hey neighbor

We used to have some really cute neighbors next door. They had a 4-year-old girl named Riley who had glasses, curly blonde hair, and a habit of walking into the house without knocking. We were given Valentines and invitations to her birthday party. My best memory of her was when she sat on a kid-sized recliner in a princess crown and sang, "Happy Birthday to Me" between bites of cake.

But they moved. And I think they stopped making payments on the house. The neighbors on the other side only live there part time so we don't see them much.

And those are the only neighbors we know.

We have never spoken to the people who live directly across the street. Or the drug dealer two doors down. I half expected them to come make introductions, but they seem pretty reclusive. And I guess we're just as bad; we haven't made any effort to talk to a family that moved in to a house kitty corner to us.

Is it a standoff? Is everyone expecting the other to flinch first? Or is there no reason to know your neighbors anymore? I'd like to think there is a benefit...seems like there is some sort of safety reason buried in there. We held a garage sale recently and I think some people lived nearby but they didn't mention it.

Maybe Christmas is the time? Make a plate of cookies and brave the cold call? Anyone have some neighborly advice?

Gingerbread!

Gonna make gingerbread this year. Don't usually enjoy it. Hoping that it tastes better when it's warm and freshly iced.

Eggnog Frosting

I'm in an eggnog mood.

Ingredients for the Eggnog Buttercream Frosting

8 Tbsp. (or one stick) of butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 to 4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3 to 4 tablespoons eggnog
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, for garnish (optional)


Directions for the Frosting

1. Place the butter and 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds to incorporate. Stop the machine and add the remaining confectioners' sugar, eggnog and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute. Add more confectioners' sugar if the frosting is too runny to spread. Add a touch more eggnog if it is too stiff.

Well wishes

I finally got the gumption to put all the wedding stuff away. Not sure when I would open this box again. Maybe when someone else gets married and wants a bride and groom teddy bear pair.

As a part of this effort, I opened and read through all the cards again, which made me really sentimental. The messages were so kind and loving. And I remember sitting with T in our house going through each of these cards and the long list of gifts we received and feeling so BLESSED. Hundreds of people came and brought us gifts to send us on our way into matrimony. Hundreds were so very generous.

I felt remorse when I saw the generosity, and I felt it again the other night as I looked through the cards. Not because I didn't thank everyone - I'm pretty sure I did. But because I had honestly thought many of them wouldn't care. Or I assumed they wouldn't approve. Or that they would merely felt obligated to send us something. But they came. Or they sent cards. And they didn't have to.

I could not have guessed that so many people loved us and felt genuine joy for our happiness. Even this inscription from our guest book surprised me. It's from my brother's friend: "You love each other. Nothing else will ever matter more than that."

Favorite Spaces

Tony bought our house just over a year ago, and since then we have made a lot of changes. This post includes some "before" pics and also some pics of little spaces and things that make me happy at our house.

Gratitude

Usually, Thanksgiving makes me grateful for a couple days off work. And then it makes me regretful for how much I eat.

But this year is a little different. We're facing a few unexpected challenges this fall, and they do have the potential to REALLY bring our spirits down. Luckily, I am married to T, who is especially skilled at calming me and easing my anxieties. He's also willing to make difficult choices and sacrifice for our little family.

So this year I'm especially grateful for him. Maybe I should bake him a pie or something.

Overwhelmed

Cannot relax today. Too many balls in the air. Topics include a new shower, Twitter and a dance competition.

Sleeper hit

T and I signed up for "Shaolin Power Hour" at our kung fu studio. It is a two-week fitness boot camp that lasts for an hour every morning.

It starts at 6:15 a.m., which means we have to drag our sorry butts out of bed at 5:30 (though it's been slipping to 5:40, 5:45). This does not bode well for me. I am historically a mean sleeper.

I have panic attacks about waking up early. And I attack others who wake me up or who prevent me from getting to sleep. I can be extremely grumpy in the morning, and incredibly irrational late at night. I think that means I am neither a night owl or an early bird. I'm a totally different breed of fowl. (A surly bird?)

