Haven't Done Anything Yet

Is It Friday Yet?!

2012-02-15T14:53:00.001-06:00

I'm so tired. I almost forgot to get my oil changed and now that I'm here, I'm afraid I'll pass out on the cold tile flooring. Can't keep my eyes open!

I'm looking forward to an early bedtime before my big travel day, but I'm concerned. I haven't been home at all this week. I need to hustle on the laundry so I have some clothes to take on vacation.

So, who's making me dinner?!

Love Letters

2012-02-15T00:07:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking about this off and on all day. It's love letter time, post marked Springfield, sealed with kisses, and addressed to you!

I've had a pretty damn good year! Things are always looking up and I've been blessed with amazing fabulousness.

I love my job. I somehow ended up coordinating events and it couldn't be perfecter. I've been a party planner for as long as I can remember and now I get paid to do it. And I work with a bunch of pretty cool people. I was reminded recently that there are unsavory people out there and I'm glad they don't work with me every day! So thanks to the Boss Man who has given me more than one fresh start in my career. I wouldn't be here without you. Literally!

Thanks so much to friends who are goodly enough to get married in Florida and invite me along for the ride! Seriously, my trip to Florida was a highlight of the year. It was my very first loner big adventure and I survived! I love learning that I'm more capable than I give myself credit for. And it was really fun!

Distance may keep me from seeing the Trempealeau Breakfast Club as often as I would like, but I still cherish the time I get with each of them. I love it when I get a visit here--a whole weekend dedicated to celebrating my birthday! I love it when I vacation on the Mississippi at the Hotel Sherman and snuggling in for quality HGTV time. May we have more adventures for years to come. I wish you all the best with your daily lives and look forward to growing old with all of you!

I'm so excited at the prospect of having my family visit this year. I can't wait to share Springfield with the nieces and nephew finally! I wish I could see them all every day. I think about them lots!

And my most recent biggest excitement is getting back on a stage! Thanks to the one director in town who knows me and is willing to get my butt on stage! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to audition and even more thankful that you give me a shot. There is little that I love more than theatre. I could live and breathe it every day and never tire of painting flats, smelling sawdust, caking on make up, quick changes back stage, memorizing lines, staying up way too late on school nights, and making theatre friends for life. Absolutely dreamy.

Thanks to everyone who has touched my life over the last year. I can't wait to find out what tomorrow brings and I hope you're all there to share it with me!

Welcome Super Stars!

2012-02-13T08:58:00.000-06:00

I helped welcome the Super Stars to Springfield yesterday with a few laps around the roller rink. I can't recall the last time I was on skates, but I was probably twelve. We had a good time and worked up a bit of an appetite for dinner. (I didn't even fall on my face.)

Dinner led to drinks as it sometimes does and somehow we ended up with Lincoln hats. Where did these even come from? We played inappropriate drinking games along with the Grammy's and had a good night all around. I feel like I should be sitting in training today.

Can't wait to meet up with the kids again for dinner!

Free Food

2012-02-11T15:23:00.000-06:00

It's wintery outside and I don't have any work this weekend (unless you count roller skating...I'm sure there will be an update on that), so I'm paying the house a little attention.

When is the last time you cleaned your cleaning products? Or appliances? It has been way too long for me. I cleaned off the dishwasher. Yuck! I wiped away grease on the stove and the tile surrounding it. I disinfected the interior of the fridge as I tossed old products and items that no longer fit into my dietary vision. The microwave got a lemon water steam bath and the cupboard fronts were wiped down as well.

Then I tackled the pantry. All the items I no longer intend to eat are boxed up. I hope someone will be interested in using some of the food, but the unopened things can always go to the food bank. The bread machine and toaster are out. The pasta and rice containers are emptied. And those 50's flour and sugar containers now happily contain coconut flour and coconut sugar...items I actually use.

I have so much more on the agenda for today. Now to whip the rest of the house into shape!

Must Stop

2012-02-09T21:53:00.000-06:00

I had cereal tonight. My body does not like cereal. For the record, my body does not like cheese either. Nor pasta. I haven't even really tried beer, because I know... I knew before it made me feel yucky and it's going to be a thousand times worse now.

When I try a food and it makes me feel like crap, I just want it outta me. It is so much easier not to eat the crap in the first place. I met the coworkers out for lunch today and found something to order, but my afternoon avocado snack turned out to be a bust. It had two too many trips in the lunch bag and was bruised and battered and inedible. By the time I got home I was hungry and not thinking clearly when I decided it would be a good idea to try out that leftover cereal.

So as I sipped from a mug of hot lemon water in an attempt to debloat from the carb attack on my body, I realized all the crap has to go. I need to get that stuff out of my pantry and out of the house. I will be a happier girl for it.

My next step has got to be working out a better plan for a hunger strike. I need to have something in the pantry that will be good for me to eat. Perhaps something I could store in my flour or sugar canister! Now taking grain-free suggestions.

Hot Hot Hot

2012-02-08T20:10:00.000-06:00

These red curtains were an impulse buy, on clearance, from the place where I purchased my knew knife set. I thought they were a bright red that would match my super sexy hot red formica and chrome dining room table. I've been hating the blah ditty blah curtains in the dining room for quite some time.

They turned out to be a darker red, so I swapped them for the curtains flanking my fireplace. I just got the curtain clips today so they slide open easily (these are room darkening curtains, so it's been REALLY dark in my living room). I am loving the deep red against the white trim and dark grey wall.

And as a bonus, I think the former curtains look better in the dining room as well. I love happy decorating accidents!

Cupboard Project Continues

2012-02-06T22:53:00.001-06:00

I forgot to throw my sheets in the first wash tonight and so here I sit waiting for the dryer to buzz buzz. I decided to tackle one more cupboard.

I've been slowly getting my cupboards and drawers lined with new, not horrifying, contact paper. All the drawers and the easy cupboard are done. All that remains are the low, deep cupboards and the tippy top, high above the stove and refrigerator cupboards. Hence the stalling.

But I have to stay awake until my sheets are done, so I plopped myself on the kitchen floor and tackled one more. The funny thing I've noticed is that I like the super old paper under the horrifying little blue tea kettles more than the crap I've put up with for almost three years here.

But I like the speckley blue grey, white and black new paper the best. It almost seems like it goes with my dark grey kitchen and it definitely puts me in a more zen cooking mood. Can't wait until everything in my kitchen is recontacted!

Celebrations

2012-02-05T23:20:00.000-06:00

I started my day with a part offer for Theatre in the Park's To Kill A Mockingbird! I'll have the pleasure of performing as Miss Maudie this time around Macomb. I'm incredibly excited!

Tonight Peanut and I celebrated his thirteenth birthday with a quiet evening at home.

I didn't have time to bake a cake for the party, but I did give him a new toy. It looks like he wants to take a nap on it. After all, naps are his fave.

Happy birthday little buddy!

Still Waiting

2012-02-04T23:56:00.001-06:00

I began my weekend with a morning audition for Theatre in the Park. I should have held off and gone later in the afternoon as I did a lot of waiting around. This was my first time auditioning with the cattle call set up and I feel I have learned my lesson.

But as a reward for all that waiting, I had a good ten or fifteen minutes in front of directors for two different shows. There is something magical just in an audition process. Theatre sparks life within me and I left rejuvenated.

Now I just need to wait to see if I get cast!

Miserable Lessons

2012-02-02T22:38:00.001-06:00

Oh the lessons we learn.

Today I picked up a pre-packaged salad for lunch...with a little shredded cheese and milk-based dressing. It honestly wansn't too bad. I was nervous how I would handle the dairy. I've felt better, but lunch didn't kill me.

Then I headed downtown for a night out. I arrived to find that "dinner" was a pulled meat sandwich, pasta salad, and chips. I had a pile of the meat and two captain and diets.

It's hard to say what made me feel worse. Was there random crap in the sauce... or meat? Or was it just the liquor? Or soda for that matter? I haven't had suger much for the last month except in fruit and I admit, coconut milk. Let me tell you... I don't care if I ever have another soda. Yuckity yuck yuck.

Anyhoo, I'm SUPER stuffed up. Like my sinuses are all swollen and I feel yucky. Blah ditty blah. Not doing that again.

Direction

2012-02-01T14:33:00.000-06:00

I'm glad my brother-in-law posted this article for me to read on my last day of the Whole 30 challenge. I feel a great amount of accomplishment for having given up my breads and pastas (not to mention liquor!) for a whole thirty days! I didn't even know it would be possible, let alone as easy as it was. Yes, I suffered initial detox crab monster mode, but I got over it. And the only time I really thought about eating bread was when it was sitting right in front of me smelling delightfully delicious.

Bread was already one of those things that I didn't purchase and keep in the house because I could sit down to eat a whole loaf of french bread. Easy. I still had sandwiches when out to eat or for parties and such. I was like a part-time breadaholic. I feel much better--emotionally and physically--having cut the ties.

I still feel as though I may try to reintroduce foods individually to see where my personal tolerance lies. Everyone is different after all. I've suspected for a long time I had an allergy to gluten, but I'd like to see if other grains bother me as well. Time for the testing fun to begin! Just like it says in the article, I'm kinda nervous. It's easier to have the Whole 30 to rely on. "I can't have that because I'm doing the Whole 30." Now I can. If I want to. But do I? Let me tell you, I REALLY want a glass of red wine. And by glass, I mean bottle.

I definitely need to work on a game plan, but I'm really happy with my Whole 30 experience overall. I feel good- no bloaty, crappy feeling anymore. I sleep REALLY well (this is a biggy for me) and although I still have issues getting out of bed in the morning, I feel much more energetic throughout the day (and evening) once I do get up. Best of all, I forget to take my allergy medicine because my formerly constant seasonal allergies are much less severe.

I keep thinking I want to get back into an activity routine, but purposely held off through January because I wanted to see what affect just changing my eating habits would have on my body. I will say that I have always had issues with weight and sometimes I have not handled those as well as other times. I have not always been kind to my body and sometimes I feel like it hates me for all the things it's been through. Silly right?

Well, so by just switching to real, whole foods--which by the way are good for you--for only a short span of thirty days I dropped six inches. One here, one there... six of them. Crazy right? That was a thirteen pound loss for January. Yay for me! That is practically a pants size. Almost makes me want to go shopping. It does make me want to continue down this path and get back onto my yoga mat for even better results. Stay tuned.

W30 Survivor Blueberry Muffins

2012-01-31T13:30:00.002-06:00

I pulled through the end of my Whole 30 experience (more to come on that) with the help of a W30-friendly blueberry muffin recipe. They have provided a few breakfasts in the car and also gave me something to snack on while trapped in a convention center all day with wedding cake samples! I didn't even want to look at the cute little cupcakes, I just got out my super-moist blueberry muffin and enjoyed.

