CNN v FoxNews

I am pretty particular about the news channels I watch. It may stem, ok it does stem, from my love for Tom Brokaw, but I am an NBC News junkie. If not NBC, CNN. So at work, near our little kitchen area and a high-traffic walkway, there's a nice LCD hanging on the wall, tuned in to a news channel.

Now, I don't know who does it or who on earth would actually trust FoxNews, but someone around the office, and mind you our office is pretty slim these days, must love FoxNews. When I come in at 7:00a, the TV is tuned to FoxNews. Picky about my news sources, I change it immediately to CNN. By noon, it's back to FoxNews. What the hell!? I change it back, of course. And by 7:00a the next day, it's back to FoxNews.

I'm sure someone around here gets a kick out of it and probably just likes to watch me get frustrated and change the channel, but come on people, FoxNews?!

Give me a break!

I am only one person, and while I am talented, I can only really have one conversation at a time if you want me to get all the information correctly and answer with the best information possible. Come on people!

A disaster is coming...

A control-freak boss is in power. This means disaster.

The Best Mac & Cheese Ever!

Don't get me wrong, I love Kraft Mac & Cheese just as much as everyone else, but this mac & cheese is so amazing... and a bit more sophisticated.

Try it... it's totally worth it.

The Best Mac & Cheese Ever

What you need:

Cheese Sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• 8 tsp flour
• 1.5 c. milk
• 1 c. Monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1 c. smoked Gouda cheese, grated
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. chili powder
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Mac & Cheese

• 6 oz. (1/2 box) penne pasta
• 2 c. cheese sauce
• ¼ c. Monterey jack cheese, grated
• ¼ c. smoked Gouda cheese, grated
• Sprinkle chili powder

How you do it:

Cheese Sauce

1. Melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes until smooth. Slowly add milk, whisking continually.
2. Cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from heat. Add cheeses and seasonings. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Mac & Cheese

1. While the sauce cooks, cook pasta 2 minutes less than packaging directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
2. Combine cooked pasta with 2 cups cheese sauce and stir to combine. Pour pasta and cheese mixture into 8-inch baking dish.
3. Sprinkle lightly with chili powder, top with mixture of cheeses.
4. Bake at 350*, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

YUM!

Just kidding?

In the last 24 hours:

• One of my bosses resigned.
• I got laid off.
• I got rehired.

It's nice to know I am valued enough that folks fought for me and caused a stink and got me my job back. That doesn't make it ok that I got laid off and it doesn't make me confident it couldn't happen again. It does make me confident that the work I do does not (always) go unnoticed and that I really work with some great people.

To those of you who fought for me last night, thank you SO much.

January 16, 2009

The job search is on and in full gear...

Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

Work Pet Peeve #18,796

Do not open a job if you do not have all the details lined out. It's a waste of everyone's time if you give us empty job jackets. If you don't have time to put the details together, don't open the job. We're just going to bug you later anyway. And, when you don't give us any details and we're late completing the job, do not get angry and blame us. You are the one that opened the job with no direction, were vague, if that, when giving any sort of direction when pestered, if you give any at all. We are not mind readers. In close, do not open a job if you don't have all the details lined out. Stop getting distracted, focus for five minutes on one thing, and open the job properly. Thank you.

Punta What?!

When my cousin told us she was getting married, of course we were all ecstatic. She and her now husband were one of the lucky couples who met on Jdate and it actually worked out. Lucky bitches! Anyway..... they decided they were going to have a destination wedding... Thanksgiving week... Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

I met the entire group down in the DR... there was no way I was going to take two extra days of travel just to take a bus and plane with my entire family. We were going to be together for an entire week with nowhere to go to escape, two extra days was not in my plans. When I got to the resort, Stephanie had already checked into our room, so once I got my all-inclusive wrist band, I rolled my suitcase up to our room and my parents, sister, and I headed to the beach to dip our feet in the sand and get a drink.

The entire week was pretty relaxed. Just what I needed -- nothing to do, no newspapers, emails, and $3.2 billion fraud bosses to stress about..... just a week to chill and drink on the beach. A little sunburn never stops me anyway. And that's just what we did. We basqued in the sun on the beach during the day and drank on the beach and in the disco at night. Stephanie and I played a fair amount of Scrabble (ok, she kicked my ass, but I put up a fight... kind of) and I even got in some Mah Jong with my aunts and mom.

The wedding was gorgeous -- under the chuppah right on the beach overlooking the ocean. My cousin, as always, was gorgeous, and her husband quite handsome. In order to be considered a legal marriage, Robyn and David had to be married by a judge, so a totally Spanish-speaking judge from the Tourism Bureau and his translator walked them through the ceremony. Once that was complete, a friend of my cousin's family, an Israeli, preformed a traditional Jewish ceremony, complete with the breaking of the glass.

It was so nice to be able to hang out with my family as well. I don't get to spend much time with my parents and sister... when I make it home, it's just usually just for the weekend and I have to rush to get back to Minneapolis. This week was nice not have to worry about getting home or anywhere in general and we could just hang out. And I know my grandma cherished being able to hang out too. She never gets to see me (nor does any of my family, really), so being able to spend a nice week with her was nice. That, and I have patience with her and will help her when needed, so I know she was appreciative of that too. Overall, a nice time with the family.

Then.... after what was a nice week on the beach and a joyous simcha, I headed home.

But not without a three-hour layover in Atlanta.... where Nathan and Shelley were able to meet me ... a mere 3 hours after their own wedding!!! Crushed I couldn't be there for the ceremony (Yes, I will leave it at that, Nathan!), I settled for 20 minutes (damn US Customs and Border Patrol!) of Mazel Tovs and hugs in the airport. It was so great to see Nathan and Shelley so happy -- I could go on and on here too, but I'll leave it at that. Nathan, Shelley -- you know the rest.

So to Robyn & David and Shelley & Nathan: May every day going forward be as joyous as the day you got married. Mazel Tov!

Do something about it...

To the one who doesn't read this:

I am yours and no one else's. All you have to do is do something about it.

I love you.

-me

Local Bird Convention?

I thought maybe it was just one or two, but the loud, consistent bird chirping was never-ending. I looked out the window and saw it. They must have been holding a local bird convention in the tree outside my apartment because I have never seen so many birds in one tree at one time:And this is just a small section of the tree!!

From one commercial to another?!

Since when did the end of campaign commercials mean the beginning of holiday commercials? And by holiday commercials, I mean Christmas commercials...

Comfort food at its best...

Here's one of my favorite comfort food recipes... for the easiest Chicken Pot Pie:


Easy Chicken Pot Pie

What you need:

• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (try a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 16-oz bag frozen broccoli/cauliflower mix, thawed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tube pull-apart biscuits

How you do it:

1. Mix all ingredients, expect biscuits.
2. Pour in 9x9 pan.
3. Cut each biscuit into four pieces and place on top of mixture.
4. Bake at 375* 30 minutes.

#43

I pulled into the parking lot at 6:40am and walked into the church with a cute old man who told me he first voted for President Truman. We chatted in line, checked our names off the list to ensure we were in the right spot, and at 7:00 this morning, the voting began. At 7:10 I placed my ballot in the little booth, took my pen, and carefully and completely colored in the little oval for my candidate of choice. By 7:15 I had slid my ballot into the machine, stuck my "I voted" sticker on my shirt, and headed to work.

