Looks like mom's gettin a box of Omaha steaks!

Diamond Auto Glass has a commercial out right now where some kids are playing baseball and it hits a windshield. The gimmick is that with a new windshield you get a box of Omaha steaks. Aside: Is it weird to be getting meat from your windshield guy? I guess the only meat I associate with windshields is road kill.

Anyhoo, it reminded me of a time when Dallace and I were playing softball in our backyard and we sent one right through a kitchen window. No adults heard it, so we just took the softball from where it had lodged itself and went to the front yard.

Later my mom found out somehow - did we tell her? can't remember - and got so mad at us for just taking the ball out and continuing to play. I felt pretty sheepish, but on the other hand I didn't really see any reason to stop playing. Minor setback, right?

The Magnificat

My soul doth magnify the Lord / and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded / the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth / all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me / and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him / throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm / he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat / and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things / and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel / as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

Christmas I hardly knew ye

I find it so sad that Christmas has already come and gone. I'm not even sick of it yet. In fact, I was just really getting into the Christmas spirit. I was wildly blessed by some generous elves this year, which of course made me really happy. I also like the gifts I gave, including a scrapbook for a certain F Minus artist, a recording I made for my nephew of a curious George book and a gift wrapping bin that I was eyeing jealously the whole time I put it together.

whatever Target cashier

Every time I go to a store, I try to use the least amount of bags possible. If I'm buying a book, I don't need a bag. Orange? no bag. You get the picture.

The other night I bought some stuff at Target and I tried to tell the cashier I only wanted two bags. But she INSISTED I take three.

She said - why does it matter?
I said - I'm trying to save the planet. It matters.
She said - just reuse them. use it as a trash liner
I said - that would be fine, if I had 600 trash cans, but I don't. I have too many bags already at home.

...and she hands me my third bag. screw you target cashier.

Personal Best!

So tonight was supposed to be an 8 mile run, but I didn't plan for it and got started too late.

Instead, I decided to go for 3 miles, and ended up running a personal best! It was so exciting. I've never run that fast before, and it felt so good, despite it being really cold and close to 11:30 pm.

And I have to say that I love having the nike ipod+, which gives me little messages of encouragement through my headphones, like congratulating me on my run.

Pet peeve

Cold bread.

Attention restaurants: no one likes cold bread. stop serving it. it's hard to put butter on it and it never tastes as good. So throw it in a warmer or something, huh? One repeat offender is California Pizza Kitchen. Another was a place I visited in DC tonight called Pesce, which had cold bread and small portions.

Anyone else got some pet peeves out there?

Sixer

So I finished the sixer tonight. Now I'm icing my feet with some frozen spinach. It's not as gross as it sounds.

PS, if you haven't caught on yet, this forum is going to be part of my motivation for the Half Marathon Jan 13. 13.1 or bust! That's a pit stop on the way to the full marathon in June, when I turn 25.

And I would be absolutely remiss if I didn't acknowledge my coaches/bike posse: Camilla, my sister, and Tony, my boyfriend. They come with me on my long runs and keep me going strong. How will this play out on race day? Well, let's hope it works out.

Finally, I'm always looking for new iTunes to rock my workout. Please suggest your faves!

Worst pickup line ever

A few years ago I worked at a restaurant that had a fairly young staff. Naturally, the inter-kitchen dating was rampant, but the absolute worst line I heard was this:

Another server asked me out. I told him I have a boyfriend. His question?

"Are you interested in any sidework?"

If you are unfamiliar with the term, sidework refers to the little chores everyone is assigned to do before they leave, like refilling salt shakers or ketchup bottles.

So he was asking me if I wanted to cheat on my boyfriend in the same manner that I might mop the floor. Hot.

What are the worst lines you have ACTUALLY heard?

That would be a fiver

So I ran five miles tonight. yay! Another step closer to the PF Chang's half in January.

One question, though: Why is it when I step just a little bit faster do I suddenly turn into a grandma?

My nose runs, my stomach gets bubbly and my hip feels like it is a rusty hinge.

Oh, and my hair turns white. EVERY TIME

Any other runners out there? Share your war stories!

I knew it!

My dream has come true.

I have an action figure set on my desk featuring Superman, Lois Lane and the American flag.

Ordinarily, they are posed in a normal stance.