So I wanted to share it with the masses...

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Grease 6 muffin tins or line with papers.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together: 1/4C almond flour, 2 Tbsp coconut flour, 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and 1/4 tsp baking powder. Set aside.

4. In a blender, food processor, or NINJA®, add one ripe banana and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and blend until smooth.

5. Add 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil and blend together.

6. Add 3 eggs, blend again.

7. Add dry ingredients and blend to form batter.

8. Stir in 1C frozen blueberries.

9. Divide batter among six prepared muffin cups.

10. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

11. Bake for 20-25 minutes-until tops are golden brown and spring back when poked.

12. Cool in the pan.

I hope you enjoy my moist muffins as much as I do!

Ice Ice Baby

2012-01-29T20:23:00.001-06:00

There's nothing like your name in lights or chiseled into ice!

All of the work of January unfolded today at the center starting early at seven. I set five alarms this morning to get my butt out of bed before dawn. Once my feet hit the concrete time began to fly.

A trip backstage. A trip to the bridal check in. A trip backstage. A trip through the expo. Back and forth and back and forth. So much preparation comes down to such a quick time in the scheme of things.

Everything ran so smoothly, the brides bubbled with excitement and the vendors buzzed with anticipation. And as the lights faded from all that lace and icing, mama purchased a new lunch bag from one of the vendors. I've finally got a lunch bag (on the way) that will coordinate with my kitchen when not in use. I know I'm a dork.

I'm excited for this weekend to come to an early conclusion. All that running has left this old baby pretty achy. Yowsa! I have a bad feeling it will be worse tomorrow. So goodnight to another fantastic event. We'll see ya next year!

Savory Lazy Start

2012-01-28T13:05:00.000-06:00

We're having a lazy start to a busy weekend! I'm sure I'll regret it late tonight when I'm still scrambling to get everything done, but for now...it's glorious.

Even though my weekend alarm went off, I found myself slowly coming to around 1030. For anyone who's counting, that would have been eleven and a half hours of deep, deep sleep. At this point I have to assume I need it and thank my lucky stars I haven't gotten sick with how stressful this month has been.

So far I've managed to clean up my mess of a kitchen to free up counter space to brew a little java. I surfed the internet for a blueberry muffin recipe, tweaked it, and just pulled them out of the oven to cool. I scrambled a couple eggs with peppers and salsa and squeezed the juice from a ripe grapefruit for a late breakfast.

Now I'm sipping my java and contemplating the order of household tasks to efficiently tackle as many as possible before I head off to work for the day. And that's a whole different ball of wax.

But for now, I'm taking this slice of my day to savor the laziness.

Two Days

2012-01-26T22:51:00.001-06:00

Two days are all I ask for. Just two whole days to work on clearing off my desk with no interruptions.

Nobody coming to ask me anything. Nobody emailing me something to fix. Or do. Or something wrong that I need to problem solve. Nothing to look over. Nothing to write up. Nothing to redo. Do over. Do in my "spare" time (LOVE that one--sure I'll file this away for never. How does never work for you?).

Thank goodness for weekends! Let's hope I get a good head start on my weekend work tomorrow because I'm in for an abbreviated work weekend with all this event I have going on.

Whew. Just breathe. Just keep breathing.

I'm hoping for a quiet day around the office tomorrow. I have no training planned, so it's just event work and emergencies on the agenda. And if all else fails, I trained one of the bosses to enter orders, so I could put him to work!

Luckily I Get Paid

2012-01-25T23:26:00.000-06:00

I was thanking my lucky protons that today was payday! I had an ever growing list of things I needed to pick up at the walmart. And once I got there I found even more that I "needed."

I finally have actual skirt hangers. That's been on a long-term closet organization plan for longer than I care to admit. I also stumbled upon this fabulous bright red shag rug marked 17, in a bin for 15, and rung up as 13 dollars. SOLD! Peanut is enjoying the extra snuggle as we speak!

I also found more 4oz canning jars, which I use for individual portions and to freeze sauces and such. Absolutely indispensable and I haven't seen that size since I purchase my first case of them a year or two ago. Just had to have 'em!

If I can squeeze in a little project time at home this event weekend, I'll be redoing shelf liner in the kitchen. This has been a long time coming and now that the cupboards are super organized, the blue and yellow tea cup pattern has got to go. Just wait until you see it. You'll think I'm crazy for living with it for almost three years!

Then as if I hadn't spent enough money, I stopped at the grocery store. This Whole 30 thing is expensive! I'm horrified to total it up for the month, but can tell you I spent over a hundred dollars tonight and it's been less than a week since I last visited the store. There was a time not too long ago that I spent $25 a week on groceries. I'm a lucky girl to be able to afford food that is good for me! And it doesn't hurt that I haven't spent any money on liquor this month. Thank goodness for that!

Oh, and I paid off my student loan today! One less thing to pay that I have nothing to show for. I need to eliminate as many of those as possible to free up more cash for food and booze!

Proton Storm's A Commin'

2012-01-23T23:42:00.001-06:00

So I read some article about this proton storm thingy heading our way. And by our, I mean earth. Not like Springfield. Like stay in tonight, the roads are going to be a mess with all that proton storm coming down. No.

Anyhoo, I understand I can blame all things on this storm and if we're lucky, we'll all survive. Just fair warning...if my piece of junk computer plays the same tricks tomorrow that it played today, I may have to go home early with a proton storm.

I plan to order a fancy knife set if I can carve out two minutes of me time tomorrow, so I have big plans for that heap of junk! And I need plenty of working computer time to get...um...work done so I can leave the office at a decent hour and restock the groceries. Knives and groceries and protons, oh my!

I've got a big day ahead of me. And you do to! Don't forget the umbrella. It's going to be a nasty one!

Glitzy Glamorous Workin' Girl

2012-01-22T23:43:00.000-06:00

Another work-filled weekend bites the dust. I finished up pre-event stuff. We're so close now, this week will be a whole new set of to-dos.

Let's start with the banner I need to drop off at the sign company tomorrow morning for relogoing. Did I forget it at work? I sure did. I was so excited to reward myself with this shiny jewelry armoire, I forgot to grab the damn banner on my way out the door tonight. Tomorrow will start extra early with a trip into work, back into town, then back to work. I'm brilliant!

But let's focus on the glass half full here. I purchased an awesome armoire! I saw it yesterday when I stopped into TJ Maxx to look for a knife set and I couldn't stop thinking about it! I had also decided I could use another one of those impulse buy drawer dividers, so I had to go back!

Now my underthings are all organized in pretty little dividers and my jewelry is all tucked away, but within reach. Yesterday I also picked up a hanging sweater organizer, which was installed just in the nick of time before I was avalanched into my closet never to be heard from again!

Tonight I hauled the winter tote up the stairs and sprinkled a little fiery winter onto my decor. The house was feeling empty since Christmas packed up and moved out. Now, little red snowflakes dance from my curtain rods, penguins and snowmen adorn shelves, and a steely heart or two signal the coming of Valentine's Day.

All in all, I pretty successful weekend.

T Minus

2012-01-19T22:06:00.001-06:00

Six work days until the big wedding extravaganza palooza show...if you don't count weekends.

I keep trying to remind myself...one thing at a time. More than once today I thought, "I can worry about that next week" or "I can worry about that after the show."

Certain things will need to be done tomorrow and that list feels overwhelming with the rest of everything else going on. What a crazy January it has been! I cannot wait for a Wisconsin getaway. It has been WAY too long. I'm going to pull through, though. I can feel success on the other side and possibly the best wedding show ever.

*fingers crossed*

A Tale Of Two Cars

2012-01-18T23:27:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I put in a long work day. January has been particularly busy with an event coming up and being short-staffed again. I just needed to finish "one more thing," which usually turns into ten more things.

By the time I was packing it in for the night, everyone else had already left. I locked up all the doors, switched off all the lights, and ventured across the dark, empty lot to my lonely car.

I hopped in, shut the door, started it... not noticing anything out of the ordinary. I backed out of my stall and as the car lurched forward, my driver's side door fell open. WTF?

I attempted to slam it shut again and it bounced back open. I stopped the car and got out to inspect. It turns out the little hooky mechanism in the door that latches onto the metal bar thingy was stuck open. With a few clicks of my remote I could see it wasn't moving. I squished my finger in there and managed to move the hooky thing, so then it prevented the door from closing at all.

Great.

Luckily I work for a company with multiple extra vehicles lying around. Not the one I wanted, mind you, because another coworker was having some car troubles as well and already took the first choice company loaner car. My choices were the child molester van or the hopped up Cruiser. I went with the Cruiser, but still...it's so big! The children were lucky not to have been "accidentally" run over with me behind the wheel of that thing!

Then, as if a girl wasn't pretty lucky just to get a loaner car, I also got my car fixed today! I mentioned it to our engineer who promptly took a look at it, determined it had been frozen, and WD40'd it good as new. By nine I was back to just worrying about everyday stuff.

I've got a great job! And I was the coolest kid on the block last night cruisin' in my gigantor Cruiser!

Choose To Want It

2012-01-16T23:05:00.001-06:00

I've heard a lot of people taking about willpower lately. I guess it's that time of year where everyone sets unrealistic expectations for themselves and then they determine they don't have enough willpower to accomplish their goals, so they go back to the same old same old.

It is easier to do nothing over practically anything. But it's also easy to curl up with a good book and read it cover to cover. It's easy to make time to see friends and family. It's easy to dedicate an afternoon to a favorite hobby or an evening to a night out on the town. It doesn't take any willpower at all to do something you want to do.

I'm finding that truth in my Whole 30 experience. It's something I wanted to do for a long while and it feels right. It was the right timing when it landed under my nose and it took all of thirty seconds to decide it was what I wanted. Even struggling through the headaches and crab monsters, I didn't consider giving up on what I wanted. And I'm feeling great now!

So instead of silly new years resolutions, spend your days deciding what you really want out of life and go do it. You'll be surprised how little willpower you need when you follow heart.

Acceptance

2012-01-13T22:45:00.001-06:00

Today was much better than yesterday. I can't say I accomplished all I set out to do today. I can't say everything I did was flawless. But I can say my mood about it was greatly improved.

I managed to tackle a few things on the to-do list...some of them better than others. I didn't take off time for lunch, but due to the deadline of the bank's closing time, I got out the door at a decent hour.

It's amazing how smoothly the day goes when you accept from the get go you will be putting in a lot of weekend hours. Much to be done tomorrow. I've got my heart set on catching up and high hopes of getting ahead of the curve.

Anything Is possible!

