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Friday, December 31, 2010

Reflection

I'm sure I'm not the only blogger who wants to reflect on the past year today, but I have a lot to reflect on about 2010. I mean, I turned 30 and I got engaged and that enough is a big enough deal to look back on. I made a major decision about wanting to start a family next year as well. Heavy stuff and 2011 is shaping up to be another really big year.

Other great things that happened this year? I discovered the best podcast ever, WTF with Marc Maron. That was pretty good. I started a new hobby, canning, and am good at it and love doing it. I've rekindled my love of knitting, in fact I've knit two whole hats so far this week!





I've also spent a lot more time blogging and paying attention to what drives traffic here. There's been another lull recently I realize, but I'm trying and my main goal in 2011 is to blog more and to try and be more creative with my life and work. There has got to be a way that my passions can be channeled into something bigger than what they are right now. I would like to take a writing class, just need to figure out what kind of writing class.

I'm inspired by my friends and family who have had children in the past few years and seeing them succeed at parenting makes me feel more confident that Dan and I can, too. It's exciting!

It's been a long year and I'm looking forward to the coming year. Lots of things to look forward to and get excited about, and hopefully I'll share a lot of it here.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Out of Order

To say that my life right now is in utter chaos is grossly overstating the situation, but in my brain that is how I feel. Maybe I'm just down because of "lady time" or because I had quite the epic fall last week and still feel very achy from it. Or perhaps it is because my apartment is the kind of messy that would gross me out anywhere else but my own home. It could be that I'm in the middle of a week of crazy work meetings that make me feel frustrated and desperate for a nap. I just feel cluttered and like chores are building up and rather than doing anything productive I'd rather sit on the couch and zone out completely. And then in the middle of the night the past two nights I have woken up in a panic. That kind of heart racing, butterflies flying panic that makes it completely impossible to lie still let alone sleep. Is there something I have forgotten to do? Probably more like something I'm procrastinating.

I feel like I want to talk it out, tell people how I am feeling and then maybe I'll feel better. But typing this now makes me feel a bit more panicky and I start making a list in my head. The biggest bullet point on that list would be CLEAN THE DAMN APARTMENT. But as easy as that sounds to most of you, we've let it get to that overwhelming point where you think maybe moving or firebombing might be a great next step. So we decide that it is time to invite friends over for a little holiday thing that we did the last two years, and that will motivate us to clean. But I know we'll wait until the last minute to do it, and then I'll also have to be grocery shopping, cooking, going to the liquor store, getting the Christmas tree and decorating it. Meanwhile I have a desk that is towering over with wedding crap that I don't know what to do with for the next 8 months because putting it under the bed will only mean the cats will eat it. And if you think I am joking, you haven't met my cats.

Also, I want to make candy. I want to make peppermint bark and this toffee thing with graham crackers that my grandma makes. Oh, and I got a recipe for cake balls, which are pretty much little truffles but the insides are made out of cake and frosting. But I don't have time. I need more time! Because after work just isn't going to cut it. Maybe I'll stay up all night Friday night making candy, then clean all day on Saturday, then get the tree Sunday morning and decorate it while baking the cookies to decorate in the afternoon. But see, I don't have to make any candy at all, so why should I? Because that is the one thing that I want to do right now. I don't want to do chores, but I want to do something that is kind of like a chore because it is fun even though it is actually exhausting and stressful. I want to do it to relax. What?

Sunday, November 28, 2010

I heart Marc Maron

This blog post is a long time coming and is the main reason I haven't written in a while, because I felt like I needed to give this post justice before I could talk about anything else. But then I realized that a blog post could never quite express all the thoughts and feelings I have about a complete stranger (wow, that sounds effing crazy). So I just built it up so much and couldn't do it. Now I just have to get it down and move on. Jeeze, that sounds nerdy. So this is mostly stream of consciousness.

There were two bad things about my trip to Los Angeles in October.

1) There are pretty much no photos of the wonderful weekend (particularly of Marc Maron in the hat I made him)
and
2) I drank my weight in sweet tea vodka, red wine and whiskey, resulting some uncomfortable cuddling and a hangover of epic proportions.

Other than that, the weekend was EFFING AWESOME. I went down to LA to visit my friends Adam, Linda and Nathan and to go see a live taping of the WTF Podcast with Marc Maron, my current total obsession. Now, I know Adam through Dan working with him a while back, and mostly Adam and I are friends through social networking sites such as Twitter. True, I had spent time with Adam and Linda while they lived in West Seattle, but not that much and I didn't know them very well. I'd met Nathan before, but I don't think I'd ever even had a full conversation with him. But somehow I became best-twitter-friends with all of them, so even though when I thought about it too much it seemed pretty weird, I went down and crashed on their couch. I shouldn't have thought about it too much, because they were great to stay with and we all got along as though we'd been friends for years.

Now, if you've read this blog before you are aware of my little obsessions. Never in my life have I gotten on a plane to go see one, though. I felt a little crazy the whole time leading up to it, and since I have crazy anxiety, I got all wound up. The night before my flight I went to a wedding event with a friend of mine who is also getting married and ended up having a lot of wine. I came home tipsy, had to finish packing and getting ready and then only ended up being able to sleep for about 3 hours because of my crazy nerves. My anxiety was running wild, and I also had a mean wine hangover. I woke up at like 2:30 AM and never went back to sleep. I just decided to go to the airport early because maybe that was why I was having panic time, that I was nervous about getting to the airport on time on the bus. That helped a little. By the time I actually got to L.A. I was just feeling tired. I honestly think that being so exhausted helped me not be so damn panicked, otherwise I'd have lost my mind that day leading up to getting to the live WTF taping at UCB.

I had a really great day with Adam and Nathan, too. Like I said, I really had nothing to be nervous about with them because they were awesome and we got along great. Oh, and they are completely hilarious. I also got to meet Nathan's sister Katherine who is awesome, and then Linda came home from work and we all went to UCB to see Marc Maron!

Did I mention that I had decided that I needed to bring Marc something? It's pretty common that his fans bring him stuff at shows, often times food items. I sort of find the concept weird since he constantly talks about his food issues on his podcast, so instead I decided to knit him a hat. Everyone needs hand knit hats, right? But I was super busy in the weeks leading up to my trip, so I ended up rushing to finish it about 20 minutes before we left for the theater. I never even got a picture of it, which makes me sad.

Traffic on the way to the theater was awful and I was screaming inside my head, but trying to just laugh it off and be normal around these people I didn't know very well. It's probably lucky that Dan didn't come with me, for some reason since I feel so comfortable around him I can unleash all my wrath on him when I'm freaking out. Poor Dan. But he wasn't there so I kept it in. Luckily we got there in plenty of time even with the soul crushing traffic and we got a fine parking spot.

