dang it.

I was close folks... I've even had blog topics for the past two nights ready to go... what happened? I don't know, a random outing to a bar, a few long phone calls, trip to the grocery store, staying late at work, a sore jaw and voila, hit the bed without so much a thought that I hadn't written the blog that day.

So, in my recent trip to WinCo (a grocery store chain that I heart!) I discovered something that I was slightly disturbing. Now, first I need to tell you a bit about WinCo so that you understand my usual support for this store. It's one of those no-frills type of stores where the displays are a bit more warehouse feeling, you bag your own groceries and the prices are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than any other store in the area. To top it off there is this great bulk food section where you can get a variety of items - dog treats, pastas, nuts, snacks, flour, cereal, spices, fresh ground peanut or almond butter (nuts only), lentils... you name it, you can pretty much get it. The benefit to this, you only purchase as much as you need or as much as you want (have room) to store in your kitchen and it can significantly cut down on packaging and waste, so it's a bit more sustainable. Win win win right?

Well, I was grabbing some spices the other night and ran across this. Not so sure about "brown gravy powder" that is actually gray. This must be a new add for the holiday season? I don't know, maybe brown gravy packets contain the same stuff... I don't really like gravy in any form so I don't know. This made me gag a little though. =)

because i said so.

You know, there are some days that I really wish the response "because I said so" worked with college students. I remember my mom pulling that phrase out every once in awhile when we were kids [ok, the last time I was at home - kidding] and I knew it meant "discussion = over." I've even heard my friends with young ones breaking it out here and there. While they tend to give me a disgusted - gosh I sound like my parental unit - look when they say it, they do it because it still works!

I try to be educational in my approaches with students and get them to make decisions and choices on their own [though often times guided]. But seriously, there are just those days where I don't want to be educational and I just want to stamp my foot and say "because I said so." If you haven't guessed, today was one of those days.

MMMBop, ba duba dop ba do bop, ba duba dop ba do bop

ha.

So, I live in a duplex now and there are two students who live next door (both 19-20 years old). Surprisingly we don't hear each other very often as there's a stairwell between the places that leads to the shared basement. Tonight I got home and headed downstairs to get something out of the basement. I opened the door and was greeted by Hanson blaring from their place and one of the students singing "MMMBop" at the top of her lungs.

loves it - except for the fact that I've been humming it all night as a result.

guilty pleasure.

So, I don't currently have a television. This is due to a couple of things... 1) I don't want to spend much of my time watching it and would rather do other things, 2) I'm really cheap and don't want to buy one or pay a monthly cable bill and 3) I can typically catch any episodes on hulu.com or fancast.com - without a lot of commercials!

That being said, a few weeks ago I was sick and was home in bed for a solid day and a half. At one point I couldn't sleep anymore so I decided to watch some shows on hulu. Needless to say, I caught an episode (or four) of "Glee" and I must admit, I'm diggin it, but am slightly ashamed that the high school drama (and excellent singing/dancing) has reeled me in - hook, line and sinker. Ok, ok... stop judging me at least it's just an hour a week! =)

Saturday, November 14

lazy day

So, since I didn't know how I'd respond to the surgery and recovery process, I planned NOTHING for this weekend. As you know, it's quite unusual that I don't have anything lined up at all. No work, no dates, no plans with friends, no expectation to go or be anywhere except in my house. Not gonna lie, it's kinda nice every once in awhile to just kick it.

A brought me home this morning (I stayed with her and C last night, just in case something went awry during the night). After that I did some cleaning and laundry, watched a movie, took a nap, called some people to catch up... it was nice. No pressure and low key. Ahhh...

I ended up having a few friends over this evening for some drinks (them not me... I'm still on meds) and games. Even having company was low key. Josh and I were in pjs and everyone else was super casual as well.

Know what's also exciting? Tomorrow looks to be more of the same, aside from brunch with some friends in from Seattle. I couldn't handle this every weekend, but once in awhile it sure is grand.... especially when the PNW winter rains are in full force!

friday the thirteenth...

Well friends, I'm not usually superstitious, but I'm not gonna lie... getting the teeth pulled on friday the thirteenth just seemed like a bad idea from the beginning.

Luckily, the process went quite smoothly. Dr. McDreamy, who performed the extractions, did a fantastic job and all in all it was pretty easy. He numbed me up and then it took about 25 minutes to get them out. He didn't put any stitches in because apparently I have "good gum tissue." So off I went with my gauze in hand (and mouth).