Pizza Soup

2012-01-12T20:33:00.000-06:00

At the end of a horrible, rotten, no good day, where the highlight was getting a wireless mouse, I was looking for a little comfort.

A little Peanut snuggle always helps. A movie waiting at home helps. Horrible Bosses! How about a little comfort food? Cue the pizza soup recipe experiment. Delightful. It might just tide me over until I have to get back to work. Eck.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in stock pot.

Add 16oz italian sausage and brown.

Add 1C diced green pepper, 1C mushrooms, 2 cloves pressed garlic, and 1/2C turkey pepperoni sliced into slivers. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Add one 14.5oz can organic diced no salt added tomatoes, 46oz organic 100% vegetable juice, 1 Tbsp dried oregano, 1 Tbsp dried basil, 2 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp lite salt.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Pizza soup is even better than the real thing!

Miracle Sleep Diet

2012-01-11T23:15:00.001-06:00

It would be great if my dietary cleanse would magically improve my quality of sleep. My schedule has been irregular and I'm really very tired. Last night I couldn't fall asleep and just as I was drifting off, Peanut started licking the floor and wouldn't stop. Usually I love having him sleep next to my bed, but last night at about 1am I kicked him out and shut the door. I felt sooo guilty for the next two minutes I was awake.

Tonight I put in a few extra hours of work, then came home with a grumbly tummy, and lack of focus for dinner. Eventually I reeled it in enough to focus on tilapia and brussel sprouts. Then I was on a roll.

I cranked out egg muffins, salad, salad dressing, snacks, and olive tapenade for tomorrow. When I sat down with a sparkling water and avocado snack it was already 915 and some FOX weather girl was laying on the drama about the big 2-3 inch snow storm tomorrow.

It's late again and I'm not looking forward to dealing with Springfieldians driving in 2 inches of snow. Now's the time. Miracle sleep diet, bring me a dream!

Slowly But Surely

2012-01-10T23:18:00.000-06:00

Tonight after a long day, I somehow managed to motivate. It wasn't until about nine o'clock, so once again I'm up too late and will probably be tired again tomorrow. I'm on an evil, wacked out sleep schedule I can't seem to break.

But the good news is that I stowed away two totes of holiday decorations. All the little nick nack ornament paddy wacks are tucked safely away until next year. Mostly. I've already found a few things I missed. So it goes.

Tomorrow my agenda includes washing the holiday linens and things to get packed away and possibly taking down the greenery swags and tree. They were the first up and will be the last down. I just hate to say goodbye to those twinkly little white lights.

I am already breathing a sigh of relief to less clutter. Once I finally close the door on the old holiday storage closet, my decluttering spirit may need to find other areas in the home to turn its focus.

I've still got twenty-one days of no drinking ahead of me on this Whole 30 routine, so I should have plenty of time, money, and energy to dedicate to the cause!

Clean Sweep

2012-01-09T22:39:00.000-06:00

I just cleaned out my recipe box. All those must try, must keep, sentimental recipes are out. Okay-most of them. There was a pile of sentimental recipes I can't part with like my grandma's red velvet cake and turtle cake recipes. Those are going in the back.

Now I just need a new recipe box and some little organizer divider thingies. Or better yet, I should get crackin' on that cookbook design and start popping my recipes into a digital file. Wouldn't that be lovely?

So Whole 30 Day 8 went well. As I was wrastling my fitted sheet onto my featherbed, sprawled across the bed to hold the other corners down as I tucked the last corner under, I realized I'm feeling pretty energetic.

After a long, busy day of work I came home to get several loads of laundry done, the bathroom cleaned, and started the post-holidays decluttering. Oh, and changed my sheets. I still have a few things to wrap up, but then I'm hoping my upswing day leads to a good night sleep.

Feeling the clean sweep!

Reorganization

2012-01-08T22:51:00.000-06:00

I finally did it! I pulled everything out of the three small cupboards in my kitchen to reorganize and prioritize.

I think my cooking, baking, and eating habits have changed significantly since I moved to Springfield two and a half years ago. I've done minor tweaking of the set up since then, but I was ready for an overhaul.

All of my storage containers as well as a few appliances I use frequently (like my ninja), were located in step-ladder-ville. They have moved down into one of the three prime real estate cabinets on ground level. I moved the less frequently or hardly ever used baking pans up into the nosebleed section.

I purchased a few sets of storage baskets with handles for baking supplies, cans and bottles, and I also used them for the storage containers and lids. I'm already enjoying being able to pull the whole basket out to locate what I'm looking for... or to access the things in the way way back of the cabinet.

I bought a new silverware tray to better utilize that drawer and bring those measuring spoons up off the floor level. I use them so often, I don't know why it took me so long to figure out it wasn't really working the way it was.

I'm excited to test drive the functionality of my reorganized kitchen! With all the time I spend in there, it's about time I paid it a little attention.

Headache

2012-01-07T22:20:00.001-06:00

I'm ready to be done with the constant headache!

Today I slept way too late, which led to no coffee, which together didn't help out with the headache.

I didn't plan food for the weekend because I thought I'd have plenty of time to think about it. But I'm running low on groceries, so there aren't a lot of options here. I just didn't have the focus to put things together.

Hopefully the head will clear up soon. The focus and the pain. Brighter days are ahead!

Almond Flour Tastiness

2012-01-06T22:43:00.001-06:00

I thought I should have junk food tonight since it's Friday and all and I can't have liquor.

Earlier in the week I made ketchup. With that level of gloriousness chillin' in the fridge, sweet potato fries are an easy choice!

My sister said her kids like almond flour coated chicken tenders. Sounds good to me to! I did a few google searches and put together the following recipe.

Preheat oven to 475°.

Line baking pan with aluminum foil, grease with coconut oil.

Whisk together in shallow bowl...
1/4C almond flour
3/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp lite salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

In another bowl whisk...
1 egg

Dip 3 chicken tenderloins in egg, then flour mixture. Discard leftover egg and flour. Place chicken on prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until no trace of pink remains.

I dipped my tenders in homemade bbq sauce. Their tastiness really topped my week!

WTF D4

2012-01-05T22:35:00.001-06:00

What day are we on? Four?! You've got to be kidding me right?

After four days of Whole 30, I can say that I'm crabby most of the time with constant headaches-and not your everyday headaches, but your really debilitating, need to take meds, can't focus headaches. Oh right, and I have absolutely no focus. Did I mention I have no focus?

Also my four days without gluten have had absolutely no affect on my horrific allergies. I ran out of allergy meds about six days ago, so I decided to let it ride. I thought I'd only take the meds if I felt I really needed them. I REALLY need them! I think the constant sneeze fest is making me the most crabby.

Other than that, I'm doing great! I'm running out of food, but I'm so glad to be out of my throwing away food because it spoiled before I did anything with it phase. THAT was getting old! I'd much rather be shelling out cash for good food when I'm actually benefitting from it.

I'm going to have to scrounge up a few new menu ideas for next week as well. Can't get bored!

Other than that, I plan to spend my weekend reorganizing my kitchen. Stay tuned. We're in for an overhaul!

Hard Day

2012-01-04T22:32:00.001-06:00

I had absolutely no focus today. I tried really hard, so A+ for effort!

I've had two nights in a row of not great sleep, so that doesn't help. I started my day this morning at work with a cup of coffee with Splenda. Oops. Not supposed to have sugar. I didn't even realize I did it until I went for the coconut milk for my second cup.

My planned food all went fine. I don't really have cravings so much, but when the stress level went up I could have eaten those mini snickers...like a whole bag of them. In normal life I don't usually even eat candy. And then I REALLY wanted a bottle of red wine to wash it down. Luckily I fantasized about it enough to not actually need it.

I got home bummed and burnt out and it took a Peanut snuggle and twenty minutes doing nothing but lying on the couch to lift my spirits. It helped that I had mapped out what I would eat this week, because I definitely didn't want something good for me, but after a few slices of lunch meat (thank goodness for the blood sugar lift), I began to prepare dinner anyhow. The aroma of my chicken cacciatore bubbling away on the stove, filled me with motivation to get a few things done around the house.

Before long I had enjoyed a satisfying, healthy dinner, started laundry, changed sheets, and ran the dishwasher. I quickly prepared my food for tomorrow and got the house in order with high hopes of an early bedtime. This hard day is saying goodnight!

Crab Monster!

2012-01-03T20:39:00.001-06:00

I was a crab monster today for shizzle. Yeah, I can say things like that when I'm crabby.

I had delightful well-planned food today. Eggs for breakfast (in the car), apple with almond butter, chicken salad, celery with olive tapenade, and a tasty piece of lemon and parsley seasoned tilapia. All super yum, so no complaints there.

I got home from the wedding show model auditions early today, so I decided to slice up a sweet potato for baked fries. Just a little salt, pepper, and red pepper makes for tasty carbs! Disappointed with the realization of no ketchup, I googled a paleo ketchup recipe and 40 minutes later I was enjoying my fries with a kicky little tomato sauce. I love realizing it's easier and more convenient to make something that is good for you! Yay me!

Cashew Chicken Cabbage Salad

2012-01-03T13:18:00.000-06:00

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in my Ultra-Metabolism Cookbook.

Dressing
1/4C cashew butter*
1 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp pressed garlic

Salad
8oz chicken breast
2C shredded green cabbage
4 medium carrots, shredded
1/2C red bell pepper, diced
Juice of 1 orange**

Garnish
dried cilantro
chopped cashews

* First of all I did not have cashew butter, so I combined 1/2C cashews and about 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in my little ninja and processed until smooth. Then measured out 1/4 cup.

1. In a salad dressing shaker, combine all dressing ingredients and shake to combine.

2. Dice the chicken and cook in skillet over medium high heat with a little sesame oil, salt, and pepper until no trace of pink remains.

3. Meanwhile, I again whipped out my ninja to process chunks of cabbage and carrots into small pieces.

4. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, red pepper, and juice of one orange. Add dressing and stir to coat.

5. When chicken is done add to salad and toss again.

6. Serve with a sprinkle*** of cilantro and chopped cashews on top.

** The orginal recipe called for orange segments cut into chunks. I attempted this and discovered that oranges make me angry. After spending ten minutes attempting to get all the crap off the orange, I just squeezed juice in. I may be tempted to use a canned orange in this salad.

*** Take note if your cilantro spice jar is missing the proper filter for "sprinkling." This is very imporant as I discovered, if you try to sprinkle from an open jar, it turns out to be more of a "dump" than a "sprinkle."

Happy Eating!

NOTE TO SELF: LOOK UP NATURAL, WHOLE 30-APPROVED BREATH REFRESHERS AS THIS SALAD IS GARLIC PACKED AND MAYBE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE WORKPLACE.