My only celebrity sightings in LA were while we were standing in line - America Ferrera and Amanda Seyfried. I hate being one of those people impressed by celebrity, but I can't help it, it was pretty cool. But it did manage to make me even more nervous and freaked out. And then Marc Maron walked by and many things happened all at once. My friend Nathan has done artwork for Marc Maron for the podcast (he is very talented) and so he actually knows Maron. We decided before we got there that this was my in for giving Marc the hat, and that Nathan should say hello to get his attention and that was where I would come in. And that was pretty much how it happened. Again, no pictures, which is sort of depressing. I would have been cool to have a picture of Marc in the hat, it fit him perfectly! It was all too fast to get a photo and I didn't want to be a bother. I mean, I really admire the man, but partly because of that I didn't want to hold him up or annoy him too much. So I basically said I flew down from Seattle to see him and I knit him a hat. Even though there are no photos, I can still remember the big smile that spread across his face as he put the hat on. That is part of what is so great about him as a performer/entertainer, he really appreciates his fans and all they do for him and treats them like friends.

I was pretty much shaking from head to toe after that, but it was a huge relief too. So much build up for that small moment, but it was done and I could finally just relax already. Why am I such a spaz? Seriously? The show ended up hilarious,  he had on Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit and a very "out there" comedian. It was definitely a weird experience, but I laughed until I cried and then after I tweeted to Marc that I hoped he liked the hat and I got a response, which as you know from previous blog posts always makes me super happy.

I know, I'm like a 14 year old girl.
It's the little things, you know?

The rest of my trip was great. I got to spend quality time with friends I hadn't seen in a long time, ate food, drank too much, laughed too hard and generally had an awesome time. I wasn't there for long, but I did find out just how much of a home body I am. I was only gone 2 nights and I missed my cats and Dan a ton. Also? I hate flying. Ugh. But it was worth it, not just to see Marc Maron, but to connect with my friends down there.

Here is the part that is going to sound like a big old love letter to Marc Maron, but you know, I just want to convert you all to listen to the podcast and also go see him at Laughs in Kirkland with me in February, or if you are in another state he is touring around, so you should catch him near you.

I of course think that Marc is a hilarious comedian, but the reason why I enjoy him and  his podcasts so much is more than him just being funny. He is a very intelligent and well spoken person who conveys very relate-able emotions through his podcast. I came in late to the podcast, discovering it at Bumbershoot in August because Donald Glover was at the taping and we happened to have some time to kill. But I've gone back and listened to most of them and his podcast is like a revelation. It is amazing to listen to him turning his life around, growing and changing as a person. Starting out as a downtrodden man in the midst of a divorce and a stalled career and using the podcast medium to change things. He is open and honest and raw, and this honesty inspires his guests to open up to him. He has an amazing amount of empathy and that makes the interviews so much more personal feeling than anything I've listened to before. It touches me and others and makes us feel less alone, just having someone to listen to that struggles, but still gets it.

I also really find the subject of comedy and the behind the scenes of it all to be extremely interesting, so that is a big part of it as well. I've been a comedy fan since I was a kid, it was one of the few things that my dad and I really related on in addition to music. I remember watching Cosby specials, Seinfeld's stand-up, The Gary Shandling Show and The Tracy Ullman Show at a pretty young age. It was something we shared that I loved and have continued to love throughout my life.

Marc Maron is known for having a bit of a temper, which I can relate to as I have similar anger issues. But just as the guest at the live taping I went to Brendon Burns said during the podcast "I am losing my warmth" it seems a little bit like Marc is losing his edge. Or maybe his edge was exaggerated. He seems happier, and I don't think he needs to be angry to be funny. His evolution is inspiring.

He is also incredibly accessible to  his fans, responding on twitter to people regularly as if we're just a bunch of his friends. It helps this hopelessly obsessive girl a bit, gives me more of a connection. Something that is super rare. I remember a podcast where he talks about meeting Lou Reed and wanting to have his moment with him and how you can never really have the full connection that you desire from someone you look up to in that way, and he was right. I'm probably not ever going to actually be one of Marc's friends, but I do feel included in a community of his fans, and I feel like he tries as hard as  he can to make his fans feel like friends, and that is enough for me.

I'll probably continue to have crazy anxiety about crap like this, like how I agonized over which of 4 shows to buy tickets to when he comes to do stand up in February, but I used my better judgment and did not actually buy tickets to more than one show because I don't want to seem like a LUNATIC. I promise, other than a crazy case of anxiety, I'm pretty sane. I SWEAR.

If you've made it this far into the ramblings from my brain, you should totally listen to the most recent WTF Podcast that came out on Thanksgiving. Marc says some lovely things about gratitude and touches on a lot of what I've talked about here.

Monday, November 1, 2010

I did, did you?

If you haven't voted, do it. If you have to wait until tomorrow, make sure to make time to do it. JUST DO IT ALREADY, JEEZE!
”King

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Goodbye Little Girl

Tomorrow is my 30th birthday. I have a few weird feelings about this, like didn't I *just* turn 21? Or wait, wasn't it just like, 2 years ago when I was still 18 years old and I didn't know what the hell I was going to do. Maybe I still don't know! And are those more grey hairs coming out of my head? How did this happen? This aging thing?

But then, didn't a ton of things happen in my twenties? Like, I moved out on my own, moved 5 different times, had a variety of roommates and lived by myself for the first time ever. I got a cat, had to put him to sleep and then got two more (and then another 1 later, but she really is Dan's still). I made a lot of new friends, maintained some really great old friendships, rekindled some friendships and alienated some along the way. I dated numerous guys, a good portion of them really lame. I had 1 long term relationship end, 1 terrible long term relationship unfold and then now am in the best relationship of my life and getting married next year. Lots of my friends got married or had babies or both. My mother survived breast cancer. I have had 7 different jobs in my twenties! Loads of things happened, so I guess the time didn't really fly like I thought. Or maybe it did. I don't know. I'm not even sure what time is.

I do know one thing, I have had approximately 5,968 different hairstyles from the ages of 20-30.

In fact, I made a nice photo set on flickr that you should check out featuring random photos of me throughout my twenties. And because blogs are boring without pictures, here is a teaser collage.

I like to take photos of myself. What?

Monday, October 18, 2010

And Don't Call Me Shirley

Dear Mr. Guy Who Shakes That Box In My Face For Money and then Gives The Peace Sign and Calls Me Darlin,

Please stop shaking that box in my face and giving me the peace sign. I just want to get some pho or walk to H&M and I find you very irritating. Also, shaking a box in peoples face and giving the peace sign isn't a job. Please find more productive employment.

Oh, and my name isn't Darlin' or Sweetie or whatever it is you say to me and every other woman who walks by.

Thanks,
J.See

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Kitty Picspam

It has been a while since I've posted pictures of the bitches, felt like it was time.






This is what success looks like!

