I hate to cop out, but in order to easy my transition from tight-lipped recluse to blabbermouth blogger, I may have to employ the bullet format. And so it shall be!
Right off the bat, can someone please give me permission to get this necklace? I don’t really need it but I sure do want it.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I just got these earrings.
I used Blue Bird Baby’s easy-peasy tutorial to make this purse:
I added a few inches to the dimensions ’cause I like big bags although it sure is a pain in the ass when I can’t find my keys. Why don’t I do something sensible like always putting them in same place? Nope - too practical.
And speaking of bags, my Dad and I donated to Obama’s campaign last week and he ordered an Obama tote for me ’cause he knows what a bag fiend I am. Sweet, huh?
The girls and I watched Annie Hall a few weekends ago. I had never seen it but it looks like dating has changed much since then. It was cool to see such a young Diane Keaton in her sassy masculine duds.
I made a YUMMY vegetable casserole last week based on this recipe. I skipped the tortillas, cottage cheese, and feta and just combined everything else. I sauteed the onion, zucchini, and mushrooms first. The results were DELICIOUS but next time I won’t include avocado because when cooked, it tasted like eggy poo.
This week I made this chickpea salad recipe but pared it down to just chickpeas, kalamata olives, lemon juice, red-wine vinegar, olive oil, and oregano. And a little tip I’ve learned is to rinse the chickpeas really well whenever they’re canned. Otherwise they have an ucky, tinny flavor.
My girls are leaving town for the holiday, so it will probably be a low-key weekend for me. I can report that I’ve also been hanging out with a VERY sweet gentlemen friend.
Boys are smelly.
Why is it that even at the advanced age of 31, I still act like a teenager when my boss goes out of town? Just the thought of the potential long lunches and opportunities to hoard office supplies gets me giddy!
Westward Bound tagged me for a meme - I haven’t played in awhile so here goes. Please feel free to join in the fun!
The rules are to link the person who sent it to you, mention these rules in your blog, then (the fun part) tell us about 6 random, unspectacular quirks that you possess. Then tag 6 others to do the same.
You know how some people just can’t stand certain things? Like my high school friend Jamie HATED tags on anything but blankets especially. She had gone to preschool with a kid who sucked on his blankie’s tag and it tainted her for life. Well my thing is that I can’t stand little pieces of balled-up paper, like napkins, or especially gross to me is wet straw paper. It’s just so gnarly and soppy.
Anytime I hear a noise or sound, I automatically match the pitch without thinking about. I can’t help myself! I guess it’s from music and singing being a big part of my life. The only other person I’ve met who does this is my good friend B. I found out when we were sitting outside a jazz club one night and a car drove by laying on the horn. Without missing a beat we both matched the pitch. At that moment, we knew we were destined to be in the same unit in the mental hospital.
I sometimes have distressing dreams about having to walk barefoot on a filthy locker room floor that’s wet and covered in hair. It’s the ultimate disgust to me. (This is getting kind of embarrassing, but I’ll press on.)
Every time I come home, I make a big fuss over Abby and how much I missed her. I can see it makes her so happy and it makes me feel good too. I want to be sure to remember to do this even when I have a bustling family. Animals are very important!
In high school, this guy in my German class (who strangely enough is that same kid who sucked his blankie tag in preschool - small town) said something that nearly caused me to pee in my pants. He heard some name that was one of those first name last names and then in a funny voice said, “Bill Frank.” I know it doesn’t sound that funny but I couldn’t stop laughing, which was bad because I got in trouble in German class ALL THE TIME. My best friend Kim and I even had to be separated for being loud and laughing and talking. Poor Frau Seglestrom - she was flummoxed because I was naughty but still got all As. Everyone called her “Frau,” which she explained was sort of an insult but no matter how hard she tried, people wouldn’t stop.
And speaking of high school, I said “F*ck you” to my gym teacher my sophomore year. Remember that I lived in a town with only 1100 people and my Dad was the minister at a local church. Ooooo, I got in SO much trouble - my Mom made me wash the outside of the windows of our house and I cried the whole time like Cinderelly. It was relatively scandalous though. It’s just that teacher was such a bitch and I lost my cool one day. The funny thing was that she heard SOMEONE say it but didn’t know who it was. We were all in the girls locker room. She threatened to give everyone detention if the guilty party didn’t come forward. Finally I went into her office and asked to use some lotion and as I was putting it on my legs I said, “Oh, I was the one who said it.” Heh - so savvy!
(Those last 2 weren’t really quirks but with my 100 Things and 50 More Things, it’s hard to keep coming up with quirks!)