W30 D1

2012-01-02T20:47:00.000-06:00

I spent my holiday preparing for week one of the Whole 30. I perused my whole foods cook book and decided on some delightful dishes to prepare this week. I compiled a list and hit the road to pick up groceries.

I stocked up on healthy oils, almond butter, a few fruits, and a lot of vegetables. I'm regretting slightly having stopped at the grocery store last Friday. Since I decided unexpectedly to forego grains, dairy, and legumes for the month of January, I have a few things in my fridge that I shouldn't.

It's going to work out, though. Today I enjoyed scrambled eggs with green peppers and tomato for brunch and a tangy chicken cabbage salad for dinner. I'm looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Survival

2012-01-02T00:38:00.001-06:00

I survived day one of this, our last year.

After a safe night spent at the hotel, I woke with the first light and rushed home to reunite with Peanut. He was fast asleep on his little bed, pushed up against the dresser for optimal snuggling. I woke him for a trip outside and breakfast, followed closely by family nap time.

I hoped to sleep away my headache, but to no avail. By the time I woke again I had to rely on medication to ease the pain. It was probably for the best considering I ached all over. This spring chicken may have finally learned her lesson about wearing crazy high heels on a concrete convention center floor and standing all night long. Ouchy!

It was also a good day to consider doing more for myself that will make me feel better on a regular basis. It's going to mean taking a whole month off from drinking, but I think I'm finally ready to give the Whole 30 challenge a try. I would love to break the gluten habit considering I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to it. I'm hoping this might do the trick. Wish me luck!

Carazy!

2012-01-01T08:56:00.001-06:00

The only going out memories from New Years I have are from a really long time ago. So this work-related going out incident I experienced tonight is unusual!

This was much better than the crowded bars of downtown La Crosse where you can't even get a drink. Plenty of drinks and plenty of fun was had downtown Springfield this year.

For supposedly the last New Years ever, it was good. I'd be glad to end on this note. It was kinda magical with the balloons and confetti drop at midnight with Bret Michaels singing and what not.

If we removed all responsibility from the event it would have been absolutely perfect. But with great responsibility, comes a lot of radio fun!

Tradition Part III

2011-12-25T17:37:00.000-06:00

Krumkake are sweet treats that hold a special place in my heart because my grandma used to make them. I never knew how much work went into making these special scrolls. I only knew that each Christmas I could expect to find wax paper lined shoe boxes full of them in my grandma's pantry.

How she had the patience for all the futz involved with them, I'll never know. I never even gave it a thought until I inherited her iron. Now I'm drawn to make them. I feel a connection to her and our heritage when I drop the first bit of batter onto the hot cast iron griddle.

She'd probably think I'm crazy to go to all of that work to produce this pile of scrolls with nobody to share them with. She was pretty no nonsense. But I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do today than reminisce about my grandma and I hope her spirit is smiling!

Tradition Part II

2011-12-25T17:22:00.000-06:00

At first I count ten seconds, flip, fifteen seconds, flip... wiggle the spatula under the lacy web. Transfer to white towel, wrap around metal tube, place seam side down to set. But after a few, you get into a rhythm and the krumkake speaks to you. Flip me now! I'm ready! Okay, not really, but I was definitely in the groove.

There is nothing more pleasing than a perfectly cooked krumkake, perfectly picked up, pirouetting around the metal form. For some strange reason it makes me feel a connection. I'm not sure if that comes with mastering a new thing or sharing in an experience of my ancestors.

Either way, it was a delightful way to spend my Christmas afternoon.

Tradition

2011-12-25T16:54:00.001-06:00

I pulled out my grandma's krumkake iron to cook up a little tradition on this Christmas afternoon.

The trick to making these delicate scrolls is to accept that you will scrape the first few off the pan as a complete loss. They always burn!

Then when the batter runs over onto the burner and starts smoking, crack a window, transfer the iron (WITH A POT HOLDER!) to a fresh burner and start over. Thank goodness for temperatures near 50° today!

Twas The Night Before Christmas...

2011-12-25T00:02:00.001-06:00

Anticipation!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.001-06:00

Peanut is anxiously awaiting Santa!

Delightful Mushroom Gravy!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.001-06:00

The steak was not as fabulous as Christmas' past, but the mushroom red wine gravy was absolutely devine! Delightful!

New Lonely Girl Recipe

2011-12-23T14:58:00.001-06:00

In honor of a lonely girl weekend, I've finally update the Lonely Girl Recipe in the righthand column.

Try this chopped salad to satisfy a crunchy craving. Yummy!

MEDITERRANEAN CHOPPED SALAD

I'm delighting in this salad lately!

Dressing
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4tsp dried oregano

Salad
1C Organic Girl romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
1/2C tomato, deseeded and diced
1/2C green pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1/4 cucumber, seeded and diced
1/8C pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

1. Combined dressing ingredients. Let sit while preparing salad. I usually combine in a small container, shake, and use the following day.

2. Combine salad ingredients. Toss dressing with salad.

3. Yum!

Now Taking Tradition Suggestions

2011-12-22T22:56:00.001-06:00

I'm anxious to be done with work with the impending Christmas holiday, but I have no idea what to do with myself all weekend!

I have long spent Christmas alone. Ever since my siblings started giving the folks grand babies, it quickly became about the kids. So having my own traditions became important to me.

Back in those early days of grand babies, I was working at a Fox television station and a small portion of my responsibilities was to schedule paid programming. One of the best gigs ever! In no way was it challenging and the paid programmers bribed me with holiday gifts like steaks. That first year I made the steaks on Christmas Eve for a small gathering of friends (back before I really cooked). It was pretty plain jane as dinners go, but the whole evening was special in a tradition-starting sort of way. The following year when the steaks arrived, I looked forward to preparing them for myself on Christmas Eve.

My tradition of visiting Pier 1 on Christmas Eve was born during this time as well. Nothing puts you in the holiday spirit more than browsing holiday housewares to jazzy holiday tunes at the Pier 1 in Onalaska, WI. Unfortunately I've found the same is not true of the Springfield store. Sometimes it actually sucks the spirit right out of me. I may still give it another try this year.

After I've settled in for the night, prepared a steak dinner, imbibed a little of the red holiday cheer, maybe catch the Letterman Christmas episode with Darlene Love, I read my Coca Cola Santa Night Before Christmas story to Peanut. He really enjoys it. Almost as much as the antlers he gets to wear!

As magical as all that seems, I keep trying to think of new holiday magicalness I can add to my Springfield Christmas experience. I'm going to need a lot more activities to get me though the long holiday weekend!

Nuts!

2011-12-22T08:27:00.001-06:00

I feel as though I've done the work of three weeks in three days this week. I'm amazed at all I've powered through, but I feel like I have three more weeks of work left to cram into two days. And I'm not even taking time off for the holidays!

I took a little time off this morning to tend to my Peanut. Over the weekend he developed a sore paw where his curly-q nail had gotten too long. He spent a great deal of time licking it over the weekend, so I wasn't sure if it was infected or just red from the excessive licking.

At the vet, they trimmed him all up and didn't even think he would need any meds. He seems happier already! He has still been paying it too much attention, but I'm hoping he's on the road to recovery.

He's in his golden years and every little thing makes me nervous. Peanut is my main man after all and practically the only thing that keeps me from working 24/7. I'm looking forward to a holiday weekend with the Nut!

A Holiday Anniversary

2011-12-19T22:12:00.000-06:00

My folks traveled down for their annual anniversary visit. I took a day off to escort them to a welcome lunch at Joe Roger's. Springfield's favorite chili is not mine, but pleasant enough for the start of an Illinois Adventure weekend.

Friday night we ventured to Hill Prairie Winery for a murder mystery dinner theatre which was not so much theatre as we would have hoped. After being recruited to participate in the show, my dad easily took the lead as being best in show. An interesting experience to try out, though if you have 45 dollars you can't find another use for.

Saturday was Charlie Parkers day, followed by a fudge stop at the Apple Barn. In between we managed to create heaping trays of sweet rolls, game day treats, throw a few dice, and slurp up some spaghetti before I headed out to a station event and the folks ventured out on their own to the 2nd City show (good reviews there).

Sunday was the big Wisconsin sports game thingy. We met up with a couple co-workers at a local watering hole, treats in hand, to view the sports spectacular with other green team fans. Luckily they served beer to keep me occupied.

After the tragic loss, my parents humored me in my desire to see the Dana Thomas house all gussied up for the holidays with flickering luminaria lighting the path. It was a magically merry event I wouldn't want to miss! A bountiful beef roast dinner at home topped off our holiday extravaganza.

With swollen tummies, we settled into the sofa for movie night. Popcorn was popped and as we popped it into our mouths, we plunked it in front of Peanut, and piled it in strings for the birds. Already adorning the shrubbery, I feel the birds' tummies will be swollen by tomorrow.

To top off the night- a viewing of Saturday Night Live's classic Winter Wonderland. What a wonderful weekend! Happy anniversary Mom and Dad!

Glorious

2011-12-13T22:47:00.000-06:00

What a glorious evening to sit out on the porch! I can still hear the drip drops settling into the earth outside my window. The old familiar rattle and hum in the distance take me right back to the tracks of Tremp City.

Peanut is exploring the soggy terrain out back while I soak up the warm glow of my Christmas lights. Evenings like this take the edge off a gloomy day like today. I'm ever so grateful to have decent December weather, but I hope to wake to a glimmer of sunlight.

Disappointment And Other Activities

2011-12-11T22:54:00.001-06:00

I spent my weekend puttering around the house. Nothing huge, just this and that little tasks you put off. It was pretty laid back and yet I crossed a lot off the to-do list. I realized it helps if you actually make a to-do list. It really helps to have clear objectives and know what you want to accomplish. And it's so rewarding to cross those tasks off the list! I even found my life goals to-do list and realized I could cross a few more things off. Exciting!

I did so much in fact, I wondered what my dad will find to do on his upcoming visit. He is usually fixing something for me! Maybe we'll just have to have a good time at a couple shows, visit the Charlie Parkers, and he can fix me and the birds a little popcorn! I was wishing my mom was here already. I could have really gone for a few dice games this weekend. And although I've been thinking a lot about Christmas cookies, I haven't dived into that yet. My mom would be a big help there!

As I chugged on into the End of the Weekend station, my thoughts turned to work. All weekend I intended to turn on my Christmas itunes playlist and didn't get around to it. It occurred to me that I should load up my ipod and take it to work this week. So the search for the ipod began.

I searched high and low for that thing. The last clear memory I have of using it was on the plane home from Florida. For the trip I placed it and the headphones in a snack sized ziploc bag. Most of the time when not in use, I stashed that little ziploc bag in the middle zippered pouch of my purse...which was loaded with all sorts of travel things.