My friend A took me to the appointment and waited until I finished. She then took me back to her house and cared for me - made sure I ate and took the meds on time! (So sweet). I cuddled with Bella, the furry child and we just kicked it all afternoon (A has Friday's off). It was a fun day, aside from the bleeding and soreness. =) Luckily, I've not had much swelling and am feeling pretty good, but I'm still on the meds.

I was feeling much better my the evening, so A and I went to a "ladies night in: harvest party" at my friend Margaret's house. Didn't stay long, but it was nice to see everyone. I've felt pretty lucky about the process thus far, I've heard some horror stories about the wisdom teeth removal from friends and family. Knock on wood that it continues like it has been!

that's me in the exam chair/that's me in the spotlight/losing my wisdom...

teeth that is...

Well, tomorrow morning I am off to the oral surgeon to have all four of my wisdom teeth yanked from my head. ugh. I'm grateful for the privilege of having health and dental insurance - big time grateful - but my insurance does not cover anesthesia for this procedure! So, in an effort to save nearly $700, all four wisdom teeth are coming out with the use of Novocain only!

giddiup.

I'm sure the pain killers will assist in my humor for tomorrow's post - unless they just completely knock me out! =)

oh pumpkin puree... why are you so versatile?

So, as many of you know, I have a love for all things pumpkin. Which means I am especially fond of this time of year when it is acceptable to bring a multitude of pumpkin goodies into work, to parties etc. I am always on the lookout for healthier pumpkin goodie options, as so many of the recipes are loaded with crisco/butter/oil etc. I did run across a couple of recipes and thought I'd share. But you're only getting one of them tonight - I do have a whole month of blogs to write here... I've got to save something in case I have writers block!

I must send apologies to kelly, as I know its a bit more difficult for her to acquire the pumpkin puree across the pond. =( However, as she is the one who introduced me to the pumpkin brownie (a student favorite) she'll probably appreciate this one.

Now, pumpkin cookies are pretty much my all-time favorite pumpkin treat. Years ago my mom found a reciepe in the red plaid Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that has been my favorite.. til now. While these tasted great, they definitely had their fair share of crisco in them. So I'm calling these pumpkin cookies 2.0. Lower in fat and calories, same density as the full fat ones and EASIER/CHEAPER TO MAKE!

pumpkin cookies 2.0

1 box of spice cake mix
1 small can of pumpkin

THAT'S IT! Two ingredients. Mix together, spoon onto a cookie sheet, bake at 350 degrees and voila!

I made a batch tonight to "test" it [meaning I really wanted to try them] before I make a batch for a party on Friday. I mean really, 50 online comments about how wonderful these cookies were just wasn't quite enough, I had to make sure they were good right? =) Luckily, a vast majority of my "test" batch of anything ends up in the tummies of college students who love anything homemade.

Needless to say, these cookies are great. I'm officially a fan. A few ways to shake 'em up a bit if desired... add raisins, chocolate chips, or walnuts to the batter. Or, you can top each cookie with cream cheese frosting, kind of defeats the healthier cookie option, but you've got to do what you've got to do!

know what drives me batty?

When you're squatting in a public restroom and there is a new roll of TP on the roll and it fits so tightly in the (locked) case that you can only get it out one.one-ply.square.at.a.time. if you're lucky... sometimes you only get ripped shreds of one square.

Come on people... if the rolls were made just slightly smaller or if the cases were just slightly bigger, problem solved.

monday, november 9

zumba.

Even the name is fun. Zumba. Have you heard of this? It's a new(er) class at the gym and the videos are for sale on infomercials. I'm telling you, this class rocked! Margaret and I went to it on Sunday night and had an absolute blast (making fools of ourselves) and working up one heck of a sweat!

Zumba is held in a darkened room with rotating color lights going on...feels like you're at a club, but instead of looking your cutest with a cocktail in hand, you're dressed to sweat with a water bottle in hand. The music is great and it's cardio dancing, mostly of the latin variety. We did a bit of salsa, merenge etc. and let me tell ya, I was feelin' it all over the next day. So fun! Try it if your gym is offering it as a class these days!

sunday, november 8

a&c

So, I've made some new (non-university related) friends in the area and they are wonderful! I very much value their company and friendship. A&C are a wonderful couple, originally from this area and are one of those couples that never makes you feel like the 3rd wheel. A and I are like peas from the same pod and it's hard to believe we've only known each other for less than a year. It definitely feels like we've been in one anothers lives for much longer than that. They have the "furry child" that I heart so much, Bella. She is a great black lab that loves to play!

