Hump Day

Today is my friend Natalie's birthday. Happy birthday, Natalie! To celebrate, we're going to see Camera Obscura @ Mercy Lounge tonight. Carolyn & Katie are going, too. Assuredly we will be consuming Mexican somewhere beforehand. I can't wait!

Last night I watched The Painted Veil on DVD. Someone told me to watch it, but now I can't remember who. Well, whoever you are, thanks! I thought it was a really good movie. It was a lot better than I thought it would be from the previews. I definitely recommend it.

I still have Everything Is Illuminated at home. I actually think it was Natalie who recommended this one. I tried to read the book back when it came out because it got so much hype, but I couldn't get through it. I've heard other people say the same thing. But apparently the movie is really good. I'll probably watch it this weekend.

I logged back on to My Daily Plate today to re-start tracking what I eat. It's like a free, online version of Weight Watchers. I started doing it about a month or so ago, but haven't been keeping up with it recently. I saw Katie over the weekend & she's been doing it since January & has lost 20 lbs!!! She looks amazing. She definitely inspired me to log on & get back on track. I need to install my Wii Fit & start using that, too. Here's to 33 being my skinny year!

Yard Work

John & I spent our 3-day weekend working in the yard. On Sat., my mom came up & helped me plant flowers in the front yard. I like the flowers we picked out. Now I just need them to grow & cover a little more territory.

Yesterday we went back to Lowe's to buy mulch for the flower bed. While there, we noticed some of their trees were 75% off. We weren't really in the market for any trees, but it seemed stupid to turn down $6 trees. So we bought six 7-gallon trees. This is the 3rd time we've gone crazy buying impromptu large things, forgetting that we drive a 4-door sedan. Somehow, John got all 6 trees & 3 bags of mulch into his Maxima. It was ridiculous. Every time John got a tree in his car, he'd shout, "One tree in the back of my car, ah ah ah!" in the Count voice. It was pretty funny. People were walking by looking at us & just shaking their heads.

The trees are called Emerald Green Arborvitaes. We put them in the back yard in an attempt to eventually block out the view of our neighbors' weird yard. Our neighbors grow some kind of vine on the fence that divides our yards. It's a major eyesore. We're hoping these trees will help block them out & give us a little privacy.

Apparently our front yard is the bird Baptist Hospital of the neighborhood. I found 3 nests this weekend. One in one of my new ferns on the front porch; one in the lilac bush in our front yard & one in the plastic bird nailed to the siding above our garage. I made John take the one in my fern out because I didn't want it to kill the fern, but I left the other two. I don't know what's going on with these birds. Guess our front yard is just mama bird friendly.

Full photostream here.

Don't Phunk With My Salsa

I've used 2 recipes out of my new Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. Both turned out really well. Here's the first one.

Black-Eyed Peas Salsa
Prep: 15 minutes Chill: overnight Makes: 2 cups

1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (2)
1/4 cup finely chopped red sweet pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 to 2 fresh jalapeno chile peppers, seeded & chopped
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Tortilla chips or assorted crackers

1. In a bowl combine black-eyed peas, green onion, sweet pepper, oil, vinegar, jalapeno pepper, black pepper, dash salt, & garlic. Cover & chill overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.

Kim's notes: I left out the green onion because I hate green onion. I used extra-virgin olive oil for the cooking oil. I've also found it helpful to listen to the Black Eyed Peas while making black-eyed peas. Enjoy.

More Than I Deserve

Well, there's nothing like a birthday to get you over the birthday blues. I forgot how fun birthdays are. It's like being Queen for a day. Between Twitter & Facebook, I got more birthday wishes than I can count, not to mention all the emails, phone calls, voice mails, texts, etc. from friends & family. Plus, Carolyn took me to lunch where we both discovered a new love for fried maui maui tacos. And she put up a really cute blog post for me yesterday, seen here. Thanks, C-Bass!

I'm sure everyone feels like this sometimes, but last night I realized I have someone in my life that I just might not deserve. John has had a horrible month. His car got broken into, his laptop was stolen, our tax returns were stolen, a bunch of tools & random computer stuff was stolen. Complete nightmare. We're not exactly rolling in the dough, and we had to fork over a lot of money to get his car repaired, not to mention replace what was stolen. I told him not to worry about getting me a birthday present. I didn't need anything & he had bigger fish to fry.

My iPod finally crossed over into that big Apple Store in the sky recently & I knew John wanted to buy me a new one for my birthday, but there was no way with all the money he had to spend on his car, etc. Well, I woke up yesterday to a huge box on the kitchen table that said, "from Linda, John & your parents." It was a Wii Fit (tres excited!). Then I got home yesterday & there was another present for me from John & my parents, a brand spankin' new iPod. And a fancy one at that. Then he cooked me dinner!