HOWEVER. After four days of Shaolin Power Hour, I am finding that I have a lot more energy during the day. I still get sleepy around 10 p.m., but I'm not the kung fu zombie I thought I was going to be.

Holidaisical!

Starting to receive travel plans from my three out of state sisters...and getting so so excited for the holidays!

Makes me want to organize the guest room so some little nieces and nephews can sleep over and play rock band with crazy cool Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Tony.

Finally figured it out

For years I've been trying to determine how exactly I fit in among my friends and family.

I have labels for everyone -- the smart one, the emotional one, the easygoing one -- but for a long time I could not figure out which "one" I was.

Today it dawned on me, thanks to the help of a co-worker. It also explains why I have labels for everyone.

I'm the judgmental one.

Spooktacular

Now that we have our own house, we are finally going to fulfill one of my long-term dreams: hosting a giant Halloween party.

I love Halloween. It's pure fun, without the spending and politics of Christmas. (I still love Christmas don't worry!) We put a lot of thought into our Halloween costumes every year. This year the pressure's really on to have a great costume, since we will be the hosts extraordinaire.

The biggest challenge will be to decorate the house in the bestest, most bitchin' Boo-fest ever. I'm already researching ideas for decor, both cute and creepy.

Anyone have any easy or cool ideas? Anyone want to have a craft/decor day on Oct. 24? :)

New shelves!

Sometimes the stars align and T and I have the time and energy to put up new shelves. The result is usually wonderful and I am so very pleased.

Stick of butter...mmmm

This recipe for frosting is SO DELICIOUS. I got it from Sarah B, who got it from Sprinkles Cupcakes. Try not to let the obscene amounts of butter put you off. Totally worth it. I added frozen raspberries to this batch.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1 cup softened butter
3.5 cups confectioners sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla


Beat butter, sugar, salt until smooth.
Add milk, vanilla and beat 3-5 minutes until creamy.

addiction

I think Diet Coke might be keeping me alive

The Audacious Cook

I don't usually have the patience to cook. I hate things with a million ingredients and hours of chopping. Our dinners usually consist of tortilla + filling + microwave. Anything that takes longer better include the crock pot.

But I kinda have the desire to bake. I like the idea of perfecting some wonderful dish, then making it for special occasions to the delight of all my sophisticated friends. Problem is, I don't have natural talent, and I am going to have to work for it. A recent attempt at cherry turnovers didn't end so great. It tasted OK, but looked pretty wimpy and a little soggy.

I'm tempted to buy the Julia Child book, since all of the NPR interviews with director Nora Ephron have said that taught her how to cook. And I do love things made with butter and cream. I'm not suggesting I try my own version of "Julie and Julia," where I blog my way through it, but I like the idea that maybe I could try some of the recipes and make something delicious.

One thing I have learned was that homemade whipped cream can cover up a lot of worries. And I know how to make that. So that's a start.

Blog on blogging

I know. Bad title.

Just read one of my favorite bloggers, Girl in a Party Hat, and was inspired to write. She wears her heart on her screen, and doesn't seem to fear revealing too much, as I often do.

I don't blog about work - that's a gimme. But I could probably share a little more. I guess I'm torn about publishing that kind of information -- what if no one reads it? Or worse, what if they do?

I'm usually prompted to write when something bad has happened. For instance, this morning I managed to dump a whole pan full of muffin batter onto the hot oven door. I spent 20 minutes mopping up the goop instead of watching them brown into apple cinnamon delights. And was left with no reward; just a cat hoping for a little taste off the floor.

Or like now, when T and I have been stressed out - both for good and bad reasons. But I can't share that. It has more implications than a pan of muffins.

If I was a better cook, I'd share recipes. If I was crafty, I'd share photos of my latest homemade tote bag. If I had kids, I'd share photos. You get the picture.

I guess until I do acquire all of those things, you (and I) are stuck with muffin stories and gripes about free movie screenings. :)

Acceptance

Today I made a huge leap toward full acceptance into the Latino community. Or at least half.

A Hispanic co-worker at the hospital asked me today if my husband is Mexican. I said yes, well, he's half. Then she asked me if I wanted to buy some tamales. I have worked there a year and never been offered the inside track on tamales.