C is a firefighter and works 24-48 hour shifts quite regularly. While I love having him around and spending time with both of them, his shifts do lend themselves to quite a bit of girl time with A which is always nice, and quite rare with my married friends. I love their families and they've kind of adopted me (and my brother) into their family for Thanksgiving this year!

I decided to blog about them since we went to a wine-tasting brunch on Sunday morning. Food and the company were great... and mimosas after a long weekend? A brilliant idea!

saturday, november 7

serial flirting?

It's happened before, and I'm sure it will happen again... there are times when we (err, I) perhaps misinterpret over-friendliness for flirting or perhaps maybe there are just people in the world who are, in fact, serial flirters. Example number 452: So, there is a gentleman that attends this conference and I met him last year or the year before, I don't really remember. We always exchange pleasantries and get along well.

This year, things were different though, we ended up spending quite a bit more time together and getting to know a bit more about the other person. He was, in my book, definitely flirtatious and I'm not gonna lie, so was I. Well, the final session rolls around and I said something to him about the musician that was standing in front of us and suggested (jokingly) that he trim his beard like the musicians' was. This guy leaned in and said "yea, I don't think my fiance' would go for that." Your what? A mere MENTION of a fiance' at some point during the past four days would have been, I don't know, helpful?

catching up...

Well, I'm not off to a great start here. I've missed a few days due to the conference and such, but I have been keeping track of my blog topics for those days. Let's get you caught up here...


friday, november 6

bless her heart.

Isn't that what folks in the south say when they are trying to be nice when someone makes a move that is, well, rather silly?

The conference I was attending was held in Portland, so in the interest in saving some money we decided not to get hotel rooms the first or last night, rather just make the hour-long drive and sleep in our own beds. (This, by the way, might have been my biggest mistake this semester - we should have just forked over the money and gotten more sleep).

Anyway, I digress.... on Friday morning C and I hop into the university van and head over to pick up K from her residence hall area. Now, K is wonderfully sweet, very (book) smart and a complete joy to be around. She is from the "SoCal" region and very much misses her life there. She hasn't really accepted (in 2 years) that she lives in Oregon and it gets a bit colder here - especially in say, the month of NOVEMBER. She has warm clothes, so that's not the issue here. But she comes out to meet the van on this cold, wet morning wearing flip flops, thin white chino pants and a short-sleeved blue shirt. And, oh yea, her hair was still wet from her shower.

She got in the van and C & I were both laughing and said "K - what are you doing? It's cold out and it's supposed to be cold all weekend!" She replied by saying "what? I brought a jacket!"

About 10 minutes into the trip she informs us that she's cold. [shocking]

We then find out that she's packed shorts for the next day at the conference and defends this choice by reminding us that we're indoors for the conference. [Nevermind the 6 block walk between our hotel and the convention center.]

Needless to say, I wouldn't really care all that much except we got to hear about how cold it was from her all weekend long...

a warning...

I'm attending a conference today - Sat. and the days run from 7am - midnight. Ugh. It's a college talent buying conference and is quite fun, but it's exhausting! Just a fair warning that posts might not be happening. They will if I can!
Here was what I wanted to post yesterday.

feeling old

Spending a vast majority of my time with 18-22 year olds sure does have it's pros and cons. Last night I was chatting with two of my students after a program and wanted to share a bit of the conversation...

S 1&2: I'm kinda disappointed that when I leave college I won't have a lot of papers and stuff to keep, everything is electronic - so all I'll have is my external hard drive and/or jump drive.

K: Ha. Most of my stuff from college is saved on 3.5 inch floppy disks or zip drives, but I definitely kept some of the papers. Too bad I don't have a computer that runs those anymore!

S 1&2: WHAT? OH SNAP! You used 3.5 inch floppies in COLLEGE? And zip discs? Those were awesome, but I can't believe you had those....

ugh.

so stinkin' good...