On this historic election day, I was #43 to vote.

(MN) Wild Fire

Last night my company sponsored the MN Wild hockey game. We had three locations throughout the Xcel Energy Center where we were demoing our new printer. David and I were working the table up on the Upper Level of the arena, right next to a concessions stand.

From the time we got there, we were plotting our attack on a huge bucket of popcorn and mega Diet Coke. We decided after the 1st intermission break and the Amazing Race ice event that led contestants up to our stand to collect a printed photo for the contest, we could execute our popcorn attack. However, the concessions stand had a different adgenda.

I smelled it first. Then I looked to the right. Smoke bellowing out of the concession stand. Now, I'm deathly afraid of fire, so when the smoke got thicker, I froze and sent David over to the stand with a camera to see what was going on. He came back a minute later, "The popcorn machine started on fire!" There was smoke everywhere and we couldn't breathe, but he did get some amazing photos:
... and as it turns out, we ended up printing more photos of the flamin' popcorn machine than we did of hockey fans!

PS. Yes, I am still deathly afraid of fire and no, this didn't help.

What a mess...

Thinking nothing of it, I left for work this morning with sweaters all over my bedroom floor, a bra and boyshorts on my dresser, and my bed totally unmade. I didn't move my bathroom floor mats, put away the kleenex box and bottle of lotion, soap and water mug. The apartment complex would notify me when they would finally be over to repaint the bathroom ceiling.

***

I could smell it when I walked in the door. The painters had been over. It was about time. They were supposed to come on October 1st. No show. They were then supposed to come Monday. Again, nothing. The apartment complex said they would call. Guess not.

My bathroom is a disaster. There are little ceiling paint chips everywhere. The shower bottom is covered; luckily it looks like my shower radio/cd player is ok. The bathroom floor itself is covered with these little specs, which feel like you're walking on glass chips. At least they tossed the bathmats into my bedroom. My sink and mirror, speckled. And my toilet seat has nasty wet footprints all over it.

I peer into my bedroom. Two rolls of tape, sitting on my bed, way on the other side of the room. What the hell were they doing in my bedroom?

I go into the kitchen to get the floor vac. They have put the big paint chips from my bathroom ceiling into a brown grocery bag that happened to be sitting out -- mine, not theirs -- and would ultimately NOT be used for garbage. At least they could have taken it to the dumpster. They used the Swiffer, as it was not in its original place.

I walk over to the office to return the two rolls of tape in my bedroom. They were expecting me, as I called to tell them about the mess in my bathroom and the left tape rolls. They tell me apparently they did some work in my bedroom too. And that they apologize for the mess. They make a joke or two, ask about my job and interviews, and tell me they'll get to the bottom of this mess.

I walk back to my apartment and get to cleaning my bathroom. I realize I should check my bedroom to see what they did. It's hard to tell if they did anything, but they certainly moved the hats, tie, and scarves I had hanging on the wall. Back to the bathroom, I clean it up, put everything back in place.

Missing: one kleenex box. I call the office again. As I am talking to them about the mess and the bedroom which is hard to tell if they actually did anything, I mention the kleenex box. I walk back into the bathroom while on the phone, I decide to check in the cabinet under my sink. Bingo. One kleenex box. Which means... they were under my sink for no good reason. They have now had a good ol' look at all my "feminine products". Awesome. NOT OK. There was no reason to go under my sink -- my kleenex box would have been just fine where you piled the soap, water mug, and lotion. Then I get nervous -- if they went under my sink, what else did they go through? And if they were in my bedroom, did they go through my nightstand? (No, there is no vibrator, but there are condoms -- a girl has to be prepared!) Did they put on the bra that was on my dresser, or worse yet, go through my jewelry boxes? (Note: I checked my jewelry boxes. Everything is there... but damn they could have made off well with everything Gram-O has given me over the years.)

Is this ok? Absolutely not. Will I write a nasty letter to the bitch-ass company that left my bathroom a disaster? Absolutely.

Bitches.

To the batmobile, er office...

This morning, was just like any other morning. I woke up dreading having to go to work all day. I dreaded going to work today only until as I turned into the parking lot a mere five minutes ago. As I turned the wheel, the Batman theme started on the radio. I kid you not, "To the batmobile, let's go!"... and then the theme in all its glory.

While in no way am I excited to be at work today, I'd like to say the Batman Theme surly helped.


Note: Neal Hefti, who wrote the Batman theme song, died Saturday at the age of 85.


PS. Happy birthday, mom!

Curry Sugar Snap Peas

I stumbled upon this one over the summer at an office barbecue. Our summer intern, in all her vegetable-loving, happy-go-lucky, over-bubbly style brought a platter of pea pods I just couldn't keep my fingers off. Though she spread the dip on pea pods, sprinkled each with nuts, and made a beautiful presentation, I found just serving this as a dip, sprinkled with nuts, and with sugar snap peas was just as delicious and a little less tedious. With a little Asian flare, this dip is a sure winner!

Curry Sugar Snap Peas

What you need:

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tbsp mango chutney
• 2 tsp curry powder
• Chopped nuts
• Sugar snap peas
  

How you do it:

1. Mix cream cheese, chutney, and curry powder.
2. Sprinkle with chopped nuts before serving.

(Robyn -- you will LOVE this one!)

Sunday Morning Groceries

I like to go grocery shopping early Sunday morning. There is never anyone there, I can go in, get the items on my list, and get out -- usually without speaking to anyone.

The Rainbow by my apartment has never been my favorite, but it has the best deals. I used to complain they had so many lanes but no one working. About two months ago, they finally added the self-checkout lanes - my favorite.

Now, these self-checkout lanes are perfect for my Sunday morning grocery shopping extravaganza. Except... every Sunday the same little girl grocery clerk is working. She stands at the end of the four self-checkout stations and watches. Now, bless her little girl heart for working Sunday morning and helping those who cannot figure out the machines. However -- you see me every Sunday; you know I know how to use the machines; LEAVE ME ALONE.

Today -- she came over and told me about some stupid program. I think I heard her voice, but it went in one ear and out the other -- all I wanted was to scan, bag, pay, and bolt. She wouldn't stop. I think she finally got the hint when I just went around her to continue with my purchases.

Note to all grocery clerks: those of us who are in your store before 8:30 on a Sunday morning -- yeah, we don't want to talk. We want to get in and get out.

On Kol Nidre...

I'm not one to publicly go out and ask for forgiveness between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It's never been my style. I am more the type that does it internally, has that conversation with whomever you believe is up there. There are no awkward converstaions or false forgivenesses. It's a time between me and the big guy.

This year, as I sat listening to the beautiful notes of the Kol Nidre service, I couldn't help but reflect on the year past. I sat and thought about everything my family has been through; about the ten days I spent at Israel -- the two times I davened at the Western Wall -- with tears in my eyes, not for any other reason than being totally overwhelmed with where I was; about my friends; about the scandal at my office; about this engagement and that engagement and my relationship; about him, and about you.