It was late getting to the Bloomington airport that night. I do not have a clear memory of putting it back in my purse. Did I throw it away with something? Wouldn't be the first time I'd done that. Did I pull crap out of my purse in the car and leave it in the console...which was recently ransacked by a (what I thought was a would be) burglar? September seems so long ago and hazy now.

La sigh. I am la disappointed.

Was It Really That Bad?

2011-12-08T20:49:00.001-06:00

Let me pose this question. I've been pondering this all evening.

I admitted to a little flub up. Something that was nothing really. Just something. And I was countered with "You're just having a bad week."

Wait. What? I didn't think it was that bad. Was there something else? Am I just highly disappointing at all times? Makes ya think, right?

I guess it's all a matter of perspective. I hope I'm just suffering from a positive attitude, not denial.

Either way, I'm looking forward to some weekend action and a fresh start.

Christmas Card Season

2011-12-07T23:02:00.001-06:00

This year I got a Christmas card from the garbage collectors and a good friend! I feel so blessed!

Not that I'm one to send cards. I hate cards. Once the season is passed I will throw your card away. Don't get me wrong...I appreciate the sentiment. I just don't want to partake. Or keep it forever in a box collecting dust. Last year I did use photo cards as gift tags and that worked out pretty craftily. I can still be crafty, right?

And if you receive a card from me (or even a facebook birthday greeting for that matter), it means I really care about you or appreciate something you did. I'm not one to throw sentiment around for the sake of it. And there are cards and letters I do keep. I feel like you know when it actually is special.

So that's it. A call to arms to say what you mean and only send cards when you are moved to do so. Can we all agree?

Let It Snow!

2011-12-06T11:16:00.000-06:00

Not for real!

Okay, not a moment after I emailed this picture to the blog it actually started snowing outside. For real. Tiny little flurries fluttering through the gray sky. I hope that is all it amounts to, but the first snow is still exciting!

Wrappin'

2011-12-05T23:22:00.001-06:00

I wrapped up a little holiday cheer today. I haven't had the joy of buying a lot of Christmas presents for quite some time, but today I managed a little gift wrapping despite that!

It's amazing what a splash of gift wrap can do to brighten up the workplace! Add a dripping of icicle lights and blow in the fake snow and you have a winter wonderland on your hands.

I was shocked and appalled to hear of the snow hitting my friends and family in Wisconsin and Minnesota. I really feel for ya! That is why I hung so many snowflake ornaments as possible from the hallway ceiling. I want to really feel what it must be like for you with all that snow blowing around. It was even a little chilly in the office today. Brrr. I may have to take in a blankie to wrap up in!

Deck The Halls!

2011-12-04T22:19:00.001-06:00

I'm officially decked.

Bit by bit over the last week I spread holiday cheer throughout my home. I draped lighted greenery across the mantel and over the doorways and windows. I primped my pre-decorated tree and wreath. It's holding up for one more year at least!

I replaced regular old pictures with my favorites holiday ornaments, draped the table with my grandma's tablecloth, and filled everything sitting around with ornaments!

Today I stopped into the antique store to make the traditional holiday sweep for a 1970/71 Lefton Christmas tree-shaped dish. Alas today was not the day to find it, but I did practically stumble over two black and white enamel trays perfectly sized for my vanity. At two dollars a piece, I was pretty happy with my antiquing treasures.

It was a practically perfect weekend including little housework, lots of lounging, a movie night with Peanut, and even a fun karaoke station event. I didn't sing Deck The Halls, but a group effort Twist and Shout at bar time was definitely a high light of the weekend. I can't wait for the next karaoke night!

Snoozie Qs

2011-11-27T20:51:00.000-06:00

Peanut is all curled up for a little snoozie Qs to make up for the big, big times he had in Tremp City.

We're both happy to be home after a little quality time with a few close friends and a lot of family time. Those kids sure wear us out!

I've unpacked, popped in my Elf DVD, and am going through my mail before I start spreading a little more Christmas cheer around the house. It's officially on!

Thankful

2011-11-24T03:37:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful for pizza and a fun afternoon of lazer tag with the co-workers. I'm even more thankful that the blue team dominated for the championship win!

I'm thankful for an early start on the holiday traffic and a not too shabby drive all things considered.

Thanks to the folks for taking care of my dog and to Kohlrabi for showing me a good time out and about tonight in Wisconsin. There's more fun to be had tomorrow and eventually turkey!

Thanksgiving Eve Eve

2011-11-22T23:49:00.000-06:00

On this eve of Thanksgiving eve, I can officially say I'm ready for a little holiday vacation. I only worked about 9ish hours today, enjoyed a beer, and headed home for Peanut snuggles and trip prep.

Tomorrow I definitely have a few work things to wrap up, but I'm to the point where I can accept that sometimes some things don't get done. I hope the bosses concur.

I'm really looking forward to a sales pizza lunch and fun afternoon outing. It'll be a lovely way to close the door on the work-week and welcome in the holiday weekend. Happy turkey eve eve to all and too all a good night!

Motivation Rings Once

2011-11-20T23:05:00.000-06:00

My whole plan this weekend was to get ready for Xmas. Fail! I washed the windows and curtains. I shrink wrapped the windows. That is about it!

I don't know where all my weekend time went, but I was definitely sidetracked. I didn't even make it in to work, which I'm sure I will regret when the inevitable 12-hour days hit me to make up a whole week, plus work ahead a whole week in three short days.

At least tonight I hauled a few pieces of Xmas decor out of the basement. So I may not have decked the halls, but I can feel confident that I'll come home to a dash of holiday spirit even if I work straight through to Wednesday. But let's hope for the miracle that I have time at home this week.

Clearly Now

2011-11-19T23:11:00.001-06:00

I managed to get the fall window cleaning checked off the to-do list today! Which is great because I'm pretty sure I never got around to the spring window cleaning.

I'm practically a professional now that I've figured out how to tilt the windows into the house without pulling them out of their little caster thingies. Mostly. I'll say I did much better than last time.

All it took was a spritz of water and apple cider vinegar and the glass was so sparkly clean I kept thinking I had left a window open. I can definitely see clearly now.

It is so much brighter in the house-perfect conditions to watch for the first snowfall as I decorate for Xmas tomorrow. However, with temps in the 50s, I'll probably have to imagine a white Christmas with a little help from my itunes. Clearly.

Fast Forward

2011-11-19T10:28:00.001-06:00

I've decided I need to come home to Christmas next Sunday night. That puts this week on fast forward! If I want to get the house decorated this weekend, I need to have Thanksgiving NOW!

I started my day by making coffee and popping in my Home For The Holidays DVD. That's like really big winner.

After that, it's game on. I need to wash my windows despite the colder weather. Peanut still needs a bath. Then I'm going to pack up all those decorative pumpkins to haul to Wisconsin. And finally drag out the tinsel and greenery.

Oh and I can see my roots. I'll need to spruce up the hair before I head home for my holidays. I really can't wait. I'm ready to get there really quick and then press pause.

Stuff It!

2011-11-17T21:19:00.001-06:00

By some magic pixie dust power I've made it to this point and time of this crazy, crazy week. I remember a time long, long ago in a land far, far away when I was bored at work. Let me tell you this...not only have I not experienced that in Springfield, it's usually quite the opposite.

So tomorrow we're kicking off our big Stuff A Truck food drive at Schnucks on Sangamon and at Montvale. The lovely citizens of Springfield can bring non-perishable food donations to either location Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 7am-8pm, and Sunday 9am-3pm. Bags of food will also be available to purchase for donation. WQLZ, WMAY, WNNS, & ALICE are broadcasting live at the Sangamon location as well.

All super exciting! So kick off the giving season with Stuff A Truck this year!

Gold Star

2011-11-15T22:07:00.001-06:00

After a long week of work already and a near car accident, I pulled it together tonight and was productive at home. I got the whole house in tip top shape. It always amazes me how sparkling sinks and faucets make me so happy. I really missed my calling as a 1950's housewife.

Peanut has not yet undergone the aforementioned spa day, but I did manage to finish the nail trim job I started over the weekend. Previously I got about two nails trimmed before he put up a fuss and walked away.... and I noticed one was bleeding... all over the carpet.

After cleaning up that mess I abandoned the idea of a bath. But between you and me, his time is running out on the respite. He is getting to be a stinky boy and we've got special holiday plans. He's got to be the prettiest puppy in the neighborhood when he visits Grandma and Grandpa.

The clock is ticking away towards the holiday and I can't wait for a break. But for now I'm just super excited that payday coincides with dollar beer day. That's my kinda gold star! A girl has to be thankful for that kinda joy in the universe.

Feeling The Holidaze

2011-11-14T22:51:00.001-06:00

Today at work I prepared a Thanksgiving holiday schedule. Even worse, my Boss Lady passed out a December calendar at our morning meeting.

We have a food drive event this weekend and another exciting multiple-day event in the works that will fall between now and Xmas. Between those and holiday absences and monthly reporting being backlogged, I'm starting to feel that anxious holidaze creeping in.

So much is up in the air. I really should get my house in order so I feel like something is under my control. After a slacker housework weekend, I'm looking to pick up a little slack during my evening hours this week. I'm going to start that tomorrow. Yeah...tomorrow.

Yard Workin'

2011-11-13T16:04:00.000-06:00

Since I tend to have lazy Saturdays, Sunday is usually my motivation day. After another attempt at perfecting whole wheat blueberry pancakes and downing a couple cups of coffee, I was ready for a little yard work.

I headed outside with Peanut and chose planting my mum as my first task. After standing and analyzing my tiny flower bed for a moment, I knew the best place for this mum would be in the flower bed I kept meaning to dig out. So I did.

I grabbed my border spade and hacked out all the grass along one side of the back fence. Then I trudged through all the fallen walnuts to use the spade to pry out old driveway bricks. One at a time I freed a brick from under a weedy mess and hauled it back to line my new bed.

I arranged the bricks along the meandering edge and cleaned our my container plants to fill the bed with soil. Then I plopped that mum right on the corner by the gate. I also took the opportunity to replant salvaged garlic bulbs. I'm super excited about that! And next spring I'll be able to plant a tomato plant in the ground! I already feel like I might need to expand in the spring. But for now, I'm happy.

I finished off the lovely 74 degree afternoon by spraying out those containers and putting them away for winter. I took outdoor furniture in, cleaned my grill, and even changed the oil in my lawn mower after one last run over all the leaves. However, this weather does make me want to use the grill one more time.

Now to tackle the indoor projects. I fear the sun is getting too low to properly clean the windows. That project is probably getting bumped. But little does Peanut know...he's in for a full spa day. Then I can finally tackle the regular weekly chores. I wish there were two of me!