It's not like John is usually unthoughtful or not generous. I was just laying in bed last night thinking of how lucky I am to have him.

So, 33, let's do it! Maybe this will finally be my skinny year. And if it isn't, which is highly likely, than at least I have a husband who breaks his back to make me happy.

Weekend Wrap Up

The Good:
Carolyn & MK
Mom & Dad
Sonia, "Get over it. When you’re 65, you thank the Lord for every year he gives you."

The Bad:
Saturday
Lowe's
Glass
Missing Natalie's bday party

The Ugly:
Up until last night, our yard (thanks, Dad!)
Fur. Everywhere. Seriously, it's like Linda is molting.

A Thursday Night Well Spent

I went to the Jen Lancaster book signing last night in Cool Springs. MK ended up not being able to go because of work stuff (stupid NES). I'm really glad I went. I got there at the same time as Jen, so I walked in right behind her. She was really nice & down-to-earth. She read a chapter out of her new book, Pretty in Plaid, which I can't wait to read. Then she did a little Q&A. I asked her how she went from blogger to writer & she gave me an honest answer, which I appreciated. She said she was scared to write query letters to send to publishers, etc., so she started putting her writing out there where she knew it would seen & she got lucky & someone found her. She said something weird, she said she put her writing on NY Craigslist because that's what all the publishers read. I have no idea if that's true. I didn't even know you could put writings on Craigslist. Anyway, she was great & she signed my very used copy of Bitter Is the New Black.

I got to Cool Springs a little early, so I headed over to the mall & hit up ForLove 21, my favorite accessories store. I somehow managed to spend $40 on $3 jewelry. Whatever, I needed new stuff for summer. Pics of purchases above.

I met MK at 6:00AM Sculpt today. Our regular teacher, Senorita Leotard, wasn't there. She got one of the Spinning instructors to sub for her. The sub was ridiculous. First of all, she started out the class by making us take off our socks & shoes & do a bunch of yoga poses. I like yoga, but I don't come to Sculpt to do downward-facing dog. Plus, feet are a sensitive issue for ladies. I don't like showing my feet unless they're freshly pumiced and/or pedicured, which they definitely were not today.

I digress. So after 10 minutes of downward-facing dog, she finally gets started. We get started in our routine & she says, "Does anyone know who this artist is?", referring to the music playing in the background. "India Arie", she says. A) Who gives a shit? B) India Arie? Seriously? Then she says some "lucky" gym goer will win a copy of her mix CD. Apparently she does this in her Spinning class & it's a big hit. I bet. So MK & I snicker to ourselves & keep going with the class. Randomly throughout the 60 minute class, she quizzes us on who the artist is for whatever song is playing. Not that you couldn't guess by the aforementioned India Arie, but she was playing horrible songs. It was like Lilith Fair goes to the gym. At the end of the class, the song, "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire came on. MK & I looked at each other, trying hard not to laugh, not because the song was funny, but because we were waiting on her to say, "Now which one of you knows what Oscar award-winning movie this song is from?" Unfortunately, she didn't ask. We were so let down, we left. Note to self: find out who she is & never take her Spinning class.

They Stab, They Spear, They Scoop, They Schmear

I feel a lot better today. Thanks to everyone for the emails, etc. I think just saying it out loud helped a lot.

I like to shop when I'm depressed, thus this totally awesome purchase I made online yesterday:

http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=271&f=5092&q=toothpiks&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1

They're on backorder until June, but rest assured, as soon as they come in, I'm having a party just so I can use them. I'm tres excited.

Tonight, MK & I are going to Cool Springs to see Jen Lancaster speak at Barnes & Noble. I'm also tres excited about this. I hope I get to meet her!

Birthday Blues

Ugh, I've got a serious case of the birthday blues. I turn 33 one week from today. Bleh. I feel fat & unaccomplished. I'm the only person I know who is still an AA (administrative assistant). All of my friends have actual jobs, with titles and assistants. And they all make considerably more than I do. We all went to the same school. We all have the same kind of degree. A couple of my friends have masters, but most don't. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for my friends, I'm just trying to understand what they did right & what I'm doing wrong.

I like my job the majority of the time. What I don't like is being referred to as a "secretary" a hundred times a day. First of all, you NEVER say the word "secretary". It's either administrative or executive assistant. Secondly, I have 2 name plates in my office that say "legislative assistant". It's infuriating. I have a Bachelor's Degree & I'm a year away from a Masters in Public Administration. I am not a secretary.