This year, I will go to shul alone on Yom Kippur, and frankly, I am glad. I am going for me. Tonight, Rabbi Allen reminded us that on Yom Kippur, we think about the people we are, the people we want to be. This year, as I look at everything goin on around me, I am glad I will able to go into this alone -- to have my day of attonement -- and to come out of the fast cleansed and ready to start a new year...

I wish each and every one of you an easy fast, and a sweet, happy, and healthy New Year.

L'shana tova.

Typo of the Day...

"Done. Thanks for your patients."

By Popular Request...

So it has been requested I start posting recipes...

The rules:

1. I will not post pictures. If you want to know if your recipe turned out like mine, take a picture and send it to me -- I'll tell you.
   
2. If you try the recipe, comment and let me know what you think.
3. I love garlic. I mean, I love garlic. When I make a recipe, I almost always add extra garlic. If I post a recipe, I will list the amount of garlic I used. Note this is almost always at least one clove more than the original recipe. If you don't love garlic, use one less clove than I note in the recipe.
4. I don't eat red meat. If a recipe I think sounds yummy calls for red meat, I substitute chicken or ground turkey. You can do the same to the recipes I post here if you prefer red meat or want to mix it up a little.
   
5. Most of these recipes I have found elsewhere and adapted to my liking. Adapt away -- it's how you find out what you like and don't like and it then becomes your own.
6. Beteavon! (Bon appetit!)
   

Orange Chicken Stir-Fry*

What you need:

• 1 orange
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 package chicken, cut into thin strips
• 1-tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large can mandarin oranges
• 6 scallions, chopped, green parts only

How you do it:

1. In a small bowl, zest and squeeze juice from orange. Add garlic and soy sauce.
2. Toss sliced chicken in cornstarch until coated. Heat 1-tablespoon oil in a large. Brown chicken (add more oil if necessary); transfer to a plate.
3. Pour juice mixture into skillet and heat until bubbly, about 1 minute. Return chicken to skillet; add mandarin oranges and scallions. Toss until coated and heated through

*This recipe originally called for 1-1/2 lb. sirloin or rib-eye steak. I substituted chicken.

Quote of the Day

"There are too many fat men driving VW Beetles."

-Nathan

PS. The license plate was "CYBRBUG"

Fill in the blanks...

Dear ___,

I hate your stinking guts.
You make me vomit.
You're the scum between my toes!

Love, ___.

---

(Name that movie!)

Some things just shouldn't be made into juice...

I love juice, I really do. However, this morning is case-in-point #2 that watermelon should not be made into a juice. The first instance of this was when I was in Israel. Once we got to the bottom of Masada, there was a juice stand. My sister, smart as she is, got the orange juice. Our tour guide, Iftah, got the watermelon. Not a good idea. He said adding some orange juice didn't even help it.

So Sunday when I was at the store, I picked up some Naked Juices to take to work for breakfast this week. One pound of fruit in every bottle -- a great, and healthy!, breakfast. I saw the new watermelon flavor, thought twice (seeing as Iftah had the negative watermelon juice experience), and then decided to go for it. It couldn't be that bad... there were other fruits in it as well.

Wrong.

I don't really know how to describe the taste, but it's not good. Maybe all the water content in watermelon "waters" down the juice, or if it's just the watermelon flavor altogether that doesn't do it, but it wasn't good. Too bad, too... I was really looking forward to that bottle of juice for breakfast this morning.

Note to self: no more watermelon juices.

A Day at the Fair

One of the best times of year in Minnesota happens for twelve days at the end of the summer: The Great Minnesota Get-Together, also known as the State Fair. Tradition holds it that Molly and I go to the Fair together every year -- this year was year #8, pretty amazing I've been in Minnesota long enough to say this is my eight year attending the Fair. Wow. Anyway -- here's our attempt to capture everything that was the Minnesota State Fair 2008.

Molly and I are all about deals, so we started our morning on the bus. The University if Minnesota has free parking with a free shuttle on the Metro Transit straight to the Fair. What a deal!

Upon arrival at the Fair, Molly insists on making a purchase right as we enter the gates. First stop: Pronto Pup! For those of you unfamiliar with the Minnesota State Fair, Pronto Pups are a staple: corn dog on a stick. Molly is happy.

We proceed to my traditional first stop: cheese curds from the food building. There is only one place to get cheese curds at the Fair -- and that's in the food building. Always way too crowded and sweaty and smelly of fried food, the food building has the best cheese curds at the Fair.... always with ketchup.

We take the cheese curds and sit down in our favorite karaoke room -- though the singing doesn't start for another hour or two. We sit there anyway and enjoy the curds. Thirsty from all the greasy goodness, we exit the food building and quench our thirst with a $1 root beer from the 1919 Root Beer stand -- a classic root beer. Best thing about the root beer? No ice in the cup -- you get the full $1 worth of root beer without the ice taking up much too much room in the cup.

After the root beer, we decided to walk a little bit, let our food settle before we dove back in. We came upon the Obama '08 stand, where we took advantage of the cardboard cutout for a photo op. We learned Obama is not as short as the cardboard cutout and that "He goes by Barack by his friends". Apparently we are now his friends. Later we "donated" $2 each for an Obama '08 button we would sport the rest of the day.

Post photo op with Barack, it was time for more food. After all, we are at the Fair -- and the entire point of the Fair is to eat as much as you can before you explode, sit and let it settle, then eat some more. Foot-long pizza on a stick was next. A note on the foot-long pizza: a new item at the Fair this year, it was a bit too much crust. Read: it was tough to get the whole foot down, but rest assured I did it! (Ok, so Molly had a couple bites... but that's what we do -- we share!)

After the pizza, it was time for yet another Fair classic: John Deere tractors. Yes, we climbed up in the tractors; yes, they come around and shine them up after you get off. Needless to say, we rode John Deere -- and nothing runs like a Deere.

After the tractors, we found some sweet plastic lawn furniture I pretty much must have. Red, plastic, and complete with foot rest. I love a good foot rest. We would have sat there longer, even though the sales guy gave up on us (and I really would have liked to at least know how much these glorious chairs would have cost me), but the lady at the lumberjack display next door had the most annoying voice ever. We couldn't take it, so we were up and on our way.

Before we found our next treat, we came across some awesome cardboard cutouts calling our faces. I think I might actually make Michael Jackson look good -- and if not, at least my nose (although big) doesn't look as nasty as his! Then, Molly decided she was going to leave Joe and settle for Homer Simpson instead!

On our way to our next food stand, we found the ultimate advertisement for some sort of grain handler... I have no idea what that means, but the sign was priceless:

After the sign, there was nothing better to do than head over to the Leinie's Lodge for a nice cold beer. Complete with a wedge of lemon, we took our Honey Weiss over to the bandshell and listened to some crazy folk band yodel for a bit.

After relaxing with the beers, it was time for more food. Every year I insist on trying something new at the Fair. This year: Deep Fried Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on a Stick. Now, I've had the deep fried Oreos and the deep friend Snicker's on a stick, but nothing compared to the deep friend Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on a stick. They were awesome. The chocolate was melted, the peanut butter "stuff" in the middle was still in tact -- an overall success in my book. I will revisit these next year, no doubt.