I made marmalade!
 My first time and I couldn't be more proud. The only time I have ever made anything jam or jelly like was 3 years ago when I made pepper jelly. That almost feels like cheating because then I used packaged pectin. This time I used a recipe with just oranges, lemons, sugar and water and it came out great! I don't have a candy thermometer, so I couldn't check temperature, but I did a chilled plate test and that worked great. The marmalade set up perfectly! Within 30 seconds of removing the jars from the water bath I heard the lovely popping sound of a successful vacuum seal! It tastes really good, too. It is sweet, but really flavorful and I didn't scorch it at all while cooking. HOORAY!

Monday, September 27, 2010

like studying, only more fun

I often have people asking me to teach them how to do things that I do pretty easily, like cooking, canning, baking and knitting. Sometimes computer stuff, but I'm not really that technical, I'm just good at problem solving/figuring things out. But for all the homey stuff I do, I'd say I'm probably around 98% self taught. Sure, someone showed me how to cook the first time, and knit the first time, but after that it all came down to what information I could find in books, on TV or on the internet.

I was never a great student in school because I didn't really like doing homework. Now, by homework I mean the work part of the equation. Reading up on a subject and listening to lectures was fun for me and I always did incredibly well on tests. But if I needed to turn in a paper or my work on mathematical equations, etc, I never did well because I was super lazy. I just learn from absorbing. That is how it is with cooking for me. Like studying. I take the time to commit a recipe to memory as if I were preparing for an exam. Because it is hard to do everything so quickly, which is usually how things need to be done, when you have to stop every 30 seconds and read the next step. Now, I'm not saying I don't have the recipe with me when I'm cooking as a cheat sheet, I'm just saying I try to really know what I am about to do way before I actually do it. It is just better for the final result. So, nothing I do really takes any special skill other than researching the stuff so I know it well.

Also, finding out the science of things can help too. I really like to wing it when I cook things, but when it comes to baking and canning, you can't just make things up and expect them to work. There is a science to it, but if you know the science than you can figure out how to make subtle changes without ruining the overall result. In baking this usually means something like replacing a portion of liquid with another liquid to give it a different flavor, or using a different color sugar or a different type of flour to change the texture.

Canning is a little different, just because you really have to have something exact to make it safe. But there are a lot of safe and approved recipes, so if you research and study all of the recipes you can find, you can figure out how to merge them if you want to tweak things a little based on your preferred ingredients. For instance, I am making a recipe from Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) called Anna's Orange Marmalade currently (it is in the overnight phase right now), but because I read in a few other recipes that you can enhance the flavor by replacing the water with orange juice, and because I saw some lime added in yet another recipe, I replaced 1 cup of the water with lime juice I happened to have. It still has the right amount of liquid, just slightly changed to add a little extra sourness.

A big thing with all of this is finding out WHY you are doing something. Why do you need yeast in bread? Because it won't rise if you don't use it. Why do you need lemon juice or vinegar in canned salsa? Because you need a certain level of acidity to kill harmful bacteria. Why do you need to yarn over or knit into the front and back of a stitch? Because you need to increase a stitch. Once you start figuring out why things work the way they do, that is why you can be more creative. I see people having issues with their knitting more because they don't know how many stitch variations work, yet they also don't want to follow a pattern. I too don't like to follow certain patterns very strictly, but it is a lot easier if you know why a stitch does something so you don't need to follow a pattern. However, with lace, I have no patience for figuring out my own fancy patterns, so I stick to the instructions on those. But even when I have an exact pattern, I read the whole thing first to make sure I understand all the instructions and can anticipate what will be next.

It is all about studying up and knowing what you are doing. Nothing I do is all that complicated, I just spend a good amount of prep time figuring things out first so then I don't feel like I'm jumping into something scary.

Also, the biggest thing? If you do screw things up it isn't the end of the world. I've made some real messes for dinner before, and hand to unravel many a knitting project. I think we all need to learn to be a little less scared to mess up and less concerned about the wasted time, and more interested in the learning process.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Cooking Mania

And by mania, I mean the manic half of manic depression. Can't quite figure out what is "wrong" with me, but all I want to do is make stuff. But like, I don't really want to cook meals, I want to make mass quantities as if I were preparing for the apocalypse. I have 20 jars of pickles, 8 jars of salsa and tomorrow I'll have about 6 jars of orange marmalade. I'm not even done with the marmalade, but now I'm already completely obsessed with making pumpkin pie. But not just regular pumpkin pie, I want to make pumpkin pie from real fresh pumpkin. Oh, and I am already collecting recipes for the marmalade. My big plan right now is to make a twist on brie en croute with apricot jam, using the marmalade instead of the jam and Saint Andre cheese in place of the brie. I think it is going to be pretty spectacular. Also I found a really tasty crock pot recipe for orange marmalade curry chicken that I think I will make soon. I love curry!

It really does feel like a mild form of mania, like my brain can't stop running with all the ideas of things I can make. One minute I'm looking up tortellini recipes, next minute I'm bookmarking 5 recipes for my bread machine.

And of course, making all of this stuff in my cramped and messy kitchen without half the tools usually recommended for things like canning is a little crazy. I like to think of it as extreme cooking, like extreme sports. There is an element of danger. Like how I don't have jar tongs for removing processed jars from the pot of boiling water - so I scoop the jar up with a spoon and grab it with a pot holder, hoping that it doesn't slip out of my hand and trying to keep the boiling water from soaking through the pot holder and burning me. Or not using gloves to chop 3 pounds of spicy peppers and then scratching the inside of my nostril. Hm, maybe it isn't extreme cooking and is just dumb cooking.  I don't want to buy all the tools though, because I want to ask for them for my birthday, which is now less than a month away.

So until then, kitchen shenanigans will ensue. Extreme manic cooking for the apocalypse. 

Friday, September 24, 2010

I Have Issues: Sidewalk Rage

The streets of Downtown Seattle frustrate me, but not because of all the traffic. Most of you who know me know that I don't drive. And I don't mean I just don't have a car, I've never had my license. I learned to drive when I was 15, but I wasn't great at it and I feel like if you can't do something well you shouldn't do it at all, amiright? I think when I tell the story to new people it includes a few bits about my parents and how they never really wanted to let me practice because we like to avoid stress as much as possible in our family (aka laziness). I also talk about how two of my best friends in high school were in the same driver's ed car as I was and there was a little bit of ridicule and boy can I not take criticism well. How dare they laugh when I drove right up on to a street corner? OH, and then I mention how many car wrecks that both of those girls got in within the next few years after getting their licenses. I'm still not sure my best friend Shannon ever goes the actual speed limit. (Shannon - I say that with ALL the love in my heart!)

So, I take the bus and walk places. It isn't so bad. Not that I enjoy taking two hours out of my day to go visit my future in-laws, or having to leave events early because the last bus is coming, but I manage. Dan drives, but we also don't have a car, so that doesn't help so much. And even if we did have a car, I really really wouldn't want to drive it, and he wouldn't want to be my chauffeur as lovely as that idea sounds to me. I don't want to operate something that is a million times stronger than I am. I could like, hurt people or something. That would TOTALLY suck.