Wonder what sweet Mexican hookup is next...

Movie Magic

I recently took a flight to Los Angeles from Phoenix. These flights really should be easy. They last about an hour and they leave something like every 15 minutes. Yet every time I fly, thanks to heightened regulation, security and the removal of one's shoes, I can't help but repeat to myself this phrase, "Ah, the indignity of flight."

Well, that's nothing compared to the indignity of seeing a free movie.

My friends scored free tickets to see "Julie and Julia," the latest Meryl Streep flisk, dedicated to Julia Child. Thinking it would only appeal to a certain audience, I was unprepared for the huge crowd lined up at Arizona Mills, our sorta ghetto outlet mall. But I guess people will pretty much see anything for free.

The Harkins folks did their best to control the crowd, which was way bigger than the capacity of the theater. We three managed to slip into the last wave of people, high-fiving all the way down the hall. Until we got to the second line.

This line featured three security guards and a man yelling at people to "limit your ins and outs." In other words, don't plan to save your seat and then go to the bathroom. This line was dedicated to searching purses for cell phones or recording devices. Now, that is perfectly fair. It was a sneak preview. But they waited until people had been waiting for an hour before telling them they could not bring a cell phone.

And if they didn't happen to find your cell phone in your very messy purse (which, luckily happened for me), the security guards then used a wand to screen your body for hidden devices.

I totally understand the desire to keep out the riff raff. But the demeanor of these guards and the great lengths they achieved to anger their viewers made the experience a little less than magical.

It was supposed to be fun! Sneak preview of a cutesy movie about cooking and blogging! But instead of eagerly talking and reviewing the movie, all we could talk about was feeling like we had just visited a prison. My friend Catharyn was kicked out of line at one point because they discovered her old cell phone -- which did not have video capability, mind you -- and told her to put it in her car. Instead, she put her phone back in her wallet and got back in line. Made it seem like the security was all for show.

Bottom line, I don't think I'll be returning to Arizona Mills any time soon. And I am extremely disappointed in the Harkins brand, a local treasure here. Bon Appetit!

Lindsay, Unplugged

T and I went up to the woods last weekend. It wasn't easy. And it wasn't pretty. But it was incredible.

Lately our schedules have been so packed that we can't find time to think. So even though we had to miss three (count 'em) different parties to hit the road, it was a critical move.

Lately I have become way too connected -- Facebook, Twitter, my Blackberry -- and I check them constantly. It's almost become a tic. It had to stop.

So Saturday morning we set out to the Blue Ridge Reservoir, which has a very nice camping area overlooking a canyon/reservoir.

I optimistically did not bring any kind of mattress, so we got horrible sleep. But we got some great rest. We sat in the shade and read books, enjoying the quiet and the 70-degree weather.

I'm hoping as the summer wears on, and 115 degree heat sets in, that we will get even better at dropping everything and leaving town.

Facebook will still be there when we get back.

Summer Doldrums

I think I have officially hit my first summer doldrums. This starts when the AC in the car can no longer compete with the outside heat, and you will do anything in your power to avoid driving somewhere.

Usually my remedy for this problem is to escape the Valley of the Sun and head north. Definitely itching to go this weekend. Not sure we can.

The break would also be nice just to clear my head. I feel like I've been running on all engines since we got back from the honeymoon. Never got a chance to recover from the wedding/honeymoon chaos!

Still haven't sent out any thank you notes. Still haven't put away the gifts stacked in our living room. Maybe I could kill two birds and write some thank you notes in the mountains? Hmmmm.

26 at 26

Today is my birthday. I'm 26. Last year Arizona revealed its new quarters. This year they're just raising gas prices.