After my encounter with the fried candy bar, it was Molly's turn for her exciting food of the year. Now, Molly had already been to the Fair once this year with Joe. As they were walking the streets, seeing the sights to be seen, they came across a food stand Joe knew Molly couldn't pass up. Molly, however, told Joe she was going to wait to indulge until she came to the Fair with me. Behold: BACON ON A STICK! The boys running the stand couldn't understand why I didn't want to buy one as well and even convinced Molly I would want at least a bite as we walked away... I just shook my head and Molly enjoyed all there was to enjoy about bacon on a stick.

While Molly gnawed on her bacon on a stick, I moseyed over to the corn roast where I probably had the largest ear of corn I've ever had. Whoever said size doesn't matter is wrong -- this was the biggest, most amazing, HUGE ear of corn ever.... and I did pretty well getting down to the bottom. And of course I composted the cob at the end. After all, we at the Fair are environmentally-friendly!

After the bacon and the corn, we were mighty full. We then decided it was time to hit up the barns... where we just had to see the largest boar. Weighing in at a hefty 1260 lbs, this year's boar may have been big, but not as big as years past. Most enjoyable in the pig barn though was not so much the 1260-lb. boar, but the truck (from my native land, mind you) parked inside! It was only appropriate for me (the kosher-keeping Jew) to put on my pig ears and pose for a shot next to the license plate.

We debated Sweet Martha's Cookies and all the milk you can drink for $1, but still weren't ready, so it was time for another Fair classic: butter heads. We made our way through what always seems to be a crowded building with people lined up for fresh milkshakes and ice cream cones to find the butter heads. Princess Kay of the Milky Way and her runner-up Dairy Princesses are all carved out of 90-lb. blocks of butter. It really is a sight to be seen.

After the butter heads, we decided enough was enough. We were exhausted, full to the brim, and my arms were a bit sunburned. We made our way through the crowd (probably the most crowded part of the Fair at any time of day, any day of the Fair), and headed back to the bus stop where we would be shuttled back to campus to find the car. Just in case I decided to head back to the Fair later that night, I had my hand stamped for re-entry.

I think it's safe to say we had a successful day at the Fair. Though I think if we'd sat around and watching some karaoke or some more yodeling we may have been able to eat another five or six Fair items (most likely on a stick!), I am satisfied.

Now... if only I can go once more this year.

To Molly -- thanks for yet another fantastic trip to the Fair. Same place next year!!

Thought of the day...

When you wake up and know you're crabby already and are certain the coffee won't help, stay home. Everyone in your office will piss you off and you really don't need that; you're already crabby.

Chinese Five-Spice

Last night I made dinner for David (read: DJ) downtown. I made one of my classics: Fake-out General Tso's Chicken.

Today for lunch, I had leftovers. As tradition stands, I offered a bite to Tristan and we started discussing the flavors of the five-spice. After we made out guesses as to the five spices in Five-Spice powder, I did a little research to see just how keen our taste buds are.

Much to our surprise, five-spice is not a combination of five spices! Instead, it incorporates the five basic flavors of Chinese cooking: sweet, sour, bitter, savory, and salty. How interesting!


(In case you wanted to know the spices that are usually tossed in there, they are cinnamon, ginger, star anise, ground cloves, pepper, and fennel).

Let My People Go... literally!

This year's Best 25th Birthday Present #3* goes to Tristan:Seriously, amazing. Now all I need is a matzah shower curtain to go along with my matzah ball soap (courtesy of my sister two years ago for Chanukkah).

Thanks Tristan!!

*: #1: Nathan came to visit from Nathan and Allen, #2: Free trip to Israel from Israel


PS. Israel blog post to follow sometime this week.... just as soon as I soak it all in.

And we're off...

The dishes are washed and the dishwasher is empty. The last of the t-rex cakes is in the garbage, as well as the last of the pie, and desserts left from the birthday festivities. The trash is out and the bag packed with beer and wine bottles hits the recycling. The suitcase is ready, the pack is, well, packed, the cameras (yes, plural) are charged, the printer full of photo paper... believe it or not, I think I'm ready to go.

It's hard to believe we're leaving on Sunday. We've been talking about this for at least a year, once a week since February, and at least three times a day (thanks Stephanie!) for the past two months. But tonight it's real. Everything is set and ready to go. The ACs will go off, the refrigerator is pretty bare, and my desk at work is cleared off.

On Sunday, Stephanie and I will leave for a ten-day trek to Israel. This entire time I haven't let myself get excited, get my expectations so high they can't be reached. But now, as I sit here on the red couch, looking at my filled suitcase and day pack, I can't help but wonder what it's going to be like. Will I get the spiritual connection I want? Will the Land of Milk and Honey be fruitful? Will every moment I'm there connect me to my people, my history, my beliefs, my family... me? I can't even tell you how exciting (and yes, a little scary) it is...

Tomorrow: Appleton
Saturday: Chicago
Sunday-Monday: Eretz Yisrael

Oy!

54 hours, 8 bottles, 1 weekend like the good ol' days

It was a birthday I would have never expected. I actually thought it was going to be a quiet one. While I did indeed turn a quarter-century years old, I really didn't have much planned. Dinner out with Molly for that smoked Gouda fondue I just can't get enough of... and maybe a small get-together with some friends.

Oh, how plans can change.

Nathan came to town -- totally out-of-the-blue -- to celebrate my birthday and to hang out. It was honestly just what I needed. I picked him up at the airport, Mohawk and all, and we headed back to start the weekend off right: dinner and wine. Allen showed up shortly thereafter, and we had more wine, dinner, more wine, and some good laughs. We watched "Batman Begins" in preparation for the IMAX showing of "Dark Knight" we were to see the night night... and it was as if nothing had changed.

Friday I had to go work - not by choice, I'll have you know. When I was finally allowed back to my apartment, I was welcomed with the best birthday cake ever -- a t-rex cake! We actually had a t-rex! We went for lunch, I let the boys nap, and we were off to dinner and the movie.

Dinner was awesome -- we scored some free dessert for my birthday and Nathan fanagled us two free glasses of wine. Then... we saw the movie. I have nothing to say about "Dark Knight" other than go see it -- right now -- and on the IMAX. We can discuss this later.

Saturday Nathan and I spent the day just hanging out. It was pretty much perfect. I got a new phone (love it!), we took a nap, and then I got the place ready for my party. Everyone came, everyone ate, and damn did Nathan and I drink.

Sunday we did the usual Cure-a-hangover-with-Al's and scored free breakfast (courtesy of Harry without him knowing!). Sunday afternoon and evening were to be as expected. I did take Nathan to the airport and all.

It was an amazing weekend. Allen gets props for the best birthday present ever: Nathan came to town. (Sorry Nathan, as much as I love you and the amazing book, you coming for the weekend.... I have nothing more to say.)

After 54 hours and 8 bottles of wine, it's safe to say I had a pretty amazing birthday.

Thank you boys -- I love you.


Now... it's off to Israel....

Toilet Update

I have a new toilet.

It is amazing.

And it flushes.

Good night.

Maybe tomorrow?

I was so excited to get home from dinner (though dinner WAS amazing!)... I was going to finally have a working toilet again... or so I thought.