Pile Of Parsley

2011-11-11T11:16:00.000-06:00

While taking Peanut out last night I decided it was finally time to harvest the last of the parsley. Our temperatures are getting pretty cold in the evenings and I figured if I wanted to try to save this bountiful harvest, I probably should act quickly. After a few google searches I had a plan.

I harvested all of the parsley from both containers. Four plants worth of growth. It was quite the pile of parsley.

I clipped off the leaves into this small glass.

Thanks to a Taste of Home Cooking School magazine tip I knew I could use my kitchen sheers to chop the parsley.

Chop. Chop. Chop.

I bagged up NINE 1/4C servings into snack size bags. Can I just say, I couldn't survive without snack size bags. I frequenty use these for portioning out lonely girl servings for freezing.

Then I loaded up all the servings into my freezer bag and labled it. Hopefully this parsley will flavor my soups all winter long. Yay!

I'm Not Dead Yet

2011-11-10T20:19:00.000-06:00

I was not able to avoid getting down with the sickness. I was down for two days. I felt as though I was dying, and yet here I am.

I returned to work today to put out all the fires that had erupted while I was out. I started my day by making a strong pot of coffee and forgot that not only had I not eaten breakfast, but I hadn't had caffeine in two days. And I was on cold meds. Within a few hours I was incredibly shakey and having a hard time focusing.

Breathing, water, and a snack reeled me back in. After a hearty bread bowl soup from Panera, I was practically feeling normal. Okay, sick, but better. I think I turned a corner today. I can't wait to get a long night's sleep and wake to find myself good as new. I'm not dead yet!

Angry

2011-11-07T21:49:00.000-06:00

As early as last Friday I could feel a congestion building in my chest. A slight shortness of breath and inclination towards a croup.

I used this as an excuse to do very little over the weekend. I even contemplated heading in to work Sunday to get reports done so when the sickness really set in today, I could stay home to sleep. Well, as it turned out, I didn't feel like working Sunday any more than I felt motivated to do anything else productive.

This morning rolled around and other than the razor blades in my throat, the shortness of breath, and the insufferable urge to drift off to sleep, I wasn't feeling too shabby. I headed in to work. It wasn't even so horrifying.

I'm one of those people that doesn't get sick that often and when I do, I'm usually not as badly hit as others. I'm feeling like this one is going to blow over. Fingers crossed!

What really makes me angry is this new game I downloaded to my phone while lounging around doing nothing all weekend. Curiosity finally got the better of me and I had to see why our feathered friends were so angry. Now I know. This game is impossible!

What makes me angrier are the hours I've wasted already trying to use birds to knock down walls of wood and stone. And trying to figure how to launch the birds. And waiting for that little green head to roll off the cliff. And the fact that I can't figure it out, so I know I'll be back.

Pumpkin Explosion

2011-11-06T01:53:00.000-05:00

Did I mention I finally found my favorite decorative stripey pumpkins?

In past years I've ventured to the Apple Barn in early September to gather as many of these beauties as I could afford. One year I even cut one open to harvest the seeds with the hopes of growing my own. The problem is I don't remember to plant the seeds until the fall when I want the pumpkins!

This year due to my lateness of decorating, when I searched the Apple Barn for them, I came out empty handed (Well, not completely... I did find an apple cinnamon fritter with my name on it). A few weeks later I found a bag of three of them at my local asbestos grocery store. It was marked three or four dollars, so I opted for only one bag.

Then on Halloween I needed to run to the WalMart over lunch to pick up cream cheese for my Wildtree party and I stumbled upon a huge crate of those threefer bags at a dollar a piece! FINALLY I'm all stocked up. I have little decorative pumpkins everywhere. And I'm dorky enough to be super excited about it!

These little guys will get me though November and will probably make the trek to Wisconsin to grace our family Thanksgiving table. I couldn't be more thankful for the bounty.

Whoosh!

2011-11-05T09:48:00.000-05:00

It's been crazy windy in Springfield the last few days. Yesterday was cold and rainy, AND windy. In the afternoon I noticed a large branch had fallen out of my walnut tree and onto one of those cables coming from the main line in the alley to my house. It was perched on the wire and hanging down to the ground.
Luckily a call to my landlord took care of that problem. Unfortunately he couldn't do anything about the week that was rushing by me with a giant "whoosh."
I didn't participate in any Halloween festivities ON Halloween because children frighten me and I realized I had planned to host a Wildtree party on Tuesday that I had completely forgotten was coming up so quickly.
I worked a little late, hit up the grocery store, then headed home to mix up my samples and do the housework I had neglected over the weekend. Everything came together nicely for a small gathering of friends, food, and a little fizz. I even had a few leftovers to share at work.
Wednesday was another big day with pre-event prep. I had a lot of little details to wrap up at the office, plus errands. This year I needed to do the grocery shopping for our Taste of Home Cooking School. It was nerve-wracking to think about, but with the help of one of our trusty morning show guys, we shopped Super Market Sweep style in record time. By noon I had the groceries unloaded at the center and everything inventoried. And back to the office.
I got a little extra snoozy q's on Thursday morning before I was needed at the center to unload our culinary specialist, the one and only Dana Elliott. Before long I was prepping and preparing Hot Fudge Cake and a dijon chicken dish. So much fun. We finished everything in record time and I enjoyed lunch with a few other kitchen helpers before one last jaunt to the office to complete the final pieces of the big event puzzle.
I slowed down for a movie and nap time with Peanut before his dinner and my return to the center for the show. Everything ran smoothly for the most part and the show was great! I can't wait to do it again next year!
To finish off my crazy week, I was invited to a gala fundraiser dinner today...for tonight. I rushed home to glam up in my only gala-worthy dress and rushed out the door with a final whoosh for the week. I think I'm settled in for a little less whoosh for a few days. Ahhh.

Halloween Fun III

2011-11-04T00:07:00.001-05:00

One thousand pound pumpkin! You should have seen it being gutted!

Halloween Fun II

2011-11-04T00:07:00.000-05:00

Halloween Fun

2011-11-04T00:06:00.000-05:00

I went to an awesome Halloween party!

A Birthday Blog

2011-11-01T00:42:00.000-05:00

So I wrote this really extensive blog yesterday about my birthday festivities and after hitting send I believe it got lost in cyber space. It never showed up on the blog, but a spam post did. Boo!
I will say that I spent the whole weekend with Kohlrabi and the Rabbi (I noticed the strangeness of that as I wrote it). They kept me entertained with cocktails and zombies and such. We visited Lincoln's homestead and sampled fudge at the Apple Barn and enjoyed a "big breakfast" at Charlie Parkers. Mostly absolutely glorious.
After there days of pre-birthday celebration and with Kohlrabi back on the road to Minnesota, the Rabbi and I ventured out one more time for a Real Birthday dinner at Bella Milano. It was a beautifully perfect way to quietly usher in my 34th year (NOTE TO MOM: That means I'm 33).

Apple Cider Brine Pork Chop

2011-10-29T23:06:00.000-05:00

I know this has graced the Lonely Girl Recipes in the past, but it's worth posting again here. I'm so excited to get these juicy, tasty little pork chops in the crock pot tomorrow!

I just cooked up the brine and the pork chops are already soaking up the salty goodness. Tomorrow I'll cut up potatoes, carrots, and celery to line the bottom of the crock. Then the pork chops, and the best part.... sauer kraut on top! I usually pour unfiltered apple cider into the bottom to add extra flavor and juiciness.

Did I mention, I can hardly wait? Without further adieu...

Combine in sauce pan...

1/2C cold water
1/4C kosher salt
1/4C packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/4 tsp whole cloves

Bring to a boil, stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in...

1C unfiltered apple cider
1/2C ice cubes

Cool completely. Pour over pork chop (I'm using two thin ones this time) in a resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight or up to 12 hours. Turn bag occasionally.

When ready to cook, drain brine. Add pork chops to crock pot and cook according to manufacturer's instructions. Pork chops should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°. I have a small 1 quart crock pot with only on/off setting and I would cook this 3-4 hours.

I can hardly wait!

Traditional Fall Chemical Burns

2011-10-29T15:40:00.000-05:00

After a late breakfast following a late halloween party night, I grabbed a rag to clean up. Because I'm crazy, a simple task like wiping off the stove can quickly lead to an all out cleaning fest.

My thoughts turned to my first apartment and my very first stove and the day I realized the stove top lifted up. It was a whole new world of crumbtasticness that hadn't been seen in over a year. And I diligently restored the old olive green appliance to just like new. Well as close to that as you can get with a rental property stove.

Today it triggered the memory of the baked on greasiness which had been building up in my stove. It occurred to me that fall is my stove cleaning time of year. Since my falls in Wisconsin in my very own home included preparing a Thanksgiving feast, I wanted to show off a clean stove. Not that any of my guests would care as much as I do about something like that.

Despite having no Thanksgiving preparation in my stove's future, I decided there is no time like the present. I've already undergone round one and the chemical burns in my lungs from said round. Round two went slightly better with a fan in the kitchen window blowing the chemicals out at my neighbors. Why do I never remember that until the chemicals are stinging my face and coking my airways?

Anyhoo, hopefully those chemicals are cleaning up the residual residue as we speak. Who knew a sparkly clean oven could make a girl so giddy? It almost inspires me to cook up a little storm in there.

A Sign Of A Birthday

2011-10-27T21:01:00.000-05:00

On my way back from Minnesota I caught this sign at a truck stop somewhere in Iowa. Just when I swore that I would never make it out of Iowa alive, this sign appeared to let me know I would survive to see another birthday.

1023 is everywhere you look if only you're looking for it. I tend to notice when I glance at the clock and it is exactly 10:23. Or am I drawn to look when the time is 10:23 because it is my birth date?

Either way, I knew my birthday was on the horizon. I didn't yet know the epic proportion of this year's celebration, but I would soon find out.

October Adventure

2011-10-27T09:07:00.001-05:00

Now settled into October and after a few weeks spent at home, I was back on the road. I headed north to Wisconsin to paint for my parents and hit up the local best restaurant ever. I'd highly recommend the Freighthouse in La Crosse for your next pretend birthday. It is always delightful.

From there I continued West into Minnesota for a wedding reception for the lovely couple I was so lucky to see wed in Florida. It was a long, long drive as the wind whipped across the plains. I arrived to find my hotel room on the main floor, right between the back door and the pool and right next door to a party room.... A kids party room.

Minnesota.

Luckily when I arrived I had just enough time to get ready, grab a drink at the neighbor's hotel, and catch the shuttle to the reception. The driver was super friendly chatty and rumored to smell like cows. I would stash away his "advertising" business card for later.