Also, I have this rage issue. Even when I'm not the one driving I will usually be the one getting angry at the guy cutting us off and end up flipping people off. Rage is not a good trait in a driver, I think. I don't want to find myself in a situation with someone who has even more rage than me, either. I could end up getting myself all shot up and crap. No good.

I mean, I can't even walk down the street without getting angry, which gets me back to my original point. The frustrating SIDEWALKS of Downtown Seattle. I work in the heart of the shopping area here, and that means that most of the people walking around do not have a specific destination. They are on the scenic route, leisurely window shopping and chatting along the way. This is not good for me and my rage issues, particularly when I DO have a specific destination, work for example. Don't all these well meaning individuals know that they are in my effing way? Why must they walk at a snail's pace? And then they walk in groups, side by side, so there is no way to pass. Add into it the weird promotional event happening outside of the mall that is spilling out onto the sidewalk with gawking onlookers and a hoard of Children International reps trying to get me to give them money and it is about enough to make me want to punch a baby. And it wells up inside of me so that by the time I get to work, even the slightest annoyance makes me seethe with fiery anger. Or maybe I'm on my way to catch a bus, and then I miss my bus by mere seconds. I want to take everything I am holding and just throw it on the ground. You know, like this guy:



I mean, I probably won't do it. Well, unless I've been drinking, then it is usually my cell phone that suffers in that situation. I'm trying really hard to be as nice as possible to my new iPhone, though. That would just be sad.

In short, it is probably a really good idea that I don't drive, considering just walking down the street can turn me into an angry gorilla on steroids.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Monday Musings

I just realized that I haven't posted in over a week, and that is totally against the rules, so here I go... without an actual topic.

I made more pickles today. I AM A PICKLE MACHINE. I have 21 jars of dill pickles now, I think that might be enough to last at least a month or two, right?

It is baby city all up in here. Dan's sister just had a baby a few weeks ago, and my friends Roxanne and Jessie are about to have a baby too. I went to their baby shower on Saturday, which was a wonderful little party with lots of old friends there. I gotta say, the whole thing is making me a little crazy, though. I mean, one thing at a time and all, I need to focus on the wedding planning and stuff, but BABIES. My ovaries are screaming, can you hear them?

I sort of fizzled out on the wedding planning, too. I guess I just have a lot planned already and now there isn't much to do other than wait until it is closer, but I was so hyped and now I'm just like, meh. I'm excited about the actual wedding, just not all the weird details I am eventually going to have to think about. Like, where is Dan going to find wedding pants that are long enough? Why does he have to be so tall? Hehe. And who is going to facilitate the food situation on the day of? And do we rent a car to get around? IS POTLUCK A NIGHTMARE?

Um, let me take a deep breath and talk about something else.

My new favorite thing in the whole world is Marc Maron's WTF podcast. He is hilarious and also so open and kind of raw, it is so wonderful to listen to. And it is so inspiring, listening to all these comedians talk about their careers. It does make me wish I were funnier or something. But of course, there also is so much about the craziness that goes along with being a comedian. A lot of neuroses. Although I am quite neurotic, so I kind of wish I had that crazy ability to make people laugh that would make the mental illness a little bit more worth it. Anyway, I can't stop listening. The Judd Apatow two-parter is a must listen.

I'm hoping that I can post something a little more entertaining later on this week, I'm just a little brain-dead right now. We've got big meetings at work this week, so perhaps over the weekend I'll get back to some regularly scheduled blogging. Until then, I LOVE PICKLES. Er, I mean, goodnight.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Preservation

I've suddenly become completely obsessed with making vast quantities of food for freezing or canning. Or, well, mainly I'm obsessed with making filled dumplings and pickles.

Last week I made possibly over 100 pelmeni Russian dumplings. Basically a simple noodle dough filled with a basic meat mixture of beef, pork, onions and spices and shaped similarly to tortellini. I had some at Bumbershoot that were really delicious and I had to make some. There are a ton in my freezer right now. I ate them for 3 or 4 meals and I'm sick of them, but now I know in a month when I have a craving, I can throw some in some boiling water.

I feel like I am preparing for something, like hibernation. Or maybe I'm just preparing for my own laziness. It is beginning to make me feel a little manic-depressive. I can go for weeks not wanting to cook a damn thing, but suddenly all I want to be doing is making these time consuming concoctions.

Kinda looks like my pickles are already too heavy for the shelf.
We're gonna need a bigger boat.
I made dill pickle chips and pickled green beans yesterday. My friend gave me a bunch of cucumbers from her garden because she has so many. I jumped at the chance because I've always wanted to make pickles. She is going to give me even more this week, so I'm going to make spicier spears. It was actually really fun and easy, and I think I was encouraged because all my jars sealed correctly. I had only canned once before and it was also successful, but it was 3 years ago, so I was a little nervous I'd mess up. So happy I didn't! In a few week's we'll be cracking some open for tasting. I really want to crack one open right now. I am all about instant gratification... perhaps canning isn't the best idea?

Tomorrow I am going to go to a local produce stand to buy some tomatoes for salsa canning. I figure I may as well keep at it while I'm feeling all manic, er, enthusiastic! I was going to make more pepper jelly, but why do something I've already done? Plus I think salsa would get used more than the pepper jelly. The recipe I'm using makes 6 pint jars. We'll be set all winter, and I hear that homemade salsa is much tastier than the crappy store stuff. Plus, any excuse to eat tortilla chips.

I want to make pickled cauliflower too. Maybe I'll pick up a head when I make my spicy pickles on Tuesday and just do it all at the same time. I always love the "hot mix" spicy pickled vegetable mix from the store, but I really just like the cauliflower part and none of the other crap in the jar. Plus, there is something slightly weird about it and I bet if I made it myself it would be much tastier.

I made pickled eggs today, too. This is something that most people I know act totally grossed out about, but they are effing delicious. If you like pickled salty things, and if you like deviled eggs, you would like them. I did an experiment months and months ago where I made 4 different kinds of pickled eggs, and the ones that were the best were ones that used white vinegar, salt, pickled jalapenos, hot sauce and chili powder. So I just made those in abundance today. The key with the eggs is a 50/50 water and vinegar mixture, plus spices and salt or sugar or a mixture of the two. I like eating one or two for breakfast.

I'm putting the dumpling situation on hold for right now until I get better supplies, although I did realize after I handed kneaded two batches of pelmeni dough that I indeed have a bread maker that I could have used to knead the dough for me. You know, rather than killing my hands and wrists for 45 minutes straight each time? But I'm sure it was totally character building.