26 things that have happened since last year

26. I got married less than a month ago. I love it.
25. I started learning Shaolin kung fu and now I am a green belt. I will be a brown belt in less than two months.
24. I moved into a real live house with a fireplace, vaulted ceilings and laundry nook.
23. I am considering going to grad school. For real this time.
22. For the first time, I voted for a winning president.
21. I got a passport and took a cruise. It was fun. Still have never traveled across an ocean or continent.
20. I decided I really don't want a dog.
19. I am really enjoying my group of friends and have added a few new ones.
18. I think about babies a lot, but only in the abstract. Real thinking is a couple years away.
17. Birthdays don't really faze me too much. 30 still seems far away, but I am happy with who I am at all ages, so I'm not too worried about it.
16. I really love living in Arizona but would consider California if T pursues a career in show biz writing.
15. I am learning to love people more and judge them less. (Emphasis on learning - as in not perfect.)
14. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love that came from the woodwork at our wedding. It has taught me to be more community-oriented and rethink how I treat others during special/important times.
13. I still haven't learned to sew on my Hello Kitty sewing machine.
12. I didn't get to run a marathon. Turns out my feet completely give out after 15 miles. It would still be nice to do someday.
11. I'd like to do more camping. T and I have tried a couple times with disastrous results.
10. I'm not sure I want any pets, which will probably come as bad news to my cats.
9. My first choice of foreign country to visit would still be Italy, though we may end up going to China first (not a bad thing!).
8. I don't really watch TV anymore, aside from a couple shows we Tivo and then never watch.
7. I have a new baby niece who I adore.
6. I can do 40 pushups. Real ones.
5. I am considering laser eye surgery. It would be nice to say goodbye to glasses, which I've had since 4th grade.
4. I enjoy cooking and baking more than I ever have before. Possibly connected to all the new toys we got for the wedding.
3. I wish my sisters all lived here.
2. I'm glad my parents live here.
1. I'm very thankful for my health, my husband, my family and my friends.

Filling the Void

Apparently I am replacing wedding stress with....just about everything else. Stupid stuff. Shower curtains.

Do I really miss the planning and stressing that bad, that I'm replacing it with anxiety over which night stand table to buy?

I always thought this post-wedding depression came from girls who miss being in the spotlight. I guess I miss being in the headlights.

Hopefully I will replace this fake stress with real stress (school perhaps?) so I can stop worrying about the fact that I have nothing good to worry about.

Oh it's SIR-rat-cha

The New York Times has published a very interesting story discussing the origins of Sriracha, the red sauce people know by many different names (my friend calls it Death Sauce).

Very informative and kinda funny story about a sauce we discovered at Pita Jungle, but have seen in several different places since. The article mentions that big-name restaurants are now incorporating it into their sauces.

Read about it here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/dining/20united.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=style

Home Alone

I am so rarely alone that it's hard to know what to do with myself.

T is at the Flight of the Conchords concert. Cam only had one ticket, and I figured he would enjoy it immensely. But that lives me at home alone with no car and suddenly all the chores I need to do (thank you notes, dishes) or exercising I could do seem very unappetizing.

Between T and sharing an office at work, the only time I am alone is in the car, and I usually like to be on the phone or have the radio blasting.

It leaves me wondering if I'm shallow or just uninteresting on my own. I already watched a movie and posted on FB. Now I'm tempted to shower and put on my jams, and it's not even 10 pm!

I feel like I should be doing some deep thinking or introspection. Instead I'm bored. And writing boring blog posts. Lucky you!

Back to business

Back at work. It's not all bad, actually. I've been struggling to have a semblance of a normal life, and work really helps me get back in the motions. And it really helps that I'm not having to plan my wedding in between meetings!

It is always hard to come back from vacation. It's like trying to ice skate when you haven't done it for five years. Little sloppy. Can't remember all your moves.

Wedding, in short, was amazing. Longer post on learning your lessons and acknowledging life events still to come.

No caffeine required but I had some anyway

I am a ball of nervous energy. I could barely sleep. I've already worked out, read the paper, done some banking and now blogged.

I'm not really worried, per se. There is a lot to remember to do (hit my parents' house, the bank, the mall, get some sun, pick up the cakes, rehearsal, family dinner sleepover) but I'm sure it will all get done.

Can't believe it's here.

My last Friday

Today is my last Friday as a single gal. By the end of next Friday, I will be married.

Feeling OK. Really excited to see my sisters (honestly one of the biggest perks of this whole thing is that we will have a few days together).

The moment I am anticipating most is the first dance. Not sure why, but I keep picturing that as The Moment.

Should be fun. Can't believe it's already here. The last seven months feel like they flew by, and yet I've aged five years in the meantime.