I walked in the door, having to pee ever-so-badly, excited to christen the new bowl, walked into the bathroom and saw it... the same damn toilet I left this morning. The same damn toilet that hasn't worked since Friday at 5:00 in the PM. The same damn toilet I have had overflow four times now.

What happened to Monday New Toilet Day?

Tomorrow I will get to the bottom of this... and my new damn toilet.

UGH!

Cantaloupe vs Honeydew

I've never liked cantaloupe. However, I love honeydew. Last week after being in Daytona for the weekend, I bought a honeydew -- and ate the entire thing in a week. It was amazing.

So today on the way home from Southdale, I stopped at Byerley's to get another. I moseyed around the store and found them amidst the other melons. Some honeydew had stickers that read "Orange Flesh". I had never seen an orange-fleshed honeydew before, and because I don't like cantaloupe, I opted for the honeydew in the other section, sans sticker.

Fast-forward to my apartment. I cut open the honeydew -- orange. Damn. So maybe it'll still taste like the cool green honeydew I was so hoping for. Nope. Tastes like a cantaloupe.

It's not like I don't know the difference -- I know what a cantaloupe looks like and what a honeydew looks like -- they have completely different rinds. So now I am stuck with a cantaloupe-honeydew... I'll suffer through it... but I will not like it.

Fourth time's a charm?

The first time, I wasn't surprised. The second time, I wasn't even home. The third time my toilet overflowed, when I called I asked what they were going to do about this -- three times my toilet had overflowed in a span of two-and-a-half months. Unacceptable. They said they fixed it.

This whole week my toilet has flushed, but it did appear to take a while. Then, last night, it kept running. I called the office and told they yet again my toilet was acting up.

Monday, I will get a new toilet. Monday. This happened last night -- FRIDAY. This means all weekend I am pretty much toilet-less. And for anyone who knows me, I pee often -- probably once an hour. Awesome.

Luckily I won't be home all that much this weekend -- I will be able to pee in other places. But, in the middle of the night, when I wake up to pee... Oy.

A Botched Surprise...

I don't like surprises. I never have. My birthday is in a week and a half. Last year, Molly told me all I needed to know for the morning of my birthday was I needed to wear flip flops. I botched that surprise figuring out she was taking me to get a pedicure. Now, just shy of one year later, I have yet again botched a birthday surprise.

You see, about a week or so ago, Nathan and I started talking about him coming to visit for my birthday. Much to my dismay, it wasn't going to happen. This and that and the other thing just made it impossible. Or so I thought.

This morning at work I sent out the evite for my birthday celebration. A nice little get-together chez moi with drinks and food and just chillin'. 4:00 Sunday. All day people were viewing the evite, responding and the like. I thought nothing of the fact that both Nathan AND Allen had viewed the evite but not responded. The day went on -- a busy one, in fact -- and after work I headed over to the EPC to meet up with Allen, with whom I had dinner plans.

We met in Barnes and Noble and started walking around the mall. We went into the kitchen store (of course!) and Allen got a phone call. I hear Allen say, "Oh, just walking around the mall with my friend Lizzo." On the other end of the phone, I heard the response, "Oh, you're friend Lizzzzoooo?" I knew that voice. That's Nathan! I knew it was him. I know that voice.

All of a sudden Allen puts Nathan on speaker phone and they say they have something to tell me. First I was nervous -- no, I would not let Allen move away like the other boys. Then I was scared -- was everything ok? Then -- then it hit me! I got a huge smile on my face, both fingers crossed, jumping up and down with my eyes closed (yes, Allen will attest to all this) -- NATHAN'S COMING FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!

They had it all planned out -- a great way to surprise me -- the whole story planned. And I botched it. I planned my birthday party 30 minutes after Nathan has to be back at the airport Sunday. So I have to move my party -- big deal. NATHAN'S COMING!!

So I botched the surprise -- and that we're going to see Batman at the IMAX -- oops! But it doesn't matter how I found out. It was the best surprise ever and I still can't a) believe Nathan's coming and b) wipe the smile off my face.

So.... I am sorry I botched the plan.

But....

THANK YOU FOR THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!!!



--

PS. You're both bastards for keeping this from me for TWO FULL WEEKS! :o)

Finally...

It finally happened. Tonight I went to Happy Hour with the fundraiser committee -- it could have been hit-or-miss, but the wine was fantastic and the drinks were complimentary of the Rabbi and President. However, this is all besides the point.

Tonight, the second of two reasons I joined the fundraiser committee paid off. The first: I could help. Two Sundays ago we held a quite successful fundraiser, for which I used my talents and provided a complete scheme that totally fit. Tonight though, the second happened. And surprisingly, it came from Linda.

We were sitting around the table, drink in hand, and she finally did it. She told me about these two "nice young Jewish men" that were single and asked if I was looking. Now, while I new of the brothers to whom she was referring (the Marvey brothers, believe it or not!!), and knew better than to tap that, it was sweet of her to FINALLY bring out what these ladies had been hiding far too long.

So the cat is out of the bag... or cats. Yes, tonight they tried to set me up with the Marvey boys -- I SAID NO THANK YOU, for the record -- but at least Linda had the heart (or balls) to try me.

Thank you, Linda, for standing up to my second goal on the fundraiser committee. Unfortunately, I'll say No, Thank You, and wait for round two...

One of the Board

It was almost like that episode of Sex and the City when Charlotte starts going to all the synagogue Sisterhood meetings. She was welcomed with open arms, all the old Jewish ladies trying to set her up with their nice Jewish sons... getting her involved in everything they could.

Though no one has offered me their nice Jewish son (I can still hope, right?!), they were all there to welcome me... so excited I was about to sign my life away to the shul... so thrilled to have someone who has the potential to be half their age... someone who for the last three or four months has dedicated her time to a shul fundrasier, stepping in and undertaking more than expected... someone young and fun and "new" (though I have been a member two full years and a shul-goer for three) was going to have a say in things... or at least bring a new opinion and a fresh look at the synagogue and its future.

Tonight, I was officially nominated and sworn in as a member of the Beth Jacob Board of Trustees. Quite an honor and a privilege... especially for an almost-twenty-five year old.

So while I am no Charlotte and there were no Jewish men being bartered, I am happy to join such a welcoming Board. I just hope I can bring to the team what they hope and expect.

Best Office Nerf War Ever!

I'm pretty sure we've pulled of a nerf war similar to this one in my office:


http://view.break.com/521743 - Watch more free videos

Every Jew Needs a Bacon Wallet

Enough said.









You can buy it for me here.

"The" Painting

When IKEA opened a couple years ago here in the Twin Cities, Molly and I, still in college, decided we had to check out this place. We strolled through the showroom, eyeing things left and right we just had to have, and then moved on to the marketplace, where you can grab all the things you saw and just had to have.

As we walked through the marketplace, that day three maybe three and half years ago, we were in the decorations section when I saw it: a black and white painting of Times Square. The only color in the entire painting was the yellow cabs. I had to have it. However, my wallet thought better. It was a bit too expensive for the poor college kid in me. Sadly, I left it.

Two weeks later, I decided I had made a bad decision and wanted to go back for it. So I did. Bad news: the black and white with yellow cabs Times Square painting was a Grand Opening special... it was gone. My heart was broken, dreams shattered.