That also made me realize that the whole time I've had this bread maker, I've never used it. That is just plain dumb. It is like fresh bread for dummies! You just dump everything in and turn it on. Why have I never used this thing? So I think tomorrow while I'm canning salsa, I'm also going to make a fresh loaf of rosemary bread. Because I can. (hehe, canning pun?) Oh, and because I like food. If you say you don't, you're either lying or YOU DON'T ENJOY LIFE.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

You are driving me 100% CRAZY

Allow me to get a little personal for a moment. My most recent ex-boyfriend, the one I was still living with when I met my fiancé (SCANDALOUS), and who I haven't spoken to in probably about two years, has had one of his email accounts hacked and has been sending me prescription medicine spam for about two weeks. The rate has increased to about 8 per day, so now every single time I open up my email I have one in my inbox and it still makes me jump a little every time I see his name sitting there. Yes, I know I can filter them directly to my spam, but I thought maybe I'd hear from him or something so I didn't do that initially. But now I've just started marking it as spam.

Anyways, it is making me a little crazy. If he were a normal person, I would just be able to text him or send him a message on facebook or something to let him know that his email account has been hacked. As it stands, I have no contact information for him, and when I told his sister she should let him know she didn't seem to know how to contact him either. He must be hiding from the world? I'm so glad I don't actually have to deal with this anymore.

P.S. If you're reading this, go deal with your damn email.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Henceforth he will be known as DGlov

Donald Glover, you guys. Comedian/Actor/Rapper/Writer (Hot/Fashionable/Nerd?)

Donald Glover. Childish Gambino. Derrick Comedy. Community.

No really, this guy. I just.

Ok, perhaps I should start again and write some sentences. Have you heard of Donald Glover yet? (I'm guessing if you have read my blog, your answer is yes - he's even on my LIST.) For one, he is the most popular Donald search on Google now, above Trump and way above Duck. Yet for some reason a lot of people I know don't know who he is. You should know who he is so you can partake in the greatness.

I'm probably not his biggest fan. There are a ton of people who didn't discover him on the new NBC sitcom Community and knew him first from Derrick Comedy. But Community was where I found him. I watched the show faithfully for the entire first season because Joel McHale is awesome (and hot), and also from where I live. He even went to the same drama school as Tall Dan, although years earlier.

I digress. Donald Glover! I fell in love with him the moment I saw this:


Ok, so I totally love Abed (Danny Pudi) too, but um, Donald makes me all swoony. So I looked up videos he was in and discovered Derrick and also a bunch of stand-up videos. My favorite was one where he talked about his Twitter account and how because someone (his dad I think?) had the screen name DonaldGlover already, so he did DonGlover. Which really looks a lot like DongLover. Tee-hee! Sadly, he changed it to MrDonaldGlover.

Speaking of Twitter, right around Christmas last year I almost DIED when I actually had this exchange with DONALD HIMSELF, OMG.
Can you EVEN?

It was just a small love at first, but it grew into full blown freak out fandom quite quickly (probably because I am a huge nerd). He's just so cute and funny, plus he is into FASHION. You guys, not a lot of straight dudes are that into fashion. Or at least the ones who are into fashion are also usually pretty irritating or pretentious. He may be pretentious, I'm not really sure. He at least doesn't seem like it, and so I can just hope he isn't, right?

I am totes in love with this picture from a photo shoot he did with Band of Outsiders for Spring 2010, SO CUTE OMG.
For more from this shoot, see HERE.

































 (as an aside, while looking for this picture I came upon some photos of Jason Schwartzman for Band of Outsiders and DIED)

I work in "the fashion industry", heh, so I appreciate me some fashionable men. I'm not saying Dan doesn't have some style, but you know, he likes t-shirts and jeans. And being 30 feet tall, pants are enough of a challenge let alone finding t-shirts that are long enough while not being a huge tent. Digressing again. Let me get back to my point...
 
Donald is good looking, talented, stylish, funny. The whole package. He got a job working as a writer for 30 Rock directly out of college, guys, and won an Emmy I think? And then he QUIT this good job to pursue stand up! He's pretty much a prodigy. I love how he plays Troy on Community, so good at being endearing even though he is supposed to be a dumb jock. They could have taken that character in such a cliche direction with another boring actor, but they didn't and it works amazingly well.

Oh, and did I mention he is now rapping under the name Childish Gambino? Now, being a nerdy white girl from Seattle, I don't know much about hip hop. Yes, I like Kanye West, but I like to call that rap music for white people (along with Girl Talk, which is for hipsters), you know, starter hip hop. But there was no way I wasn't going to at least give him a listen, and I really liked it. It isn't supposed to be comedy, but it is funny and witty. You should check it out, particularly his mix tape "I Am Just A Rapper" (the 1st, I like 2 as well, but the 1st one is AWESOME!)
 
So now that I'm fully worked up into a total tizzy, he is coming to town!!!!1one!1 Yes, he is doing stand-up in Seattle at Bumbershoot, a long running popular music festival we have, this coming weekend and I am SO EXCITED. We're only going 1 day, and he just happens to be performing all 3. I'm going early even though he doesn't start until way later because there are these comedy passes you can get for certain shows to guarantee access, and you better believe I will move heaven and earth to make sure I am there. Or else I will perish! Oh, the drama! But another reason to be excited about this is that he will be in Seattle for THREE WHOLE DAYS. Which means I can pull some stalkerish shit, right? Who's with me? Let's stalk Donald Glover!

I only wish I were that ballsy/adventurous. I mean, I'd totally love to meet him and all, and I'd like to think I'd have something interesting to say, but I imagine it would most likely end up like this:

Thursday, August 26, 2010

The List

Dan and I recently made our lists. If you don't know what this means, let me refer you to this video (linked due to embedding being disabled).

Video: It's Laminated

Ok, so when we made our lists we used our phones. Here is my list:

I, like Ross, have had a hard time deciding who makes the final cut. Originally Joel McHale was not actually on my list. For some reason I had a temporary memory problem and didn't realize how hot he was? I was reminded last weekend while up late watching old reruns of a local sketch comedy show called Almost Live! that Joel was on before he became all famous. His hair wasn't as good as it is now, but he was so cute even back then. And cute + funny = a winning combination for Jessica. Also, it was really weird seeing him in the same sketch with Tracey Conway, who lives in my neighborhood and I regularly see walking her dog. Like, why can't Joel just be walking his dog in my neighborhood, dammit?

The problem with adding Joel is that I had to decide who to cut, and I'm still not 100% sure I made the right decision. Dan thought I should take off Donald Glover because my other celebrity crushes have been on my internal list much longer, but NO ONE MESSES WITH MY DGLOV! So that wasn't an option. Another thought would be to take off Paul Bettany, because while I think he is possibly one of the hottest men in the universe, I tend not to obsess over him quite as much. But then I thought about his butt in A Knight's Tale and well, HIS BUTT. There really is no question about Hugh Laurie and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. JGL is just a given, see exhibit A and exhibit B. And um, Hugh Laurie? House? Yes please. Wooster? I'll take a double order, thanks. Mr. Palmer! Totally. I could go on, but I think just the photo speaks for itself. Who could turn down those eyes?