I had a fabulous time at the wedding reception with humorous company and entertainment, delightful food, and even a little Dazy Head dancing. Who could ask for anything more from a wedding reception? I believe they throw the best weddings.

I got my revenge on the partying neighbors with a little after bar in my room followed by a late morning awakening. Well I actually got up early when housekeeping tried to break into my room, but took a nap after that until check out time.

I rolled out of bed, threw on some clothes, and shoved everything back in my suitcase in time to meet my parents for a dog exchange and new tire birthday present unveiling at a truck stop. Joy!

It was a long, long, even longer drive home through Iowa on that sunny, hungover Sunday afternoon. I was so happy to arrive back in Springfield safe and sound and spend a little quality time making out with my dog and the couch.

Iowa.

Finally Fall!

2011-10-26T09:20:00.002-05:00

After a month of traveling the countryside, I returned home to Springfield to settle into fall.

I was finally feeling the mojo. I started craving chili and squash and apple cider and knew it was time to decorate!

I stowed away most of the beachy summer decorations (some of them made their way to my office to tide me over during the winter). I dusted off the mantle and pulled out gold chargers to corral plants and papers, rescued deep orange chinese lanterns from the basement, and added grasses, nuts, and seed pods for the finishing touch.

Pumpkin bowls and a pumpkin soup tureen perch on the dining room hutch while a spaghetti squash chills in the fridge and pork chops and apple brine wait for their turn in a sour kraut crock pot supper.

Ahhhh.... It's my favorite time of year!

I'M BACK!

2011-10-24T17:55:00.001-05:00

Oh how I've missed you blog!

I was hacked and spammed and deleted almost a month ago and just got my blog back. This has been a lesson learned in backing up. Let this be a warning to you all. Back it up babe! Hopefully I'll have time to do that in the future as well.

I'm still crazy busy. Still crazy. Even more so after celebrating birthday month with nobody to share it with. I may still get a few of those stories in, but for now.... more work and Halloween on the horizon!

Settling

2011-09-27T22:26:00.000-05:00

Peanut and I are settling in at home after a crazy wonderful whirlwind month!

I've got him restocked on food supplies and he has practically slept off all the exhaustion from keeping tabs on grandpa and grandma constantly. He seems awfully tired! He must have had a wonderful vacation too.

I'm getting over my post sales conference cold quickly thanks to the power of zinc and Nyquil. Tomorrow I may even pick up a few groceries for the first time this month.

I've got big plans to to decorate for fall this weekend so I can get out the warmer blankets. I've also noticed that the long-neglected yard may finally require a little attention.

It's just the most wonderful time of the year!

Oktoberfest!

2011-09-26T22:11:00.001-05:00

Oh what fun there is to be had at Oktoberfest!

I hauled my Rabbi friend North with me. We both had the sickies, but after a Friday of zincing it up, we bravely faced parade day with only beers in hand. And brats. And other german treats I can't pronounce, but enjoyed thoroughly.

We had a great time catching up with the radio (and former) radio folks. We bopped back and forth between them and my friend, Kohlrabi, on the other side of the street. This is where the annual trunk photo was snapped.

We floated along like fall leaves on a crisp breeze, landing finally at the fest grounds with leaves in our hair and gyros in our tummies. We bundled up as the sun set and the temperatures dropped. We managed to get in some visiting with friends and family and witnessed a glorious Ring of Fire by the Jim Busta Band.

As we trudged back through downtown on our way home, I noticed it was 830. It had been a full day of fun and we were done! All of us were sound asleep before midnight dreaming of drinking gloves and Oktoberfest flair to share next year. Magical.

Interesting Turn Of Events

2011-09-20T21:37:00.000-05:00

Something interesting has been happening. It used to be that I had a lot of anxiety related to our annual sales conference. As a matter of fact, this time last year I was probably blogging about it. But this year was absolutely fantastic. Best sales conference ever.

I think there are a lot of contributing factors. Most obviously that this is my eighth conference, I've worked for two markets, and I just know more of the people then I did five years ago. That always puts me at ease. I find myself being much less introverted.

Also, just the experiences I've had over the last two years have forced me outside of my comfort zone and given me plenty of opportunities to work on some of my issues. Picking up and moving to another state was a big deal. Having nobody to call on for entertainment, I made my own and found out I am capable of a lot more on my own than I would have previously given myself credit for. I surprised myself even more in Florida on my recent loner vacation. I just keep building my confidence.

And last, but certainly not least, I have fantastic coworker friends! I had a full car of girls and we had the most fun on the road. The travel was enjoyable, our training together was good, and we had fun, fun, fun. I work with some pretty fantastic people! We're back and excited to kick some butt this year!

On The Road Again

2011-09-19T08:37:00.001-05:00

And I'm back on the road for our annual sales conference.

We're off to a slam bam start. We arrived Saturday early enough to hit up the water park. I played like we were five years old and it was fantastic. Once our entire market arrived, we dined at Buffalo Phil's. We decided it must be a distant relative of Buffalo Bill...possibly a second cousin...twice removed. It was delightful. After a quick rubber snake in the bed prank everyone retired for the evening early.

Sunday was our first day of training and thanks to a new shorter sessions format, the day just flew by. Before I knew it we were winning the presentation award for our market's effective advertising campaign. And then it felt like moments before I was tackled to the ground off my bar stool. Pretty sure my hip was broken. I'm starting to feel that now.

All in all, it has been wonderful. And there is plenty more fun to be had.

Last Hurrah

2011-09-15T23:15:00.000-05:00

On my final day in paradise I planned to get up early to enjoy breakfast with the married couple before they hit the road for a cruise departing from Miami. I ended up saying goodbyes after their breakfast and before mine.

Being the last of the crew left behind, I finished my breakfast and headed out to the beach for one more dip in the warm Gulf waters. As I sat on the beach letting the morning sun dry my swimsuit, a gaggle of birds flew over and said their goodbyes as well.

I packed up my beach bag one more time and headed back to my room to finish packing my bags, load them in my Dodge Avenger, and complete my checkout by eleven.

I drove the length of the island, past Lovers Key State Park, through Bonita Springs, and on to one last adventure in Naples. My aim was an antique mall, but I got sidetracked by a Whole Foods store I wanted to check out. I picked up a couple super tasty snack bars for my eventual day of airport travel and continued on my antiquing way.

My navigator led me right to nothing. I couldn't find the antique mall I had been looking for, but after a few trips around the block and down nearby streets, I laid my eyes on another antique store and settled for that.

I was drawn immediately to the front corner of the store after it caught my eye from the street. It had a lot of 50s/60s items and beautiful furniture. I wished I lived closer so I could take a piece of that furniture home with me, but I knew I had to look for something much smaller. I browsed the entire store with my eyes scanning for something of the Florida variety. I really wanted a treasure that would remind me I found it in Florida.

After a sweep of the whole store, I made my way back to that first corner and almost immediately I noticed a white ceramic flamingo I had obviously missed before. It was love at first sight. I picked it up and marched it over to the counter for a thorough wrapping.

Wrapped in my beach towel and clothing, it nestled into my carry-on for a long and thankfully safe journey home. It makes me smile everyone I catch a glimpse of it on my mantle. We could all use a little more beach in our everyday lives!

Sunday Funday

2011-09-14T22:11:00.000-05:00

Sunday was a winding down day. Friends began to go their separate ways. Some headed off towards Orlando early in the day. Those of us that remained hit up the pier and the shops for a little funday.

I enjoyed creamy strawberry cheesecake ice cream down by the pier. I purchased a few little things in the shops and resisted the temptation to buy any of the cute purses or bags.

Then we drove to Sanibal island for a little exploration. We saw a less than spectacular lighthouse, perused shells on the beach, and hunted for fancy glassware in the shops and wildlife at the refuge. And one of us even saw a flamingo (not me).

After returning to the hotel, I burned up a little of my rental car gas shuttling to the airport and secondary hotels. I returned to my room after dark and spent the evening getting my suitcases back in order and then lounging on my balcony under the bright moonlight.

It was a perfectly glorious day followed by a fantastically relaxing evening.

Big Day

2011-09-12T18:35:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the big day! I spent my day on the beach and accompanying friends on a parasailing adventure. Free boat ride for me! Then we rented boogie boards for quality Gulf floating.

When all the sand was rinsed off, I traipsed back out to the beach for the wedding! It was HOT in the afternoon sun, but quite breezy and ultimately lovely.

The reception followed at Doc Fords with an outdoor dinner and even a live band. How lucky was that? They even got a first dance and everything. The dancing continued at The Beached Whale with a 90s cover band and topped off with rooftop drinks.

Probably the best wedding I've ever been to. Hands down.

My Pelican Friends

2011-09-12T18:20:00.000-05:00

With a little alone time I ventured to the pier where I found my first pelican friend. There was a storm rolling in, so our time together was brief.

Back at the Shell, I ended up joining the post rehearsal dinner party for a little drinky drinky and cards. These folks are just as goofy as pelicans, but a whole lotta fun!

I found myself in great company.

Pontoon Get Together

2011-09-12T17:59:00.001-05:00

Upon arrival in Florida, I rented a car and set my GPS for the Pink Shell in Fort Myers Beach. I met up with some of the other wedding guests at the hotel bar and ventured into town for a few more drinks after the gigantor mosquitoes chased us away.

Friday I spent most of the day with the rest of the wedding folks out on a pontoon boat. It was a glorious day for boating and floating. We performed a little shell seeking on a beach on the Gulf and then spent the rest of our time floating along the beach in the strong current.

Funsies! I did get a little too much sun right out of the gates, though.

Paradise

2011-09-11T21:10:00.000-05:00

I've been soaking in every drop of paradise. I wish this picture had turned out better, but it will have to do because my phone battery died and it was my last sunset on the Gulf...for this trip anyhow. I'm already plotting my return.

La sigh... My bags are all repacked.

Hop Hop

2011-09-08T08:23:00.000-05:00

So I worked late Wednesday even though I said there was no way I was going to work late. I planned to hop on over to the West side of town to do a little shopping after work, so a couple of hours later it was 830 and I was finally rolling into my driveway.

I hit the ground running to get all packed up, but it took a lot longer than I anticipated. I kept thinking of things I needed to do. I was definitely scattered!

I wrote out some bills, took out the trash, and layed out my clothes for the early alarm. I snuggled into my soft bed about 1230. I clicked on my guided meditation and tried to let all of the little thoughts and to-do lists ease out of my head like the air from a day-old birthday party balloon.

So relaxed.... Deep sleep...

A little too deep. I slept through both alarms set for 3. At 4 I practically lept from my bed. I had planned to leave by 4, but by some miraculous unicorn pixie dust power I rolled out of the driveway onto the dark street at 415.