Fast-forward to present. Searching online (read: wasting time at work) I was perusing IKEA.com when low-and-behold, there it was! The black and white with yellow cabs Times Square painting was showing on IKEA.com. My heart started to pound -- this was it -- I could finally top off my NYC-filled apartment with the painting I've regretted not purchasing for so long. It wasn't in stock. Awesome. Let down again.

Two weeks later, I check again. WOO HOO! In stock.

Ladies and gentlemen, behold the new painting above my couch:
(Just don't ask about the debacle of hanging it up...)

Quote of the Day

Sometimes my coworkers aren't so bad:

"Liz is like a pinot noir. She’s already great, but in five years you know she’s going to be even better."

Thanks Zak!

Bad Combo of the Day

While I love Diet Coke, and I mean love Diet Coke, there are some things that just don't go well with its glory. Today's discovery: cottage cheese.

It's almost like taking a gulp of milk, followed by a swig of Diet Coke... not good.

I don't recommend.

The Funk.

I think I'm in a funk. I realized it the other night... It's just that "funk" feeling. It's just that feeling.... I don't know how to describe it. And I hate the funk.... since there really isn't a way to solve anything when you can't pin down what, in fact, the matter at hand is. Really, it's quite frustrating. You can't get out of the funk when you don't know how you got there to begin with.

Maybe I just need a good hug...

... and it's only 8:30am

Six great things that happened to me already today:

1. I got to work and realized my sweater was on inside-out (ok, that was more funny than great)
2. I got an awesome email from Harry over in Israel
3. Brett called, also from Israel -- he'll be home (aka visiting MN) for a couple days in May -- he gets a two-week leave from the army
4. The Wild play tonight...
5. It's quasi-Friday for me -- I'm not working tomorrow.
6. There is word my work enemy is working from home today!!!!

More?

Dear Mother Nature,

It's April. No more snow!

Looooooooooooove,
-LIZ-

PS.

I drank an entire bottle of wine tonight. Don't mess with me!

Pet Peeve

One of my biggest pet peeves. An empty toilet paper roll. Change the roll. There is a full roll right on top of the back of the toilet... I knew we'd run out before the night was over. Don't use the rest of what's on the current roll, grab the new roll, take some off to use, and put it back on the sink. CHANGE THE DAMN ROLL!!

April Fools?

Yesterday we were graced by Mother Nature with 6 inches of snow. Today on my drive to work, there was a wild turkey in the middle of the road.

Could someone please remind Mother Nature it's APRIL, not November?!

Happy Spring?

I thought it was spring. Really. But I believe Mother Nature things otherwise:
That's right, folks. That's the view out of my balcony tonight when I got home from work. Yes, it's March 31 and snowing. It has been snowing since about 7:30 this morning, has not stopped yet, and is not forecasted to stop until mid-morning tomorrow.

I <3 Minnesota.

The Sauce.

Two weeks ago when Nathan came to visit, his dad sent along a special little gift for me. What? A jar of The Sauce. I can't even begin to explain my love for The Sauce... but here's a little background...

A couple years ago when I first met Jim, he showed up on my doorstep with Nathan and a bag of ingredients. An hour later we were grilling turkey burgers with The Sauce in the backyard. From that day on, I was hooked. A family recipe, I thought I'd never see the day the recipe fell into my hands. It did, two years ago on my birthday. However, it's still not the same as when The Sauce Master, aka Nathan's dad Jim, makes it.

So when Nathan came to visit two weeks ago and a jar of The Sauce was placed in my hands, you can understand my excitement. However, the past two weeks have been pretty busy and I haven't had so much time as to think about with what to use The Sauce.... until today.

I have little-to-no food in my apartment right now - just haven't been home or had the time to get to the grocery store. As I sat here wondering what to do about lunch today, I remembered I had soup chicken left in the refrigerator from a pizza I made last week. Brilliantly, I took the chicken and The Sauce and made me some bbq chicken for a sandwich. I'm happy to report The Sauce was amazing and this could very well have been one of the best bbq chicken sandwiches ever.

Thanks Jim!

Early Morning Phone Call = Ticketed.

My phone rang at 6:34 in the AM. I thought maybe it was Tara telling me she and Vanessa were pulling to my parking lot and I needed to get my lazy ass (ok, it was only 6:34) out of bed and let them in, but I was wrong. It was my sister.

"Liz," she says.
"Do you know what time it is?!" I groggily asked back.
"We're going to Israel!!!!" she screamed.

She continued to tell me she checked her email before heading to work this morning and had an email with our trip dates. So I rolled my half-asleep body out of bed to ensure I too had the email.

Friends and lovers, Stephanie and I will be in Israel July 27 through August 7. A belated birthday present for the both of us!

Stay tuned for the details...

Lizzo's House of Transients and Deviants...

... is back in business!

With Tara back in the country, she'll be staying with me for a week or two until she gets a new place. So tonight after work, I headed over to Home Depot to get an extra key made for my apartment. (Don't ask why the office won't just give me another one!)

With two freshly cut keys, Lizzo's House of Transients and Deviants can now hold not one, but TWO transients and/or deviants.

Now all I need is a Vacancy/No Vacancy sign...

Quote of (last) night...

An animal carrier truck drives by...

Lizzo: I wonder what kind of animals were in there.
Allen: T-Rex.

She drives me crazy....

So I decided I was going to sit on the fundraiser committee at my synagogue. I heard an amazing pitch for help a couple Shabboses ago, and thought my marketing stills could be of use. And hell, maybe I can meet some Jewish mothers who have Jewish sons... one never knows.

In any case, tonight was the second meeting of the Beth Jacob Fundraiser Committee. The first meeting was about two weeks ago and I left pretty excited. I get to do lots of things I love -- invitations, centerpieces, letterhead, posters, the program. It'll be great. And my mock invite looked pretty amazing and got rave reviews. All good.

However, there is this one woman on the committee who drives me crazy. Maybe it's the age difference -- she is probably at least 5 years older than my mother -- or maybe it's that she's a bit more rounded and has more experience than I do when it comes to fundraising, but damn -- she needs to chill out. She is so caught up on the price of everything and what people will like and not like, she can't stop and listen for two minutes to the ideas everyone has. This woman needs to shut up and ship out. Maybe it's just how I roll... and how I think... and how people want to come to a fundraiser, pay a good amount of money (it's a fundraiser, for the love of pete), and have FUN! This woman doesn't seem to think that way. To her, it's all about the benjamins...

That's all I'm going to say about it -- she is ridiculous.

Goodbyes suck.

Saying goodbye is always the hardest part. We had an awesome weekend. Nathan and Shelley came in Friday morning and it was as if Nathan never left. We saw just about everyone we had planned on seeing, stopped everywhere on the list, and even had a feast at my apartment. We let Shelley experience the craziness that is the Mall of America on a Saturday afternoon, putzed with my computer, installed CS3 (woo hoo!), had a super fun night at the bar, and Al’s for breakfast this morning.

The worst part is saying goodbye. It’s not like I don’t know we’ll talk in three hours when they get home. Or that we won’t talk tomorrow and every other day this week, as we always do. It’s just hard.