Excited for it to come. Excited for it to go. :)

You're fired!

I fired my doctor today after the last in a long string of rudeness and poor care. I also wrote a scathing review on Angie's List, which is now posting info on doctors.

Honestly, what doctor's office answers the phone with a simple, "Hello" ? I thought I had the wrong number. And that's just the beginning.

The problem is that I now need a new doctor! Hoping a referral from a friend works out.

Sure the recession's no biggie, but this?

So at first I thought having a wedding during a recession was one of the most extreme cases of bad timing.

Now there's a pandemic.

Maybe we should just elope and send everyone the pics. Either that or hold it in an isolation room. Maybe the flower girls could pass out gas masks!

Three weeks and counting

Wow. What an overwhelmingly wonderful couple weeks I have had. Two showers, both amazing in their own right. Everyone has been so generous and thoughtful. It truly makes me question whether I am showing enough support and love to those around me when they have special times.

Until now I have been fairly calm, but I can tell a storm is brewing. Things I have put off will come due and I expect the stress to build exponentially.

The one thing keeping me sane is the thought of being on a cruise ship with no Blackberry access and nothing more to glue, order, taste, nag or forget.

In the meantime, my mantra will be this: "I will not freak out. I will not freak out. I will not freak out."

and then everybody totally wigged

So the aforementioned wig party went off like Uncle Jim's toupee.

All the friends got way into it, and everyone brought a wig or chose from the collection of 7 I had on display.

Seriously had no idea everyone would support this theme! I always thought my little wig hobby was weird at best.

But Wig Party II is already in the works. I would highly recommend this as a very cheap theme party.

Oh, and I went with some super fun hair-themed items to serve: bell peppers stuffed with angel hair pasta, braided bread sticks and beehive hair do cupcakes.

How to throw a wig party

So I'm having a wig party tomorrow night. Everyone must have a wig to get through the door. Then we'll play rock band. I am looking for some suggestions on what to serve. Powdered wig donuts?

Meanwhile, I happened across this tip sheet on howtodothings.com:

How to throw a wig party

• Determine how you will include the wigs. You must begin thinking about how you are going to incorporate the wigs into your party or activity early in the event planning stage. Ask yourself the following questions:
  
  Will I provide the wigs or will I ask guests to bring their own?
  Will I offer any prizes or awards for the best wig worn at the wig party?
  


• Let people know wigs are a must. Make it extremely clear in your invitations that wigs are mandatory at your wig party. Nothing kills the vibe at a wig party like anything less than 100% wig wearing participation.
  


• Organize your party or event just like you would any other normal event. The beauty of the wig party is that it is so simple but it adds a lot of fun and it tends to take a normal party to another level of fun.
  


• Stir up some excitement. A few days before the wig party, email or share some good photos of either yourself the host in a great wig or some other good photo of people in wigs to get the excitement brewing.
  


• Throw the wig party. Be sure to answer the door as the host wearing your wig and keep your wig on at all times during the event. A host's commitment to the wig theme is crucial in building and sustaining the level of fun that is possible during a wig party.

countdown

coming up on 2 months to go until the big day.
still need a harpist.
sending in the order for the invitations tonight.
would still like to lose 20 pounds (not going to happen)
but may settle for about 7 (hopefully will happen).

need to meet with judge, dj and wedding coordinator.
looking for a nice pair of pearl earrings.

happy.
excited.

25 at 25

1. I paint my toenails to look "salon-quality" using stickers from CVS.

2. I have run three half marathons. Slowly. I stopped running due to blisters. Now I do kung fu.

3. I'm not very touchy-feely. This I blame on my parents, who I am suspecting grouped me with baby brother Dally and raised us as one boy...

4. ....yet I own a fairly extensive doll and wig collection.

5. I will marry the love of my life in May. He gets me to the core. I want to be better when I'm with him. And no one makes me laugh harder.

6. I developed a strong fear of guns after taking a Social Psychology class (where I heard the statistic about being more likely to shoot yourself or your family).