By 540 the security guard at BMI was joking with me about my shoe scan (I was still not awake enough to get the subtle humor of airport security folk). I glided up the escalader, made a pit stop in the restrooms, and boarded my flight.

And here I am in Chicago for the morning to people watch and wait for my plane. I'm just a hop, skip, and a jump from a beach in Florida!

Lilly Paddin'

2011-09-06T23:36:00.001-05:00

I've landed back home momentarily after a whirlwind holiday weekend. Peanut is delivered safe and sound to his vacation villa in northern Trempealeau. I miss him already.

After a severe stomach bug attack to end my otherwise perfectly acceptable weekend, I'm happy to say I'm feeling better finally. My return was delayed and so was the pile of work waiting for me.

I'm super pumped to cram it all in tomorrow along with all of tomorrow's work, and the work to prep for my vacation. That's the way I roll. Because in less than two days I'll find myself hoppin' on over to a beach to let the sound of the ocean wash away any excess stress.

Day Late And A Dollar Tired

2011-09-01T22:50:00.001-05:00

It's late. It's too late. And I'm so tired.

If only my motivation would strike earlier in the evening. I did really well right after I got home. I picked my one pepper and prepared it for freezing. I washed and froze juicy strawberries, plump blueberries, vibrantly green asparagus, and meat, meat, and more meat.

Luckily I was prepping dinner in the process because I hit my energy wall and had to break for food. I made asparagus with garlic and a garlic pepper encrusted steak. Did I mention I love garlic? Then I sliced up a cucumber for tomorrow's snack and cooked meat to haul to work and on the road.

So the fridge is all cleaned out, trash is out, and my bright red suitcase is bursting at the seams after I got my second wind! I'm mostly all prepared for the first of my September getaways. I just need to work my tail off tomorrow so I can get out of the office early and join the rest of the suckers on the highways and byways for the holiday weekend. It has been a long time since I headed North on 55. I can hardly wait!

Secrets To Success

2011-08-31T23:00:00.001-05:00

Let me tell you the secret to success with Wen. It is the leave-in conditioner. I can almost guarantee it! After trying out the product, my hair is WAY softer when I use a little of the product as a leave-in conditioner. This may be in part because my hair is so unwieldy, but this is my observation. So make your Wen purchases with confidence, just remember to leave in the conditioner!

In other successful news, it turns out people in Springfield ARE looking for jobs and they are quick to latch onto this whole Drive Thru Job Fair concept. They lined up, one by one, to drive through a parking lot to pick up job information from local employers! With the afternoon sun glaring off the windshields, the drivers really did remain anonymous in their endeavors to find a new job. So many people came through that we ran out of job information long before we ran out of cars. Here's hoping we can help more people find jobs next time around!

Luckily people can still get the information at www.OpKnock.com. Good luck folks!

Day... What Day Is It?

2011-08-29T22:07:00.000-05:00

I'm on day number I can't remember on the Wen Haircare trial and I'm starting to feel it! Super soft hair today. I think I'm getting the hang of this thingy. I'm practically a new woman!

In other news, it is my last full week of work before the big vacation! I will be taking a mini vacation this weekend to the doggy sitters. Peanut will have to get all groomed up for his big September getaway. I'm going to miss him so, but glad I can trust he'll be in good hands.

I've only got one event this week to take care of before I take off. Times a tickin!

Glorious

2011-08-28T21:40:00.001-05:00

It was a glorious day in the Land of Lincoln. I slept in, temperatures were moderately warm with cool breezes, and I'm perfectly content with my level of productivity.

I made blueberry pancakes bursting with blueberries, topped with hot blueberries, and a side of turkey bacon. I dined on my porch and then kicked up my heels lazing on the porch couch, browsing through my Better Homes and Gardens, and sipping from my mug of hot vanilla coffee with my trusty Peanut by my side.

We moved to the backyard where he rolled in the grass while I cleaned up after my black walnut tree. Then I retrieved my magazine and a bottle of water to lounge on my back patio while Peanut continued to enjoy sniffing the delicate breeze.

I managed to work in a few odds and ends including finishing the weekly chores, touching up paint in the living room from the break-down-the-door incident, and boxing up the glasses that had been residing on my kitchen table for about a month in the hopes of finding their way to the Goodwill store.

I also spray painted these two decorative black square tin tiles that hang in my bathroom. I purchased them when I lived in Wisconsin to go with my pink and black bathroom. Now with my dark grey walls, white looks so much crisper. They shine with their new glossy paint now, but I still need to decide if they need distressing.

I topped off my night grilling brats under a shadowy, sprinkly sky and enjoying another meal on the front porch. I picked up my magazine one more time while dusk settled in just to try out my newly hung porch lights. It has been a beautiful start to the week!

G, P, and B&BBQ

2011-08-27T23:56:00.000-05:00

Today was a fantastic weekend day.

I started earlier than most weekend days on a golf course. Two lady friends and I went out golfing and then out for breakfast and it was so much fun. We'll have to do it again...although my arms and shoulders are bound to be sore tomorrow from my power drive. I was never as good at putting as I was at the drive. I think that is in part because my golfing experience in high school gym consisted of driving over the football field.

Anyhoo, I mustered up minimal motivation to get a little house cleaning done even though I really just wanted to nap on the porch couch after my big morning at the golf course (I placed second, by the way, with twice the par of the course).

Then I headed to work to plant my new potted palm. I'm so excited. Check out how much more homey my office looks. I could live there!

I topped off my fabulous Saturday with Blues & BBQ downtown Springfield. In the perimeter of the old state capitol, we sought out Midstate Meats to indulge in a meat man's Meat Parfait. I managed to power through a few layers of mashed potatoes and barbecued pork before hitting the meat parfait wall. It was unbelievably delicious, but it didn't leave much room for beer.

The slope was slippery on the way down to sleppyland after that. We hung out in the street in the cool and breezy night air while trying to consume a few beers, but eventually the meat parfait sleepiness took hold and we needed to head home.

Today was a practically perfect day and I can't wait to see what's in store fort tomorrow!

Not Your Average Day

2011-08-26T18:50:00.000-05:00

It wasn't your average day at the office.

The day derailed early when a few of us started plotting. The plan was that the smallest of us would hide under the boss' desk when we saw her car pull into the parking lot and surprise her when she got into her office.

To better see into the parking lot, I started to move my desk, which I've been meaning to do for ages anyhow. The littlest was helping me until we realized the boss surprised us all by parking in the front lot. The prankster quickly hid herself under the desk, but I didn't hide my messy office fast enough.

Boss Lady opened her office, but quickly decided she should help me finish arranging my office. And despite me swearing I could take care of it myself, she helped me get everything back in place...while the littlest hid under the desk for about a half hour.

By that time, the prank fizzled out. Someone was in the hall pretending to look for a picture on her phone as she recorded everything and others kept peeking to check on the situation. All this and my trying to push her out of my office, tipped Boss Lady off that something was up and she eventually saw the hider's arm under her desk.

The good news is that I finally got my office rearranged! I even went out over lunch and picked up a palm I had been dreaming of for a bare corner. It's so homey and I think it's going to be so much more functional. I thoroughly enjoyed not having to walk all the way around my desk to get out of my office this afternoon. I'm going to be able to increase productivity tenfold!

A Day In The Life Of A Hair Model

2011-08-24T21:51:00.001-05:00

So Day 1 was no good. Very bad, no good hair. It was about polar opposite of hair model. In the morning I had to rinse out the overnight treatment, so I thought I might as well dive into the new hair product. I usually don't wash my hair the morning after dying it, so that was my first mistake.

I just thought it was supposed to be a wonder product, so what is the harm, right? Well my hair turned incredibly dry and brittle. My hair is sensitive and needs lots of tlc. So it was so bad I wanted to hide my hair in a bun. But I persevered with the help of a little libation. A few drinks have an amazing way of helping you forget all about your crappy hair.

Day 2. Much better. I did the whole saturating the hair, leaving it on long enough, and using the styling product. Then I did not straighten my hair. That helps. I let it air dry. It was fabulously soft and fragrently fantastic. But it was still frizzy. It feels amazing, though, so I have high hopes for Day 3.

I'm going to tame this crazy hair if it kills me. Let's hope it doesn't and I just end up with great hair. The American dream of the millennium.

Going Natural

2011-08-22T23:53:00.001-05:00

No I don't mean my hair color. Pretty sure that ship is lost at sea.

I actually dyed my hair again tonight (still red), but it was long overdue. I was waiting for my new Wen haircare to arrive. They tell me the color should fade less then when using traditional shampoos, so I wanted to wait until I had the miracle potion in my possession before permeating my hair with fresh color.

It's vibrantly red again with a leave-in treatment left in. I can hardly wait to rinse it tomorrow and begin my new life as a hair model. I've been so down in the dumps about how crappy my hair is here in hot and humid Springfield. It just was not built for this climate. I now know why my mom has short hair. There comes a point when you just want to give up on it. And believe me, there have been plenty of hot, sleepless nights when I was moments away from shaving it all off.

Luckily I've persevered and hopefully have found the cure for crappy hair. Stay tuned for all the details.

On a side note, I doused myself in tea tree oil to tame a raging headache and I believe it worked miracles. Nature is amazing, right?

Strawberry Experiment

2011-08-20T21:27:00.000-05:00

After catching part of a PBS show, I was motivated to try out a strawberry face mask. I jumped on Google to find the recipe and stumbled upon a website called Strawberry-Recipes.com.

I mixed strawberries and baking soda for a tooth whitener. And gosh darn if it didn't work. Like magic! Then I mixed strawberries, coconut milk, and honey for a face mask (pictured). It is amazing how good my skin felt afterwards. And hours later I could still smell strawberry.

I think next time I would be inclined to puree the strawberries in my blender just to ease the strain on my drains. Other than that, this is a habit I could get used to. It will make me feel less guilty too about letting strawberries get too ripe.

Now I just have to find a recipe for that homemade lotion.

Planking And More Fun

2011-08-18T18:15:00.000-05:00

Last night a stop at the local watering hole turned into a night out. We quickly moved on to the West side where Rabbi found an arm wrestling match. We became a conglomerate co-worker crew. Each coming from our own events to meet up for a random night out.

Once the group congealed, we pressed on to a new location for pictures of planking. Check out that form! Pit Bull also proved she could kick higher than Josie's head. It's amazing what you learn while hanging out with co-workers.

After all that fun, you may be asking yourself, "Self, wasn't she sick just days ago?" Yes. The answer is beer cures all ills. I was feeling pretty spectacular today for the first time this week! I'm looking forward to being completely over this bug tomorrow so I can enjoy more fair food!