I'm starting to wonder if I missed my window. If you're 23 & you're an assistant, it's assumed it's a stepping stone job & you're on your way up the career ladder. If you're 33 & married, it's assumed you've chosen this as your career & are perfectly happy with where you are.

I am very good at my job, but it's not challenging. I want a job with responsibility. I want to use my brain. I want people to rely on me. Are these really unobtainable goals just because it's taken me until now to figure out what I want?

I digress. My main problem is not knowing what I'm going to do once I graduate in Dec. 2010. I can't be a "secretary" with a masters. There aren't really any jobs here, so I'd probably have to look at going to a department, which will be tricky because we also get a new Governor in 2010. If we get a Republican Governor, will I have a hard time finding a department job because I'm a Democratic staffer? Maybe it won't matter, I certainly hope not.

Reading Update

I finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I still need to read books 6 & 7, but I'm taking a little break from Potter right now. I've been reading Midnight Sun online & just finished that today. I'm sorry to say, my Twilight/Edward Cullen obsession has been reignited. God, what is it about those books? They're like a drug. Regardless, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It's just the first 264 pages. I think the full print version comes out this summer.

I've also started reading Bergdorf Blondes. It's exactly what I needed after Harry Potter & all the horrible reading I had to do for class this semester. I recommend it for anyone looking for a good weekend/beach read.

Speaking of light reading, the new Jen Lancaster book, Pretty in Plaid, came out last week. I've read her other 3 books & they're hilarious. I heart her. She's doing an in-store appearance this Thursday night at the Cool Springs Barnes & Noble. I'd love to see/meet her. I'm trying to convince my friends to go with me. The jury is still out. I'll report back.

Go forth & read!

Moustache May: A Week in Review

Full moustache photostream here.

Exhibit B

Bathroom sleeper.

Exhibit A

Deck dog.

Outsmarted By A Dog

That Linda, she's a smart one. We've had her for about 2 months now & we've "trained" her to sleep in her dog bed in the living room at night. I blogged about this earlier, but a few weeks ago she learned that coming upstairs in the middle of the night & waking me up results in petting. She's really into being petted. So she spent a few nights locked in the kitchen. Problem solved. She went back to sleeping in her dog bed downstairs. Or so I thought......

For about a week or so, I've been aware of hearing her moving around in the middle of the night, but haven't woken up fully to see where she was. I knew she was somewhere upstairs, but not beside the bed. I've also noticed that sometimes when John & I both the leave house, the bath mats upstairs mysteriously become askew.... I didn't put 2 & 2 together until yesterday when I woke up & found a big chunk of white fur on the bath mat. That bitch is sleeping in the bathroom! My hunch was further confirmed when John called me yesterday to tell me that when he woke up, he could hear her tail wagging & sure enough, she was in the bathroom laying on the mat. She was also in there when I woke up this morning. Whatever, as long as she's not waking me up anymore, I don't care where she sleeps.

She's doing this other weird thing where when you let her out, she runs straight up to the deck & stays there until you make her come in. It's very bizarre. I can't tell you how many times we've tried to get her to come up to the deck when we were sitting up there. Not interested. But now, we can't get her off. I don't know if she likes it because she can kind of see the road or if she's boycotting the yard until it stops raining & we can cut the grass. It is kind of a jungle out there right now.

May Reading

Now that I'm through with my hell class, I can do a little leisure reading before summer school starts. I'm still reading Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, but I'm almost done. I'm going to take a break from Potter before I continue on to books 6 & 7. John & I went down the street to McKay's the other day & I picked up a few books that I've been meaning to read.

Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes
Mary Katherine read this book back when it came out & said it was good. I've been meaning to read it. I'm shamelessly into books like these, i.e. The Devil Wears Prada, Bitter Is the New Black, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, etc.

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Always meant to read the book, never did, saw the movie instead. I want to read his latest book, but thought I'd better start at square one & work my way through. I'm methodical like that (see Harry Potter/Twilight).

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
No idea what this book is about, but saw it & had a vague memory of wanting to read it at some point. It was $2.00. Whatever.

Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell
Serious addiction to the Kay Scarpetta series. I've been reading them for so long, I've lost track of which ones I've read. I just buy them when I see them. I've inevitably already read this one, but whatever. It was $1.00. I'll read it again.

I also bought a spiral-bound Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book. I've been wanting one of these & it was just $4.00 at McKay's! They're easily $20 at Border's. It's awesome. I've been working my way through bookmarking recipes to try.

Happy reading!

Moustache May

Well folks, May is here. Not only is it the month of my birth (May 20th), it is also the month of moustaches. That's right, Moustache May is upon us. So if you see my husband out & about & you think to yourself, "I don't remember John looking like a child molester", relax, it's just for this month.

Go here for full details.