Don’t get me wrong – I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for hanging out, but damn, the aftermath sucks!

It was an awesome weekend – Shelley’s great – and hanging with Nathan is just… something.

So thanks for a great weekend. I love you.

The NyQuil Effect

... is seriously amazing. You pop two (huge) pills (because now they make NyQuil in capsules instead of that repulsive stuff you drink down) and no more than fifteen minutes later, you enter The NyQuil Effect. Your head starts to get stuffy, eyes a little blurry, and you can feel the eyelids getting heavy to the point of no return. It's awesome.

Don't get me wrong -- you should not take NyQuil just for The NyQuil Effect -- but damn does it do the trick when you feel like you're going to have a long night ahead with a drippy nose and the onset of a sore throat.

I will beat this damn cold in the next three days. Count it. There is no way in hell I am going to be sick this weekend.

It may only be 10:00p, but the NyQuil says it's time for bed.

A note on tacos and ground turkey...

Tacos might be one of the easiest dishes to make, and quite possibly one of the fastest. Yesterday my coworker Dan mentioned he made tacos the previous night for dinner, and I won’t lie, I was a little jealous – tacos sounded delicious. So tonight when I got home after the final day of our Dreamweaver class, I whipped together a beautiful taco dinner in a matter of fifteen minutes. I kid you not, from the moment I started cooking to the moment I plopped down on the couch to watch last night’s episode of American Idol, it was literally no more than fifteen minutes. Brown the meat, add the seasoning and water, let simmer, dice tomatoes, chop lettuce, open tortillas and cheese, stir sour cream, assemble. Tacos, mmm!

Now, as most of you should know, I am a partial vegetarian. I do not eat pork products or any shellfish for religious reasons, and I gave up eating red meat about ten and a half years ago because I really just didn't like it. All that being said, there are a lot of beef dishes out there I don't usually get to enjoy, one of which being tacos. Jennie-o has solved said problem with a line of turkey products without which I cannot live. Jennie-o ground turkey may possibly be one of the best turkey ingredients ever made, right next to turkey brats and turkey hotdogs. Ground beef can easily be swapped out for ground turkey. It’s amazing – and actually better for you than ground beef. Try it… you’ll like it!

So tonight I tip my hat to ground turkey tacos. Tomorrow night: ground turkey nachos!

There's nothing worse than a bad ending...

I'm not sure if you all know, but I have a thing for the Italian mafia. Maybe it stems from Al Pacino and my love for The Godfather, but at this point, it doesn't matter. It's not personal, it's business... and I love it.

Tonight I capped off the evening with the series finale of The Sopranos. From the very beginning I was hooked. A late bloomer, yes, but once I started I could not stop. I found myself flying through the discs as quickly as they arrived in my mailbox. I would rush home to finish the disc and then run to Blockbuster immediately to swap my completed disc for the next. Yes, I got addicted.

So one can only image the anticipation (and maybe a little sadness) as I popped in the final disc to watch the final two episodes. Last night I watched the first of the two and tonight, the last. The entire show was amazing -- I'd watch it all over again and again, if not just to watch James Gandolfini (with whom I admittingly would have sex, come on, he is one enticing man!), but to pick up all the little hints and clues and figure out who was going to be clipped and when.

However, the ending of the entire series.... sucked. I hate it, absolutely hate it when shows, movies, anything ends like The Sopranos ended. I understand the effect this ending had on the show, but I am telling you, it didn't do the show justice. I wanted more. I needed more. Black screen, my ass.

And we'll leave it at that. Watch The Sopranos from start to finish. Love James Gandolfini as much as I. And then tell me what you thought of the finale.



And to my dear sister: come July and you're trying to think of what to get your favorite (and only) sister for her birthday, I surely wouldn't mind adding the complete series to my collection.

A stale morning...

There's nothing worse than pulling into the office with a steaming cup of coffee and a slice of pecan pumpkin loaf than sitting at your desk, sipping the delicious java, and breaking off a piece of the pecan pumpkin loaf only to find it stale.

Happy Friday. Rah.

To the appliance team...

After working an 11-hour day, sans lunch or workout, I headed to the grocery store for some ice cream and came home to watch American Idol (no, I cannot get enough) and an episode of The Sopranos (no, I cannot get enough of this either). Everything was perfect: a quiet night at home. Leftovers for dinner, American Idol, James Gandolfini (HOT!), and some ice cream.

8:55pm -- my phone rings. Naturally I figure it's DJ -- probably walking home from the clarinet studio, about to get some beer. I look at my phone to find a number I do not recognize, though it appears to have a work prefix. I answer. Yep, work. Thomas has called to tell me China (ok, not the entire country, rather the factory in China) has not received the manuals and warranties for the new 4.5 cu. ft. refrigerator and will delay shipment if they do not receive tonight. I tell Thomas to relax, I can tap in to the system from home. So I do. Only to find the manual cover is missing the image. Awesome.

9:00pm -- call Thomas. His pissy wife answers as if 9:00 is so late and I am the rudest woman she has ever met. Talk to Thomas. Give him three options: send a manual with an incorrect image, noting the factory will still delay and make me revise tomorrow; send the manuals tomorrow, one day should not delay the shipment that much; or, drive the 7 minutes it takes me to get to the office and fix the manuals, send them to the factory, and call it a night.

9:05pm -- back in the car, heading back to work. Thomas has told me it is my decision as what to do and he will live with the decision I make. Bastard. Doesn't he know me at all?! Lord knows I could never have slept the night know the shipment would be delayed and ultimately due to my manuals and warranties. Not to mention the disappointment Thomas and Dan (his boss, who someone cleverly cc'ed on the damn email, and for whom I have total respect) would have in me.

9:12pm -- arrive at work. Walk through the creepy dark building to my desk, wondering if Al the Security Guy will be making a special visit to see what I'm up to.

9:14pm -- computer has booted, Outlook has loaded, warranties are sent. On to the manuals.

9:25pm -- manual covers fixed, sent to factory.

9:27pm -- computer shut down, back down the creepy dark hallways, have a nice little chat with Al the Security Guy about how "when China calls, China calls", wish him a pleasant evening, and head back out into the cold to my car.

9:35pm -- home again.

I will now sit on the couch with my ice cream (which after the first two bites isn't even any good) and see how many times James Gandolfini says "fuck" in the next episode of The Sporanos.

And to the appliance team, never forget that while I may be a shared service, I do care.

Happy Valentine's Day

After sending a note to a coworker in our Boston office regarding some work, I wished him a Happy Valentine's Day. Here is his response:

"I hope there’s a guy in your life who’s got a plan to make it a special day."

How sweet is that?!

Legacy

Dear Boys:

Thank you for making me a legacy at the house.

I love and miss all three of you so much it hurts sometimes (ok, all the time).

-LIZZO-

A weekend in review...

It was one of those weekends you really don't want to end. We hadn't seen each other in over a year and a half, though the moment I picked him up at the airport it was as if no time had elapsed. We picked up right where we had left off. Though he was in town for a lesson and audition for a doctoral program at the U, we made it a long weekend, both taking off work and/or school. It was great.

