening! I had planned to make homemade split pea soup and I totally pulled through. Here you can see the ingredients that went into my fabu-stew:
Soaked split peas (duh)...
TJ's crushed garlic (I'm lazy when it comes to garlic), black pepper, bay leaves, Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle (for some extra flav-a), carrots, fresh parsley, celery, diced ham, and chopped onions. I split my finger pretty deep while I was trying to cut the carrots. Ouch.
Here it is as it's cooking, pre-blending:
And finally, after I blended (erm, "liquefied") about half of it to make it thicker:
As I was cooking, I sipped on this:
(see, I started out with a glass...)
Since I let my soup cook for a long time, I got kinda hungry (all that crazy kitchen dancing will do that to ya!), so I ate part one of dinner - part 2 was a pretty big bowl of my awesome creation.
Above is a slice of Japaleno Cheddar bread from Trash Mart (half-off bakery goods are the greatest things ever!) dipped in tomato basil spaghetti sauce. Mmm!
Followed soon after by...
Believe it or not, this is just one sweet potato sliced into sticks and baked (yummy homemade sweet potato fries!)... it seemed to make a LOT of fries, but I totally scarfed them down. In fact, I tried them in a new combination:
Yup, I went there. I dipped my sweet potato fries in greek yogurt. And you know what? It really wasn't too scary. In fact, it was kinda good. I think I made my fries a little too spicy (too much Mrs. Dash. She's a wicked one.), so the yogurt was a nice complement to the spiciness. I was pretty proud of myself for branching out a bit!
As for my homemade split pea soup, yeah, it was pretty awesome - as expected. Next time I make it, I might omit sea salt since there's ham in it. I mean, this batch is just about incredible, but it might have just a weeeee bit too much salt. Still, yum!
My parents are potentially coming to visit tomorrow, so yay! Free dinner! Also, I'm pretty stoked to have my mom try my soup - she's never tried split pea before. My dad's a lost cause; he'll say it's disgusting because it's almost all veggies. But I'm totally making my mom try it, whether she wants to or not. Yep, I'm gonna force-feed. :)
It's about time for bed (I can't believe I've been writing this for an hour!)... peace.
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