Yesterday, Superman had his arm around Lois.

I now have plans to set up a hidden camera overnight to catch them in the act.

I KNEW dolls came alive after dark!

The Fave Five

I haven't blogged in a while because every time I sign on, blogger takes about 6 years to load. Somehow today I got lucky.


These are my top 5 restaurants lately. Tell me what else I should try!

1. radioMilano: On 40th Street and Campbell. I fell in love with their hand-made pasta with vegetables and goat cheese. I am a huge sucker for goat cheese, yet I don't particularly enjoy goats. Catch-22? No, more like Double Jeopardy. I also adored the olive oil cake, served with jam and cream. I know what you're thinking - jam? gross! But actually jam is quite delicious. The staff also was incredible. We were running late for a Shins concert, and they got us out of there in 30 minutes.

2. Swaddee Authentic Thai Cuisine in Tempe: Just named Best of Phoenix by the New Times. I had "Coconut Princess" and enjoyed it v much.

3. La Grande Orange in Phoenix: Always. Especially the egg pizza. love it!

4. Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe: Mainly the french fries, which are some of the best I've ever had. Add to that the sweet jalapeno dipping sauce and you got yourself a party.

5. Giovanni Pizza Bistro: In Tempe, Baseline and Mill. This best-kept secret is so unknown, the last time we went there we were the only patrons for about 2 hours. Then we left, so we may have been the only patrons that night. Despite the sketchy service, the food is really good and the tables always have real flowers on them. I especially like the rolls - order pepperoni or spinach.

P.S. This is my second attempt to post this blog today. Blogger froze the computer.

you bet your fanny

http://www.azcentral.com/style/seasons/articles/090407fannypack.html

So according to this article, fanny packs are back. Strange, it seems for some people they never left.

I for one lament the return for these reasons: 1 - "fanny" in the name. 2 - seems to sit at the very point on one's body that needs the least packing. 3 - It reminds me all too much of a certain family's mom who was not very nice.

Can we not just carry bags like civilized people?

This better be the best Thai food ever

The other day I went to get some Thai takeout. The staff was very nice and poured me some water while I was waiting. Then the waitress brought me my bill: $110.68.

She had added an extra zero. But here's the catch: they didn't know how to cancel the transaction. Or they didn't want to. I heard the owner grumbling about the 50 cent fee. So they gave me $100 cash back.

Ordinarily I would be pretty annoyed. But it was some damn good pad Thai.

Newest Member of the Family

Meet Beverly. She's 7 months old and she is meant to keep Merriweather company. And chase her around so she loses weight.

I chose the name Beverly because it sounds like an old lady. One of my favorite names for a pet was Lazy Dan. What are some of the best pet names you've heard?

Fun with Photo Booth

chocolate guilt

The other night I ate something called a "chocodile." I think it's a cross between a Twinkie and a Ding-Dong. It was good, but not chocolicious. And not worth gaining 2 pounds.

The explanation

I got kicked out of Bashas' because I was doing a story about people who volunteer their time and drive elderly, homebound people to do their errands. One such errand that day was a trip to the grocery store. I had a photographer with me, so I was a little more obvious than usual. We got about halfway around the store before we were met with two store managers who told us very nicely to park it outside. we sat at the deli in the front and waited. Neither their photos nor their name got a mention in the story.

Where You've Got a Friend

Today I got kicked out of a Bashas' grocery store

oh brother

Today while driving around in my parents' neighborhood, I saw a man outside his house with no pants on. He had a shirt. Luckily it was a long shirt. Kind of like a night shirt I guess. But mostly it's kids you see wearing night shirts, and really, this was kind of a button-down shirt. And he was no kid.

Settling in Mesa

Starting tomorrow I will be working out of Mesa. It's a good thing, despite having to say goodbye to my beautiful desk and my two windows. And the loads of wonderful eating options available in Scottsdale. Mesa has The Sandwich Mile. And a reputation for bug problems. Yahoo!

Deathly Hallows

I just finished reading the last Harry Potter book. It didn't take me too long - I was pretty much rushing all the way through it to see how it ended. I finished it at about 1 am or so. Then I went to use the bathroom and the toilet overflowed onto the floor.

Other than that, though, I really enjoyed the book. I think if I could find fiction meant for adults that grabbed me as much as that series did, it would be a good thing -- seeing as how I am not 12, teach grade school or have an 11th grade reading level.