Sunday we had an "us" day. Friday and Saturday had been jam packed with clarinet, seeing a couple of mutual friends, and taking care of everything that had to get done around his audition, we decided to make it our day and just spend it together. We had bagel and lox at my place, then I took him to see St Louis Park -- the area of the cities where he wants to live to be in walking distance of a shul. We moseyed through Fishmans, the kosher grocery store, and a Judaica shop, then headed to Uptown to the Walker Art Museum. We spent the afternoon at the museum - if you haven't been there, go. And if you're a writer, bring something in which to write. I will go back and I will write. We finished the Walker, noting we'd have to go back and take it all in again, and went back to my place to relax for a bit. Sunday night was Hot Date Night, so we got all prettied up (yes, I wore a skirt!) and went out for a really nice, quiet dinner. Yes, we watched part of the Super Bowl, but were both more interested in spending the evening together than watching the game (being Packers fans and all). We had an amazing dinner, came home, and just hung out -- I successfully drank an entire bottle of wine and felt amazing. It was truly a day perfect for the two of us.

Today was a quieter day. The weather was shitty -- there was even a moment or two we thought his flight might get canceled and he'd have to stay other night. We bared the cold and snow to grab a nice kosher-style lunch at Pastrami Jack's and came back and just hung out. Eventually I had to take him to the airport. I did so well, holding it all in until after I gave him a hug, told got home. I hopped back in my car, made sure he made it inside the airport, and drove away. Then I cried -- all the way home.

It was an amazing weekend I really didn't want to end. So thank you for the best weekend I've had in a long time. I love you and can't wait for you to come back...

Ugh.

Coworkers are dumb. Good thing I have Friday and Monday off.

... and another one bites the dust.

The medallion was found early this morning after clue #11 was released at midnight. Not to say Molly and I didn't put in a good fight, last night's frigid -13* before wind chill put a close to our hunt. We had the park nailed down after clue #10, but had no idea where, in the HUGE park, to find it. Clue #11 would have pointed us directly to the fallen tree under which the medallion was hidden, but it was just too damn cold to try.

Next year.

Medallion Hunt 2008

Every January St Paul puts on a Winter Carnival. Along with the Winter Carnival comes a Medallion Hunt. Early winter, or sometime or another, the St Paul newspaper hides a hockey puck-esque medallion in a park in Ramsey County. For 12 days of the Winter Carnival, the newspaper prints a new clue as to the location of said medallion. Not only would we have the pride of finding the medallion, but the booty is quite nice.

This afternoon Molly and I, along with her dog Rinna, set off to two different parks to see if we could spot the medallion. Park #1 was a bust -- or at least we think it was a bust. We got out, walked around a little bit, but weren't to impressed with out surroundings. Molly wasn't 100% sure about this park and my research pointed elsewhere, so we hopped back into the car and headed to Park #2.

Now, Molly didn't believe Park #2 existed. She couldn't locate it in her sweet streets and maps book but all my research told me we had to go. We did find it (my directions were right on!) but didn't get out of my car, as Park #2 was quite small. We decided to head back to Molly's for some lunch and more researching. After some pizza and wings, we decided our clues and research pointed to Park #2. Since we didn't get out the first time, we decided to go back.

We pulled into the parking lot and joined one other car. What we thought was probably other medallion hunters turned out to be what we figured were two kids getting it on! It was pretty funny -- and we felt a little wrong for being there -- but we saw the guy on top of the girl undo his pants and rip his shirt off. At first we thought they'd stop when they heard the obnoxious beep when I lock my car, but they kept on keeping on... it was quite funny. Poor kids probably had to go to the park and have sex in their car to hide it from their parents.

So we left the kids to their business and started our search. Our research hasn't quite pinpointed the exact location of the medallion, so we were there to scope out the area and if luck had it our way, we'd find the medallion. Well, we walked around, Rinna grabbing every stick in site. We can across a tree with some weird trunk and decided to get a little closer. I always tend to dig around through the crap... so I got down on my knees and started messing through the leaves and twigs at the bottom of the tree. I saw something. It looked black and had a knob or something at the end. We decided it was coming out... what if it was the medallion?! I kicked it a little and then went for the grab. I pulled it out and Molly and I both jumped. We thought I had pulled out a dead bird from the trunk of this tree. Turns out it was just Easy the Robin, a beanie baby, super glued to this pipe thing. We figure we may have come across a geo-cashing item, but who knows. What we do know is this bird-on-a-pipe is not the medallion.

We hunted around the park a little longer, watched our lovers drive away, spotted some fellow medallion hunters, and decided to call it a day. Probably one of the more exciting medallion hunting days. Nathan and Jack would have had more fun today than when we dragged them with us last year in the -20* weather, especially with my sweet find! Sorry boys.

With tomorrow's clue comes another night of hunting -- maybe tomorrow will be our night. Or, as the last four years have come to pass, maybe we're at the completely wrong park.

Tomorrow will be clue 9 of 12. Stay tuned for the Medallion Hunt 2008 outcome soon...

Pen cap utensils?!

Seriously -- pen cap utensils?! There is nothing I can really say about these other than that I need them:

Is it me?

So tonight someone I haven't talked to in at least a year sent me a note asking if a mutual friend is ok. She was worried about him for one reason or another and took it upon herself to check in with ME to see if HE is ok.

A different friend of mine's now ex-boyfriend used to do the same thing (in fact, he literally just sent me a text message to see if I had talked to her today). If he couldn't get a hold of her, he would try me. See if I had talked to her that day, if I knew where she was, or why she was not answering her phone, responding to a text...

Is it me? Do I scream "Call Me To Find Your Friends"?! I think not. Believe it or not, I do not spend my days sitting around tracking where everyone is at every moment. Hell, at times I don't know where I am. I love you all, I really do. And I'm not mad about it... I'm really not. Yes, it's sweet everyone knows I care about my friends and great they know I'd do anything for them, but honestly, I don't know why she's not answering her phone and I don't know why his friends are ignoring him. And then when you do ask me, I start to worry...

Coolest home theatre ever!

I am pretty sure I MUST have one of these theatres in my house. I mean, how awesome would it be to watch movies in the BAT CAVE!!
Think about it -- a big screen, the dark ambiance, total seclusion, and room for all your friends:
It will go perfectly will the Bat-Suit and Bat-Mobile the boys owe me!

Things to love about Minnesota in the winter...

When I ran to the store this morning, my car calculated the outdoor temperature at -18* BEFORE the windchill.

Brr!

Friday morning, 8:00, and already a whipping.

I love how I get chewed out for a job I didn't even know was going on... and it wasn't even by the one we all would expect it from.

I'm a writer. I write. If a designer is waiting for copy from me, it would be nice for them to tell me. I thought said designer was working on a template of the new packaging, not actually waiting for the revised copy to do the actual product in question. No. Usually they do a template, I send it to the factory, and they do it. I guess that is not this case this time. It just would have been nice to know.

So this morning when asked if the packaging got sent and I said not to my knowledge, I looked like an ass who didn't do her job. Which, for the record, was not the case. I revised the copy, as asked, sent it off to the translator, and even to the factory to update the current packaging. I was NEVER told the designer here in the office needed it. So when I left for the day, I was under the impression my job was done. I guess not.

Next time, please tell me exactly what you need and I'll do it.

Ugh.