Being a GRITS (girl raised in the south), I’m a big fan of iced tea. There was always a pitcher in the fridge growing up - it was my family’s staple beverage. Thank the Lord my parents had the presence of mind to make sure we only used artificial sweetener in our tea (although I know that can be bad for you too.) Of course sugar-sweetened tea is good, but as you know it’s decidedly not good for you.
At covered-dishes (translation for Yankees = “potlucks” or “pitch-ins”), my grandmother would set out a tiny pitcher of simple syrup for people to pour into their glistening glasses of freshly-made iced tea. When I’m having a bad day, I like to think of that tiny pitcher and then imagine myself pouring its contents into my gaping, drooly maw.
Ahem.
It’s hard to get good iced tea at restaurants in the Midwest but Panera is an exception. Their tea is brewed perfectly and freshly everyday. I’ve been stopping by every morning to get a large iced tea with 3 lemons wedges, which lasts me the entire day. (The number of wedges is important to maintaining the perfect lemon-to-tea ratio!) The Panera cashiers know me by name now and one of them suggested I save my cup and bring it in for a free refill every other day instead of buying a new one each day. Wasn’t that so nice of her? I’m wondering if I can extend this policy to other stores. Like for example, I’m running out of some Victoria’s Secret lotion of mine, so maybe I’ll just bring in the empty tube and see if anybody notices me refilling it from a new one. One of those buxom cashiers would probably try to stab me with the pointy cups of her über bra.
I saw something at Post Secret a few weeks ago that I thought was sweet. If you don’t know, someone set up a P.O. box for people to send anonymous secrets too. Each week, some of them are posted on the site. They range from goofy to heart-breakingly tender. They’ve even been compiled in several books. Here’s the one that caught my eye:
He/She’s totally paying it forward! I guess it’s sort of ripping off Target but I’m pretty sure they rake in enough dough from my impulse, red-sticker buys alone. And that damn Dollar Spot? IRRESISTIBLE!
It seems like nowadays most people wear earbud-type headphones instead of the old school kind, which I vastly prefer. That said, I realized recently why I hated earbuds so much - I was shoving them too far into my ear! I finally discovered that the little bastards need only be placed on the cusp of your ear canal to impart plenty of sound. But now I’m beginning to wonder if my, um, ear holes are unusually small or something, because my earbuds fall out all the time. It’s so irritating! I’ve always had ear problems, starting with needing tubes in my ears when I was a tot, so maybe I’m also the carrier of some mutant gene that makes one’s ear canal incompatible with certain shapes, which come to think of it, is probably a useful trait to have.
I miss proper headphones! Am I the only gen Xer whose had difficultly making the transition from voluptuous, cushiony pads to oddly-shaped nobules destined to be coated in ear wax? Even the headband was useful for holding back my hair while I was exercising. In fact, I still insist on wearing formidable Sony headphones when I’m exercising. I don’t have an iPod either so I lug around my Discman, further making me look like a Neanderthal among modern folks, but I’ve long since grown accustomed to mortification, so it doesn’t bother me much anymore. Still, if you see someone waddling along jammin’ to Baby Got Back on her massive headphones, give ‘er a thumbs-up - it will make her day!
The things you come up with when you’re drunk are often priceless gems of wisdom. Intoxication shines the light on these telling witticisms you might not otherwise ponder. I beheld such wisdom Saturday night after the Death Cab concert. I went with my buddy AZBad, who earlier in the day had the pleasure of using a homemade Margarita machine her friends had scored at a yard sale. As AZBad described it, it was a cooler with a garbage disposal inside and a hole drilled in the bottom. I’m pretty sure we can all agree that Margaritas in bulk = AWESOME. Needless to say, AZBad had a few and topped them off with some wine at the concert. She wasn’t trashed, but she was tipsy enough to find her way into that altered state during which we pontificate the best. As we waited in a long line of cars trying to leave a parking lot, she’s suddenly offered:
“You know, you spend a lot of time looking at the backs of cars. But if you think about your car, you don’t picture the back of it.”
SO true, yet nothing any sober person would note. She went on to tell me that she’s grown to hate the backs of certain cars. She’s apparently put quite a lot of thought into this topic. If you’re interested in participating in a round table discussion to further expound on it, let me know!
P.S. I forgot to mention that at the concert, (lead Singer) Ben Gibbard said “…subvert dominant paradigms,” and I wanted to throw my undies on stage. He was commenting on a group of people in the audience who weren’t acting status quo. Isn’t it hot when boys are well-spoken?
That pretty much sums up Saturday night’s Death Cab concert. The band was as awesome as ever and I fell in love with the venue - The Lawn at the White River State Park. It’s a rolling, grassy knoll overlooking a sound stage set against the river. The view is great no matter where you sit. You can cop a squat or use the free folding chairs. (Note: Those babies are so low to the ground they’re like sleds.) That’s one thing I love about Indy - sure, we’re the 13th largest city in the U.S. but we still have intimate concert venues and relatively easy parking.