Homemade web site

Wanna see a very simple Web site?

www.yourlegacyinprint.com

I made it. It's my first try. I have big plans to make it better soon. In the meantime, you can enjoy some Microsoft Clip Art photos that I found under "seniors."

And if you happen to know anyone who wants to write down their life story, have them contact me.

My brutally honest personality results

Your Score: Busy Body- ENFJ

73% Extraversion, 60% Intuition, 46% Thinking, 73% Judging

You manipulative busybody! You're what some might call the "backseat driver" of life. You know, the one who knows exactly what everyone else is doing wrong and how they should go about fixing it. You're always trying to change everyone else.

The strange thing is, you can generally get whoever you want, to do whatever you want. What's that? You want me to stop insulting you...well, alright...but only because you asked so nic...WAIT A MINUTE!

Stop sticking your cumbersome nose where it aint't wanted. You're like an oversized sniffer dog, trained to sniff out everyone else's problems, yet oblivious to your own.

For one you worry excessively. The fact that you're also incredibly sensitive to criticism probably has you on the verge of tears right now. Get a grip.

You have powers of manipulation unlike any other. You know all the gossip and you know how to ultimately use it as blackmailing material.

You could potentially be the ultimate evil villain... if not for the fact you choose to use all of your powers for good, rather than evil. How honourable. How admirable and praiseworthy. How pathetic.

While you're helping others out and pushing them into the limelight, you're left in the background to inhale the dirty smoke of their success. Nice one.

*****************

If you want to learn more about your personality type in a slightly less negative way, check out this.

*****************

The other personality types are as follows...

Loner - Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving

Pushover - Introverted Sensing Feeling Judging

Criminal - Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving

Borefest - Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging

Almost Perfect - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving

Freak - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging

Loser - Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving

Crackpot - Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging


Clown - Extraverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving

Sap - Extraverted Sensing Feeling Judging

Commander - Extraverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving

Do Gooder - Extraverted Sensing Thinking Judging

Scumbag - Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving


Prick - Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving

Dictator - Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging

Link: The Brutally Honest Personality Test written by UltimateMaster on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

MORE elbow grease

Did lots of work on the ol sticks n bricks in the past couple weeks.

In the "before" photo, you can see a blank white wall on the left. That's the wall we painted.

And in the updated pics of the dining room, we added a darker color of green on the wall and a new light.

Next stop: the bathroom!

I'll keep it brief

Yesterday I finally faced my fear. It had been lurking in my storage closet, which already was scary because it had spiderwebs and leaves.

This was the fear: A pair of men's white briefs that someone (construction worker? previous tenant?) had left on the top shelf of my storage closet.

I decided to tackle it with this tiny broom I have. The handle is maybe 3 feet long. So I carefully hooked the undies on to the end of the broom and walked with it dangling in front of me to the dumpster. That was when I discovered the second pair. I HAD thought there was just one pair. No. Two. So yet another trip to the dumpster, with some neighbors eyeing me cautiously. Oh, and one dirty white sock, too.

The guy's a pro

On Sunday, as I was exiting the Flagstaff Wal-Mart, I met a professional hobo. He was a grungy, bearded man on a bike with a cock-a-mamie story about needing money for bus fare so he could get to a train station then to Las Vegas then to Wyoming or something.

"Now since I'm a professional hobo," he said, "I have a service to provide." His services featured mostly window cleaning. And he pointed out the difference between a hobo - who is willing to work for his handout - and a bum - who just wants to leech off people.

Well, his scheme worked. I didn't need the window washed, but I did need a little karma. PROFESSIONAL karma.

Can we use the vacuum for this?

Today an electrician came to the house to look at installing motion sensor lights. He brought his little boy with him. He was about 9.

I tried to be hospitable: I gave the kid Capri Sun and some fruit snacks. (Just ignore for a minute the fact that I already had this stuff in my cupboards and eat like a preschooler.)

By the time the two were leaving, the little boy was complaining that he didn't feel too good.

He was right.

He threw up in my doorway.....and my carpet....and my walls....and some of my picture frames.