Well, to my two faithful readers/comment posters - you are so stinkin' good! (If there are others out there reading this blog please make yourselves known once in awhile, will ya?) I'm guessing that it was that nice layer of smog that gave the destination away, right? =) I will say visiting the LA area always makes me feel so grateful for the clean/fresh air in Oregon and the other places I've lived!

My friend B (Tacoma, WA) and I flew down to visit our friend T in the LA area. B and T used to work with me here in Oregon and the three of us spent A LOT of time kickin' it before they both left for their new career moves. It was great to be back together again and it ended up being a very fun and relaxing weekend, although it was quite packed full of activity.

I arrived late Friday morning and we went to an amazing Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. We then headed to Tustin and explored the downtown area there before heading on to the Irvine area. That night we met up with a couple of my Semester at Sea friends for dinner. We took a ride on a ferris wheel that night in hopes of seeing the Disneyland fireworks from the top - that didn't work at all. I think we were a bit too far away to see it.

Saturday started with the hike up to the area behind the Hollywood sign (pictured) and then we did a drive down Hollywood Blvd. to see the stars on the sidewalk. We didn't get out and walk around as we were heading to Little Tokyo to meet another friend for lunch. We went to the well-known Daikokuya for some (amazing) authentic ramen. Now, I wasn't terribly excited initially and as we waited on the street (for an hour and a half). I thought there was no way that the wait was going to be worth the noodles and broth we were waiting for, but oh... was I wrong.

After that we took off for Venice Beach (lordy) and rented bikes to ride up to the Santa Monica Pier area. Our ride was at the end of the day, so the beach was clearing out and there wasn't a ton of people out and about... we saw the sunset during our ride and it was gorgeous! When we arrived at Santa Monica, we discovered that Cirque du Soleil had their tent set up and had a show starting in 2 hours.

We ended up getting tickets for and seeing Kooza! Totally unplanned and definitely one of the highlights of the weekend. I'd never seen a Cirque du Soleil show, but have wanted to for a number of years now! My favorite act might have been the "Wheel of Death" (warning: if you have kids around - the masks they are wearing are fairly scary, but the act is crazy awesome!) My other favorite was the tightrope walking/riding/jumping. Totally worth going to see if you get the chance!

Sunday was low-key... we went and had lunch at T's home (her mamma cooked for us) and then went to a park and just laid around in the sun until it was time to go to the airport! So nice... it was hard to come back to work this week, especially because it has the promise of being a busy one!

where in the world?

Getting back to the roots of this blog... you can probably guess where in the world I spent last weekend from this photo! It was a great weekend filled with lots of laughs, good food, fantastic friends, and in traditional kate style - a few surprises along the way. To start you off, this was a snapshot from a hiking adventure on Saturday morning. Know where I was? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

no really, it's November 1.

Hello again. I know its been awhile since the last post (once again) and, as an effort to be better about blogging more often I signed up for NaBloPoMo. Now, naturally, I signed up a day late, but I figure I'm only one day behind, so might as well.

The plan is a post once a day for the duration of November... I've had a few friends take this on over the years and am joining them for the games this year! I always think of things that I want to blog about, and so rarely take the time to sit down and do it. So... here goes...

grrrr......

So you know how "they" always say that the folks who are "dorky" in high school will often grow up to be well, not so much dorky as they are stunning/sexy/fabulous/handsome/beautiful (insert your own adjective here) later in life?

Yea. I got a facebook friend request from one such person the other day. This man was usually sweet, very good-natured and slightly on the side of society's description of "dorky" during those formative years at HHS. However, 10 years later, he is oh so attractive (and seemingly not anywhere close to dorky).

Ten years = great to him. Ten years to me = not so much. Yea... thanks for that reminder Facebook.

letters never sent...

Dear Former Roommate,

I was thinking of you today, on many days really. You know those yankee candles you always used to light in the apartment - in the clean cotton variety? I always loved that smell... I loved that smell so much that I recently purchased a Glade spray of the same fragrance to freshen the air in my current abode.

Every time I spray it, I think of you. =)

Sadly, I keep it in the bathroom, and... really only spray it after I've... well... you know... "dropped the kids off at the pool."

Which means, I usually think of you when I... well... you know...

Maybe I should rethink sending this "hey I thought of you today" e-mail? It's not actually as nice as I would have hoped.

I wonder if Hallmark will hire me as a card writer someday?

curious?

Are mattresses ever NOT on sale?

Seriously.