At the concert, my feet were lookin’ stylish and feelin’ delightfully cushioned thanks to my new Crocs. (I ordered mine from Piperlime, which offers free shipping, even for returns.) I originally thought I’d get Mary Janes but ended up choosing Malindis and I LOVE ‘em. They’re comfortable, sassy, and free of all that holey Croc armor.
Oh, and one more thing: Would all my spawning friends please make a concerted effort to have girls? Everyone is having (or has already had) boys and boy baby sewing projects are fun but OH MY GOD, have you seen the stuff for girls? It’s all so cute, I have to slam my hand in a drawer to temper the sweetness.
P.S. Enjoy some Yelle - it’s fun, bubbly French pop! (Give it a few seconds to buffer.)
Are you one of those sissies who’s all “It’s only June - I hate to turn on the air conditioner already?” If so, I don’t think we can be friends because I am so not that girl. Maybe it’s from growing up in the south, where we’re liberal in our use of air conditioning (and butter.) I don’t crank it for every passing hot flash but when it’s time, IT’S TIME.
I finally saw the Sex & the City movie last weekend. I’ve been excited for months and months, even though I sort of agree with the feminist perspective. Still I’m a big fan. For me the show wasn’t about shoes and cocktails, rather the girls’ friendships. One of my favorite examples is in this clip. Carrie agrees to participate in a fashion show but totally biffs it on the runway. I LOVE Miranda’s reaction once she’s picked herself up (excuse the subtitles):
The movie’s portrayal of the friendships was lovely and moving. I also liked that the characters were allowed to age. There’s even a sans-make up close-up of Carrie lookin’ pretty rough but I appreciated it because we can’t always be camera ready. Overall it was a fun flick but I hated the way the Carrie/Big sitch ended. It didn’t feel right to me. (I can’t believe Darren Star didn’t consult with me about the screenplay!)
Did I mention that I’m going to the Death Cab concert on Saturday? AZBad is comin’ into town to join in the fun. I can’t wait! Would it be inappropriate to ask one of the band’s security guards to get me a lock of Ben Gibbard’s hair? An envelope he licked would be fine too.
Guess what time it is? Time for a new mix tape! This one is upbeat and rockin’ like the last one and of course includes a joint from my beloved Death Cab for Cutie. Long Division is one of my favorites from their latest album. The mix ends with a blast from the past that I hope you enjoy.
P.S. I heard rumblings today of an Anchorman 2, which would make my decade. B and I LOVED the first one and got a lot of good material from it to use in our daily comedic performances.
P.P.S. Don’t forget you can stream the new Coldplay album starting tonight.
I’ve alluded to this before but in case you missed it, I have a big head. It’s not Guinness Book of World Records sized but it’s bigger than the average noggin. Everyone in my family has a big head too. I happen to find out a friend of mine also has a big head, so we often joke about our plight. She even ordered a catalog from here and had one sent to me. Thoughtful, no?
Last week, I won a handmade headband from Sara at The Plaid Post. In truth, I don’t even remember signing up to win, but I’m not one to turn down hair accessories. As soon as I found out I’d won, I e-mailed my big-headed friend speculating about whether or not the headband would fit me. A few hours later, I got an e-mail from Sara in which she wrote:
Thanks for reading The Plaid Post, and congratulations on your new headband. I come from a big headed family, so I’m hoping it’s not too big for you!
Surely only destiny could’ve brought us together - a perfect match!
P.S. If you haven’t had a nectarine recently, go immediately and buy some. The two I’ve had this week have been perfect. Bonus: It looks like you’re eating a little butt.
P.P.S. I don’t want to alienate people by prattling on about politics but I have to say that this morning when I prayed, I added thanks for being alive during a time when an African American is a Democratic presidential nominee. It seriously brings tears to my eyes. Just imagine what MLK or Rosa Parks would say. Amazing!
It seems like nowadays most people wear earbud-type headphones instead of the old school kind, which I vastly prefer. That said, I realized recently why I hated earbuds so much - I was shoving them too far into my ear! I finally discovered that the little bastards need only be placed on the cusp of your ear canal to impart plenty of sound. But now I’m beginning to wonder if my, um, ear holes are unusually small or something, because my earbuds fall out all the time. It’s so irritating! I’ve always had ear problems, starting with needing tubes in my ears when I was a tot, so maybe I’m also the carrier of some mutant gene that makes one’s ear canal incompatible with certain shapes, which come to think of it, is probably a useful trait to have.