Tonight on 24

A few days ago I turned 24, an age I consider respectable. Non-respectable ages include 11, 15 and 19. I realized I've had this blog just over a year, and last year I went through a few things as I turned 23 (semi respectable). So I guess I'll turn it into an annual tradition.

Things I've accomplished since June 2, 2006:
- moved into my own house
- dropped a dishwasher off at Goodwill even though it still had some water in it
- ran a half marathon in San Diego
- bought a newER car. My first SUV. Look out environment!
- rode a horse in a parade
- survived a midnight break-in at said house

Things I'd like to accomplish in the coming year:
- move closer to being debt free
- nourish the memoir-writing business I'm starting with my friend
- publish at least three freelance articles
- win a journalism award
- get a passport
- run another half marathon, possibly a full
- become more spiritual

If anyone has any more suggestions of things I should/should not do in the coming year, please comment!

Me encanta la musica latina

Lately I've been loving Latin music, including artists like Juanes, Shakira, Nelly Furtado and Bebe. I have my friend Amanda to thank for this - she burned me a rockin CD. Although I guess Bebe is from Spain - does that count as Latin? I say yes.

I also realized in the past year or so that technically I am a quarter Mexican. Not Hispanic. But Mexican. My grandmother was born in Mexico and maintains dual citizenship. So boom - I could've had so many more scholarships. I'll keep it in mind for grad school. Then they will take one look at me and send me back to WASP-ville.

the irony

I was looking for a nutrition book at Changing Hands the other day and noticed they put all the diet books next to the cook books. Sadistic.

Albuquerque is for spellers

I stole this from my sister's blog. It's awesome! You can type in whatever you want and it becomes a sign:
http://www.redkid.net/generator/roosevelt/
Click this and scroll down.

Bad Car-ma

I just had to leave my car in a Target parking lot overnight, causing waves of stress and grouchiness. Luckily, it only meant buying a new battery, which is under 100 bucks and easy to install. It also inspired me to look for a "Basics in Car Repair" class, because I'm just about the most clueless person on the planet when it comes to cars. I've never even checked my oil. But on the plus side, I have a very good relationship with my mechanic!

Sometimes I imagine myself buying all the right tools and spending a couple hours on a Saturday morning tinkering with my car, alone with my thoughts, Hank Hill style. Then I think about shopping at IKEA instead, and just dropping off the car to let someone else do it. And it sounds a lot better.

Cupcake fever

Today I spent $10 on two cupcakes and a bottle of milk. The cupcake WAS pretty delicious, but worth $3.25? Prob not. Apparently cupcakes are all the rage now. There are going to be 3 in Scottsdale alone. The verdict is in: cupcakes are the new gelato.

Jury Doodie

First time at jury duty. So far nothing has happened except I'm sitting in a room full of slightly annoyed people. And the cafeteria is in another building or something, and requires another pass through security to get back. No juice for me I suppose. Oh, now we're watching a movie about jury duty. I'll check back in later.

Update:

Well, after sitting the entire morning without being called, I finally joined a group after lunch. It had something to do with guns, and apparently I'm not the gun-lovin type so I didn't get picked. However, I DID get to sit all day in a government building on my precious day off. The system works.

Ways to spend your Saturday

Things I'm excited for:
Trip to Orlando in two weeks
My birthday June 2. I'll be 24. A good age I think.
The new Batman movie, though it won't be out for a while.
Adding egg to pizza
Summer camping trips

Things I'm not excited for:
Jury duty on Monday. My first time. I predict it will be a big waste of 6-8 hours
Summer heat that makes it so I can't roll down the window.
Cleaning out the litter box
HOA fees kicking in soon

Grumpy Old Men

Last night I had two run ins with grumpy old men, or GOM. The first occurred at a gelato shop, when a GOM in a fancy grey suit cut in front of hordes of people to order in front of us. He was rebuffed by his fancy old wife. Yet, just seconds later, he tried to cut us in line again at the cashier, and gave us the evil eye as we blocked his maneuver.

The second entanglement occurred at a bridge. This time the GOM was guarding the pathway, like a fairy tale troll, and tried to convince me that the bridge had been closed for two months. Actually he said it like this: "Sweetheart, I work here every night!" And I tried to explain to him that I had crossed the bridge just the previous week. I left in a huff, angry that I didn't have the right password for the ol troll and that he called me "Sweetheart".