So I removed Jake Gyllenhaal. Yes, I know, he may actually be the most adorable person in the known universe, and now I'm starting to regret his removal for Joel. But Joel is so cute! And did I mention funny? Community is the best sitcom in years! But do I really need two representatives from the same show? Also, he is a freaking family man. That actually makes me feel slightly guilty for lusting after him. For some reason it doesn't bother me with Hugh, his family has been around for a while and his kids are grown and stuff. And while Paul Bettany has a wife and children, his wife Jennifer Connelly is on Dan's list! We could just swap for a night, no hard feelings! But Joel, his wife is all cute and they are all young and have young babies and they are just so SO cute.


That is my dilemma. Which isn't really a dilemma because well, you know. Dan couldn't even make his full list, he just put Jennifer Connelly and Scarlett Johansson. Of all the hot famous ladies in the world he could only come up with two. So picky, that one. I mean, I guess that says something good about me? I don't know.

I suppose lamination is out, then. Luckily I can update my  list on my iPhone notepad, or else I'd really be in trouble. So fickle.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Oh, Joe

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I just LOVE YOU SO EFFING MUCH.



Originally found HERE on JGL's tumblr.

Nightmare on Dan Street

I'm in your brain, making you scared.

Tall Dan(tm) has what we think may be night terrors. Let me use an article from another website to explain.

"What Are Night Terrors?
Night terrors are known by several names: sleep terrors, night terrors, sleep terror disorder and pavor nocturnus. In all cases, the sleeper has very frightening dream episodes which, in turn, cause the sleeper to experience extreme physical effects for anywhere from five to thirty minutes. The sleeper may twist around in bed or sit up and cry out as a result of their fear, often with their eyes wide open in a stare, even though they remain asleep. 

A person with night terrors may also experience other physical changes which are usually associated with fear such as:
  • Rapid breathing – The sleeper can appear to be panting or trying to catch their breath.
  • Increased heart rate – The heart can be felt through the chest with a rapid rhythm.
  • Sweating – The sleeper might be sweating all over and may appear flushed as if they have been running.
Some people remember that they had a night terror the next morning. They may even remember what was frightening them and that they could not seem to wake up. They may remember vague images of frightening animals such as spiders or snakes or people who were trying to hurt them. On the other hand, most sleepers have no memory of the night terror when they wake up." 

The focus is on the highlighted portion above. But take the sitting up and crying out and add in him violently grabbing me and/or shielding me from whatever the scary thing happens to be. Sometimes he'll even talk to me, saying things that make absolutely no sense. Usually this happens when I am 100% sound asleep, dreaming of cute kittens and Donald Glover. Imagine being ripped from your happy place by someone who is acting like bombs are falling on your bed.

This happened a few nights ago, which also happened to be a night during our most recent heat wave. Our apartment gets very, very hot and I don't handle heat well when trying to sleep. We actually stayed up pretty late that night because it was so hot and we knew that we probably wouldn't get any quality sleep time until it had at least dipped below 80 degrees outside. I may have taken a vicodin and a benadryl to help with the sleeping (Just as an aside, I am not a drug addict, I spend way too much money on clothing to be able to afford a drug habit as well) so when my head finally hit the pillow I drifted to dreamland pretty much immediately. I'd say about 1:30 AM, maybe a little less than an hour after going to sleep, I was jolted awake by Dan violently sitting up, saying something loud and incoherent and putting his arm across me to hold me down. Remember "stopping short" from Seinfeld? Kind of like that, only scary and not at all funny. You may think I should be used to this, after all he has done it many times before. You forget that I was just woken from the sleep of the dead and my drug addled brain couldn't handle such things. So I basically thought it was zombie apocalypse time.

Thinking we were all about to die, I yelled "WHAT?" at him and he just stared at me, not moving, breathing heavily. Again, "WHAT? WHAT IS THE MATTER? WHAT IS HAPPENING?" and nothing, just *blink blink* crazed stare. I think then I shook him and asked him what the hell was going on. As soon as he started becoming aware of what was going on, I proceeded to flip out. I screamed and then went into the bathroom to calm the eff down. This is not a good way to deal with the situation, I realize, but my adrenaline was pumping and I had just prepared myself for zombies, so I wasn't feeling so great. Turns out Dan thought someone was coming in the bedroom to get us (maybe zombies?). At least I know when zombies do actually come in the bedroom to get us, Dan will try to protect me. He's a nice man.

Usually it is a giant spider or something equally scary and gross that is somewhere in the bedroom and about to get on me or him or kill/eat us. After a few minutes he either goes right back to sleep or wakes up and is all, "it seemed so real!" Here is my favorite exchange from one of his episodes:

Dan: OH MY GOD! (shoots straight up from bed and points at the closet)

Me: What is it?!

Dan: Oh my god, he's stuck! (still pointing at the closet)

Me: Who is stuck? (thinking somehow our cat Ron is stuck somewhere, even though the closet is closed and barricaded shut by laundry baskets)

Dan: HE IS STUCK!!! (more panic)

Me: Who, Dan, who is stuck? And where? (more panic)

Dan: Bob, he's stuck in the closet!

Me: Who is Bob?

Dan: A Pokemon.

Me: Um, hey Dan, go back to sleep.

Dan: What? Oh, ok.
PIKA! I'm in your closet! PIKA!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Mid Week

I just realized I didn't post one single thing last week, so I should probably update at least a little bit. Last week my cat Ron got sick and it was expensive, found out some bad news regarding my mom's health, worked my butt off getting ready for a big work meeting this week, forgot to take my antidepressants for too many days and ended the week with drinking too much, causing me to become very ill on Sunday. Good job, Jess.

This week I am in said big work meeting, which means my time when I get home is spent vegetating on the couch/bed trying as hard as I can not to use my brain for much. Also, this weekend I intend to spend time outside and perhaps try and change my skin color from palest pale to possibly tan. Or, more realistically, lobster. I'm going to try and get some knitting in, but I'm not sure blogging will be high on the list. But for you, dear 7 readers I actually have, I promise that next week I will work on something more substantial. Most likely a post all about my newest favorite obsession, writer/actor/comedian/rapper Donald Glover, who my friend Linda (hi Linda!) has christened DGlov. I love DGlov, the person AND the new nickname. Bet you can't wait to hear ALL about it.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Happy Birthday Kate Bush!

Lady Gaga only wishes she were half as weird as Kate Bush... and wishes she had 1/100th of her talent. She has been my favorite since I was a little 5 year old dancing around in our living room and accidentally skipping the record jumping to close to the player. She is unbelievably gorgeous and has the voice of a freaking angel.

And I don't really think I should be comparing Lady Gaga to her because she was more than a pop singer, at least to me. But I do think she did that wacky stuff way better than Gaga ever could. She didn't seem like she was trying to hard, she just seemed like she really was just that eccentric.She's really into that interpretive dance. For me sometimes it is almost embarrassing to watch it is so weird.
But a lot of people these days aren't familiar with her, so since it is her birthday I thought I'd post the videos of some of my favorite songs so you can witness the weirdness and listen to the greatness.