7. When I was little I wanted to be a cowgirl. I'm still secretly a little country and I love rodeos.

8. I will get my first passport next month. The farthest I've gone abroad is Rocky Point. My first country of choice would be Italy.

9. I love to read Martha Stewart Living, though the recipes are too complicated and my motor skills too unrefined to do the crafts.

10. I rode a horse in a parade a couple years ago. However, I was in the wrong spot because the horse would not leave his friends.

11. I talk in my sleep. The weirdest thing I remember saying is that there was a zucchini jamming my bedroom door.

12. I often am told I look like Drew Barrymore.

13. I lived in Florida for three months. A hurricane hit my city while I was there. Nothing really happened.

14. I played All State trumpet in high school. I was also a drum major.

15. My cousin Brooke died when she was 9 after a lifelong battle with cancer. I was 8. She was my best friend.

16. When I was little, I had straight blonde hair and brown eyes. I now have naturally dark curly hair and green eyes.

17. I deeply admire my four older sisters, who are all very different.

18. I adore and feel very protective of baby brother Dally.

19. My favorite songs are very sad and usually about heartbreak.

20. I am a trivia fanatic. Tony and I often win trivia games.

21. I have fairly straight teeth and fairly horrible eyesight.

22. I studied journalism in college. Three years after I graduated I left journalism.

23. I have a fear of heights but have no problem with planes. I once rode in a helicopter with no qualms. But I would not want to go in a hot air balloon.

24. I have interviewed Bill O'Reilly, Kathy Lee Gifford and the trainer of Whiplash the Monkey Who Rides a Dog.

25. I was once an international hostage when a group of angry shrimp fisherman blockaded the only road out of Mexico.

Wedding Preview

So these are some samples of what I am planning for TBD (The Big Day).

First picture is the actual location of the ceremony, which will be outdoors and feature some kind of live musician. Haven't decided on harpist or guitarist.

Second picture is a sample of the bouquet. Mine will have purple and green instead of those colors, and feature roses and orchids.

Third pic is a flower girl dress to be worn by my nieces. Their dresses will be sage green with ivory colored sashes.

And the last pic is an image from Tammie Coe Cakes. I haven't decided on the precise design - I can also opt for polka dots if a I want - but I'll probably do something with purple and white.

Less than three months away! Getting very very excited!

Bad Biscuit, Marathon Spellcheck and other things

This morning, out of pure laziness, I ate a sausage biscuit that looked like it had been under the warmer for way too long. I didn't really want to eat it, but the deli is four floors away, so I took my chances. I'm assuming I will regret it.

Not many know this, but I share an office with a coworker and a string of octogenarian volunteers. There is a different person every morning and afternoon. They come in to use the computer. Most of the time they are barely noticeable, and one of them even brought me fruitcake. But every once in a while, I get called upon to serve as IT support. Most of the time, the problem is that they accidentally opened Excel and they don't know what to do, or they clicked off the document and can't understand what happened.

But today it got a little irritating. A very nice and wrinkled lady - skin like a leather handbag thanks to lots of tanning I assume - had me sit with her to go through every single spell check finding. There were many extra spaces and misspellings such as "terrior."

Maybe it was the sausage biscuit. But it was getting on my nerves a bit. Luckily she has gone to tool about.

On a lighter note, a friend of mine is lending me a tiara/headband for my wedding and it's sitting right here at my desk. Very pretty with pearls and silver leaves. Thanks much to Jenna for her generous loan. It will go so very well with another loan, a lovely pearl necklace worn by Beckbot at her own wedding, the first in our family. I still remember going with her and Evan to help take pictures (I was probably 12) and feeling very special.

It happened

Well I caved. T has been on my case for months trying to get me to go to Kung Fu with him. And since I had a messy breakup with Running, I finally decided to give it a try.

What's worse? I love it. Which means I'll probably shell out money every month to keep going. Because not only is it a great workout, I feel like I'm learning practical self defense skills, which any modern gal like myself should know.

I'm hoping I will be in fightin' shape come May 8. Especially if a gang of thugs crashes the wedding.

(T, after seeing my post: "Wouldn't it be awesome if they did?!?!")

2009: A Year of Miracles

You look tired. Are you tired?

No. No I'm not. But thanks.