Elbow grease

We installed moulding today - which was pretty simple but time-consuming. And I love the way it's turned out! Home repair is fun! And expensive!

Community College non-credit courses

All class titles are real. Descriptions...not so much

AARP Driver Safety Program: Basics in sitting at green lights, leaving the blinker on and achieving that "Fresh from 1961" smell
Crystal Healing Power: See also Make Money Selling Rocks
Makeup: The Tammy Faye Bakker method
Be a Modern Nomad: Will need backpack, compass, trust fund
Who's walking around in your head: Seriously. Who?
Family Violence: Via satellite from cell block D
Get Funny!: Or else
Where does all my money go?: Class fees $475
The magic of hypnosis: See also Filing Your Small Claim
Wow, What a Great Event!: Planning your own funeral

* http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/schedules/noncredit.html

4 Things You will Learn Today

* I just bought the soundtrack to "Romeo and Juliet." No, not the black and white one you watched at McClintock High in Benvenuti's class. The one with Leonardo DiCaprio. The CD sort of takes me back to my junior high days, so very full of angst and wishing I looked like Claire Danes.

* Did I ever tell you I always wanted to be a ballerina? I was the only one of my sisters who didn't get to do it. But I did play soccer, which is how I broke two pairs of identical glasses. In identical ways: hit in the face with a soccer ball. Good bye soccer. Hello band.

* I still have my trumpet. Sometimes I wonder how I could get hired to play at churches and weddings and make thousands. Then I remember that there are some people out there who are actually talented or professionals.

* I just finished "Nickel and Dimed," by an author who spent months in different "American" jobs: waitressing, maid for hire, Wal-Mart associate. It's a little depressing. I think my next book should be more whimsical. Oh yeah, I'm reading "Spook: Science tackles the afterlife." That's pretty whimsical.

Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay Butler

Lately I've been getting a lot of mail addressed to Mr. Lindsay Butler. I guess I could go on and on about how cruel it is that they assume the name on the deed must belong to a man, but instead I'll just post a picture of the REAL Mr. Lindsay Butler. You hear that, Discover Card? Get it right!

Can you put a cat on a leash?

Short answer: Yes, but it's not very successful.
Since I moved into my condo, I have asked my cat Merriweather (pictured above on her 4th birthday) to move in with me. She no longer has a backyard to play in, but I try to let her go outside once in a while. The challenge is not losing her, and past attempts have meant chasing her around the complex as she darts from car to car to hide underneath. So, natch I thought I could solve the problem by using a leash. I pictured her tied to a tree, lazily rolling in the grass, enjoying her controlled freedom.
Well, it didn't exactly turn out that way.
She fights against the leash and always manages to tangle herself up in some way that almost chokes her to death. Today I found her perched on top of some horribly scratchy bush, her zebra-striped leash wound around all the branches. And of course, the Canadian neighbor next door was watching the whole time.
At this point, I'm not exactly sure what to do. I hate to leave her cooped up in my 1-bed condo, but I can't have her running around all over tarnation.
Maybe I could just get the neighbor to move.

Just call me wheels

Well my old car - the Batmobile - sort of ran out of life. So I got a new (to me) car. It's a CR-V, and I seriously never thought I would be one of those SUV girls. Let me explain: Every time someone is cutting me off or doing something stupid on the road, it always seems to be a woman in an SUV on her cell phone. And I hate them! But when I got in this car, I felt a little fun! It was up high, it was peppy, and it felt safe. So I got it, and to celebrate I went to Starbucks the next morning......and promptly spilled in my car and backed into a fence. But at least I wasn't on my phone. I only save that for the freeway.

Beauty and the Geek

Although this is another in a slew of ridiculous reality shows, I recently have become hooked on the show "Beauty and the Geek." For the uninformed, it pairs a group of "beauties" with a group of "geeks" and they have to compete in contests that do not appeal to their most natural abilities. For example, in one episode the women were challenged to find a library book. They were terrible. And the men then had to get a stranger to rub sunblock on their backs. Oh the antics that ensued!

At any rate, I think I like the show because I have always been a sucker for nerdy guys, since they usually are also genuinely nice and caring. And I can only hope that my children also are geeks, for though junior high will almost kill them, they will turn out to be some of the best people in the world.

I also included a picture of me and Tony as beauty and the geek. You decide, America!