Wuthering Heights was my favorite when I was a kid and I read the book because of it. I was pretty young, though, so I don't remember much and should probably reread?


Cloudbusting! Donald Sutherland! YAY! Funny enough, Organon was the first brand of birth control pills I took when I was a teenager and it always made me think of this song.


Babooshka - I totally didn't understand this song right when I was little. I still kind of don't.


The Kick Inside - I've never seen this before, but I sure do love this beautiful song.


And of course no Kate Bush post would be complete without Running Up That Hill, which I think to this date is her most popular song in the US. Placebo's cover is tops, check that out too.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Joseph Gordon-Levitt aka hitRECordJoe

Those of you who know me might now that I sometimes fixate on certain celebrities. Crushes, if you will. I went through a really wild Alan Rickman phase a few years ago that may or may not have to do with my little Harry Potter addiction. Or perhaps that his portrayal of Colonel Brandon in the film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility was pretty much amazingly sexy? I then had to run out and watch every movie I could get my hands on that he was in. Eventually the obsession faded, but when I watch Love, Actually I still get all twitterpated even though his character is a stupid jerk who should not even THINK about cheating on Emma Thompson with that secretary harlot.

Anyways, you get the general idea.

So I have in the past had this obsession with JGL. I can trace its roots back to 3rd Rock from the Sun, although I wasn't really a huge fan of the show and didn't watch further than some episodes in the first season. I'm just saying I thought he was cute even back then. Because he was. Funny, I just watched a video on his tumblr blog that was from a Rolling Stone interview (that I highly recommend watching) where he mentions in passing that he looked like a girl back then. No, Joe, you looked like a really adorable adolescent boy with pretty hairs. Now, when I think about it at this moment I think it is weird that I thought an early teenage boy was totally cute, but then I realize that he and I are the same age and it really isn't all that strange. My boyfriend at the time had a similar slightly feminine aesthetic and the girls in my high school ate it up. (He was pretty delicious, I must admit.)

That isn't really when my obsession started, though. I mean, I totally liked him in 10 Things I Hate About You, but I wasn't all super swoony (I was over Heath Ledger... dang, now I'm all bummed). No, it was when I saw Mysterious Skin that my obsession began to blossom. That movie is super depressing, and JGL plays a homosexual teenage prostitute. He is 100% fantastic in this film and after watching it I had to watch more. I totally recommend Brick and The Lookout as well. Brick really made me feel all swoony! You know, I never saw Shadowboxer because I don't think he had a huge role in it, but now that I see this photo I think it may be something I have to go back and watch.
OH MY GOODNESS!























So one day while I was bored at my old job I started googling him (boy do I wish that was something dirty) and I found a website he had recently started Hit Record and started reading about it. It isn't like a hit record that sells a million copies, it is like hitting the record button to make a record of something. It is all about art - music, film, photos, paintings, performance, etc. In the beginning there was a lot of his films, music and art creations, or "records" and I was just totally fascinated. He is handsome, talented, smart, interesting, creative. Dude, the guy has it GOING ON. Back then I was totally in a bad relationship and had just lost a crazy amount of weight, so I would just sit and fantasize all day about going to LA to visit friends or something and meeting him at a party and well, stuff. It was dorky and lame, but I loved having an obsession. Not a lot of young, hot Hollywood actors make me feel all fluttery inside because they just don't seem like real people and they aren't that interesting. Here was this man opening himself up for everyone to see. And it felt like a secret because it was pretty low key and wasn't flashy celebrity crap.

But I'm not super hard core like those "Twi-hards" and creepy "Twi-moms", so eventually my extreme affections faded into an appreciation for a talented actor/artist. I've watched his movies, like 500 Days of Summer where all I could think through the whole thing is that Zooey must be a loon for not falling for those dimples, and OH that dance scene, HOW CUTE IS HE? So yeah, I still really like him, but I'm not obsessed with him. Oh, Wait.

Seriously, though, have you seen Inception yet?
Cut to last Sunday, seeing Inception with Fiance and his brother. OH.MY.GOD. Designer suits. Slick hair. Floaty fight scenes. And I suppose I have noticed it before, but did you hear his low voice? Sexy. SEX-EEEE. It was a little like porn, not to mention the fact that there is plenty of other eye candy in that movie and it is also visually stunning and very interesting. So I'm back, guys. I am almost 30 and getting married, and he is almost 30 and all famous, but in my drifting mind he is like, one of my good friends or something, who has a crush on me and is secretly sad that I am getting married. Wait, what? This is my brain folks, for reals. Right after I got home I watched Uncertainty which was really weird, but there is a sex scene and lots of making out and damn, Gina. Just sayin'. I'm all hooked again. And it isn't just his looks, he just seems awesome. I can't quite put my finger on it. Or he's just adorable. I don't know, guys.

It is nice to see that Joe has made Hit Record into his very own production company featuring art from real people all over the place. He even helps them profit from it. I totally renewed my membership to the website today, and while I'm not sure I'm as creative as other people on there, I figure I can bring a knitter voice into the equation. Particularly because lately I've been feeling like doing some more artistic things with my knitting, rather than functional. I've seen some really amazing installation art done with knitting. I'm super interested in that.

Or perhaps I just rejoined to see more videos of JGL like this one from the terms of service agreement.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Ron is NOT amused.

I was all "Hey Ron, check out my new photo booth style photo application!" and he was all "Dude, you're all up in my grill."



MAPYP27A3CW2

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

iHeart my iPhone

I need to use the camera more, because seriously, it is amazing compared to every other camera phone I've had. Plus it has more megapixels than my old digital camera.


Seriously. Look at this.
Summer Blossom 1

Summer Blossom 2

These are from the Hipstamatic App, the main reason I wanted an iPhone and not some other fancy smart phone. And I'm happy with it. It makes me appear more creative than I actually am.

So, yes, I know I pay insane amounts of money per month for service, particularly insane from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't use their phone for much other than calls. But I don't even like talking on the phone. I really love all the wacky apps and games and I don't care that you think it is dumb or that the Evo is better. I love my damn iPhone. Yeah, I said it. It may have taken me a few years, but here I am. In love.

I'm going to go make out with my phone now, excuse me.
Old Skool

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Fried Chicken with a side of Wedding

There is this salad at the Nordstrom Cafe that is described as a parmesan crusted chicken salad that I really like. But as I was eating it today, I realized what they should really call it is a fried chicken, bacon and egg salad. I mean, that's really all that is in it. Oh, that and some avocado and fatty delicious dressing. I am serious when I say that this salad is good. Really good. BUT IT IS NOT A SALAD. Ok? Oh yes, there are some vegetables, I think a few pieces of tomato, corn and some greens? But just because you put a layer of leaves under something doesn't make it healthy. In fact I think I may have been better off eating a big mac and fries. I think the last bite I ate consisted of hardboiled egg and bacon drenched in fat.

I am not eating well is my point. Not at all. Yet someone yesterday who has been gone from work for a few weeks asked me if I've lost weight. Really? I doubt it. But I haven't gained any that I can tell. I should weigh 300 pounds. The fact that I'm even upset about my weight is comical considering I do absolutely nothing about it 90% of the time.

In other news, I'm getting married. Since I have all of about 5 readers, I'm sure you already know. It's weird, being engaged. I hate calling Dan FIANCE. It doesn't come out right. Boyfriend does. I hope I don't have this same issue with husband. I think husband at least sounds less pretentious. I guess I have a year to get used to fiance. I am and also am not a huge fan of talking about wedding things. Like, on one hand I love talking about the wedding details because I feel so creative and have really enjoyed reading and looking at new ideas and coming up with some interesting things of my own. On the other hand, I totally feel weird because I'm not able to invite everyone I know. So I need to not talk about it because I don't want to hurt people's feelings, but we're having it somewhere already possibly too small, so I can't just keep inviting people. Also, what is up with the advice, people? I mean if you have planned a lot of weddings or your wedding was crazy cool and interesting and you just want to tell me about it, that's cool. But if you just feel like my ideas are dumb and that I should do things differently? Please, oh PLEASE just keep it to yourself. I have it covered. Unless I asked you a question, don't give me your answer. I'm not trying to be bitchy, I just feel like people aren't even suggesting at this point, they are telling me what I should do. I'm not a fan.

I'm also not a huge fan of people acting like I'm ridiculous for planning so early. It's ok with me if you want to wait until the last minute and freak out with everything you have to do right before your event, but that doesn't work for me. I am easily stressed. If I have details worked out way ahead of time, that is just how I roll. I couldn't handle leaving it all to the last minute, my head would explode. Like, literally. BOOM. Poor Dan would be all alone. DO YOU WANT THAT PEOPLE? Well, do you?

Anyway, I just wish people would stop acting like I'm doing something weird or being a freak. I have the ideas, so why not dive right in?

I totally received a few compliments on my blog recently and realized that I always have fully intended to keep it up and then get lazy. Maybe now that I have a wedding to blog about, it can be here where I talk about it rather to friends who may feel slighted. Or maybe I'll be lame and get lazy again. Aren't you excited to find out? Heh.

_MG_9682-2
(Click photo for full size, plus the rest of our ENGAGEMENT photo shoot. I know, right?)

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

You're right next to me, but I need an airplane

Sometimes I pretend like you never even happened, but today I wanted to say that I thought of you and wondered how you are. I remembered for a minute while listening to China by Tori Amos on the bus. Pretty much sums it up, don't you think?

"Sometimes I think you want me to touch you,
How can I when you build a great wall around you,
In your eyes I saw a future together,
You just look away in the distance."

Monday, May 24, 2010

I was always sick, my life's a hospital.

I caught the end of the episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that Kourtney gives birth in the other day. I don't watch that show generally, but I think The Soup or something was on right after? No really, I don't watch it!

Anyhoozle, there was this part where Kim was hiding in the bathroom because they wouldn't let more than 2 people in the room during the birth? And all I could think was "let? really?" because you better believe when I give birth I will have WHOEVER I WANT IN THE ROOM. And then I realized, that is why home birth or specialized birthing centers are a better option, and why having a good midwife and birth doula are also important. I get it, the doctor doing the delivery didn't want too much going on in the room, but I feel like if a mother to be wants all of her sisters in the room with her then she should be able to be the one to decide.

Also, breast feeding, people. Why are there still people not doing this? Don't they know it is important in so many ways? And that there are organizations to help you with it if you are having trouble? Don't even get me started.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Hello Strangers!

I go back and forth on whether or not I should be blogging in my livejournal or on here, and sometimes livejournal wins when I feel like speaking my mind without worrying about public viewing. I know less people read here than they do on lj, but I also know that there are people not on lj that read this and were asking me to update my blog more. So here I go!

So, I'm doing/feeling pretty good lately. I still have some pretty down days, and a hardcore case of the lazies (and the I-don't-wanna-cleans), but generally things are good and I feel like listing out the good things. Because what is more uplifting than to focus on the positive things in your life?

I'm not going to say that I came up with this idea on my own, though. The wonderfully talented blogger Laurie over at Crazy Aunt Purl has been putting up these great "three things" posts inspired by an email exchange she used to have with her friend daily where they would share three good things. I really love the idea, and since my brain is full of all the great and wonderful things I have going on right now, I'm copying her. (I might have more than 3, though!)

1. My Job
I may not have been able to say this a year ago or even 6 months ago, but right now at this very moment I am so happy about my job and the direction it is going in. I think there could be great things on my horizon. My boss and I are getting along better than ever, and I feel like I'm building great relationships with people, trying hard to give my work everything I have and just basically totally owning my job and responsibilities. I have to say that part of the positive attitude comes from a lot of praise I've received lately and that just pushes me to do even better. It is amazing how positivity can beget more positivity. Also, the team of people I work with is really amazing. We all just seem to like each other and work together so well.

2. Dan aka The Tall Guy(tm)
Next Wednesday, May 26th will mark the 3rd anniversary of when we met. At the time I was unhappy and frustrated with my life, and not really looking for a new relationship. I just have to say that I am so very glad I decided that I needed to get out of the house and go out to a party with some friends. These three years have been quite an interesting adventure and I'm very happy to have Dan in my life. He has definitely changed things for the better.

3. Shape
I'm out of shape and I'm really not all that happy with my current shape. But I can say this - I weigh probably 20 pounds less now than I did 6 months ago and that feels good. I even paused in my weight loss pursuit and exercising about 2 months ago and still lost a few pounds rather than gaining in that time. That felt good because it tells me that even though I'm not "dieting" that I am at least I have finally learned to eat right and maintain. I hope to lose another 20 pounds in the last half of the year and I am positive that I can.

4. Babies (no, I'm not having babies yet)
Two couples that I am close to are having babies and I couldn't be more excited for them. It really is a miracle no matter how often people do it. Makes me look forward to having my own at some point once things settle down in my land. I love hearing about all things pregnancy and baby related, so it is lovely to suddenly be surrounded by pregnant ladies.

I think I'll save any other happy thoughts for a later date. I have to keep a few secrets to myself for now.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Haiti Donations

The very best way you can help with the earthquake in Haiti is by donating.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Creepy Mannequins

I bought a creepy mannequin head to display my knitting on! Ok, she isn't that creepy, but i mean, mannequins are just creepy in general. I think the weirdest thing about her is that she looks a little too real. Like, hi, there is a disembodied head just sitting in my apartment. Dan is totally creeped out.

Here she is modeling a hat I finished about a month ago and never took photos of with the button sewn on.

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