Chefin' it up...

Baked White fish with Shallots, Lemon and Parsley; Home made Basil Fettucine and a Lemon Pepper Cream Sauce. It was WONDERFUL!

Yay for our new pasta maker! :) 

And...

(me on Christmas Eve, 1982)

The wait begins. My second interview went really well. They told me that they have to see other people still though, so I won't know until next week whether or not I got the job. This is going to be the longest week ever. They have to realize that nobody else could be as good at this job as I am. Nobody else loves Christmas enough! :)

I have to stop wanting it so much though. If I don't get it, I'm going to be so disappointed... *crosses fingers* *and toes*

Ah well... Tim and I are going to go watch some French & Saunders.

Well...

It's official. I'm fishless. Nigiri ( the less social red beta on the left) keeled over this afternoon. I don't know what went wrong. Nothing was different really from last week, but he spent the last few days moping around his tank and then I found him all stiff this afternoon. *sob* It's a sad day.

Tim and I were all inspired by the beautiful weather we had today and decided to go mountain biking. Now, usually, we are city bikers, (but we haven't even done that in months...) but since we figured out that if we can fit the bikes in the car, we decided to check out this mountain biking trail in Lakewood. It was a DISASTER!

I felt all intimidated by all the bike people that were already there. Everyone was walking around with their little bike pants and whatnot. Anyway, we went down what we thought was the easy trail, but it was all uphill and when you went downhill it was all huge rocks. I almost died (twice) and I severely bruised my lady parts. Not a good time. I'd like to try it again when I'm a bit more conditioned. *whew*

And in other news, my second interview is tomorrow at 2:00. I just finished putting together my portfolio and I'm feeling pretty good about what I've got to show them. I just hope everyone likes me.

Well, it's late and I'm tired so I'm gonna rock out. Just a shout out to Daniel, you seem down and I know it's hard for you with Kat being gone and all, but cheer up. I know you're strong, you can make it through this. *hugs* See you in April!

Monkey Business E-mail....

This thing is HOURS of fun! Especially if you have a Mic on your computer...

Cuckoo for Christmas...

That’s how I described myself to my potential future boss. Luckily, he is in the Christmas business, so that probably came off less weird than it sounds. I interviewed for a part time position as graphic designer for this company that manufactures HUGE Christmas decorations and coordinates Christmas displays for resorts, hotels, and all kinds of business. My job, if I get it, will be to take the sales people’s ideas and transform them into realistic renderings of what the displays will look like. How cool is that? I have a second interview on Monday afternoon, so I’ll probably find out for sure then whether or not I’ve got the job. *crosses fingers*

Tim and I are going to try to hit up the Coral Room later on tonight. We’ve never eaten there before, but it’s gotten great reviews so we’ve got high hopes. Pan-asian style always promises some kind of yellow curry. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmm. I LOVE yellow curry. Especially when there are bean thread noodles involved.

And in other news, we bought a pasta machine yesterday and so we had Lena and Dane over for “Ravioli Night”. I wish I would’ve remembered to take pictures. Everyone was cutting out circles and we made 3 yummy fillings (crab, Asparagus, and portabellini). It was a blast. :o) I can see how it would be fun for a bigger group of people, but I’d need to have all the fillings made ahead of time. That was a bit crowded in the kitchen. But it was really delicious, and a lot of fun. I ended up drinking a little (a lot) more than I intended of this really delicious Carbernet, and woke up with a wicked headache this morning. I feel a little better now, but I had to do some serious water guzzling and some SHAPE Bikini Body Cardio (aaaaaaaaaaaaand grapevine, and pony, step kick touch, look awaaaaaaaaaay and kick and jab etc…) to get that yucky feeling out of me.

Ever since my fish died, I’ve been all paranoid about my other fish, Nigiri. He seems lonely. He hangs out in his plant pretty much all day. I’m not sure if I should get him another friend. I mean, sure, the other fish will be on the other side of the divider, but at least he’d have someone to flare his gills at. But maybe it’s too soon. He’s probably mourning. Poor little guy. I wonder which stage of grief he is in?

Rest In Peace - Sushimi Cooper

With the cold weather we've been having my fish haven't been looking so good. I moved them to the bathroom (the warmest room in the house) because I was worried they would freeze. But, it didn't help. Nigiri is still alive and kicking, but Sushimi went to the great Sushi Bar in the sky.
Let's have a moment of silence. Don't be sad. Try to remember the good times we had. Goodbye Sushimi. *sniff*

And in other news, I have an interview tomorrow. I don't want to give details about the job, but I'm very excited because it is in my field and right up my alley. More to come on that. 

Italian recipes

recipes

I found this site today and used their ravioli recipe. Tim and I had so much fun making them and they turned out AMAZING! You all should check out all the recipes they've got....

Gay Sheepherding Movies and Valentine’s wishes…

Tim and I watched Brokeback Mountain today. It was a wonderful movie. The cinematography was amazing and the story very heart wrenching. I can see why it is getting nominated for so many awards. I was annoyed with how mumbly Heath Ledger’s character was. I suppose it was the only way they could make his Australian accent seem less noticeable, but geez, he sounded like Mumbles on Dick Tracy. Oh yeah, and since there was nary a cow in sight, I prefer to categorize it as a Gay Shepherd movie.

I had a wonderful Valentine’s day. Tim and I spent an evening savoring wonderful food at Bistro Vendome. I finally tried Foie Gras. It was so delicious! Anyway, the entire meal was spectacular. That place always does it up right. Tim also got me some sexy pj’s and I got him liquor, jerky, and candy. Ah, romance… I just realized the other day that as of May 15th, we will have been together for three years. I remember thinking at some point when I was stationed in Montana and living this horribly shitty little life, and feeling sorry for myself… "How will I ever find anyone who will love me? I’m so, unlovable." Well, I guess anything is possible. I never thought I’d be this happy, but I guess it’s hard to see the light when you’re in the dark. I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s day.

And in other news, I think I’m gonna get a job. I can’t handle this working from home thing. Even when I have lots of freelance work to do, it’s just too boring being in the house all the time. I need human interaction. And although I love my husband, we need to have a break from each other. I can’t spend 24 hours a day with him. It’s just too much… I’m not sure what kind of job I want to get. I mean, we’ve got these vacations coming up and then I’ll be starting school again. Maybe I’ll just get something part time. Who knows? I haven’t worked out the details yet but it’s definitely going to happen soon.

We went rock climbing today with Jenny, Heather, and Dane. Dane qualified on Top Roping and got his new climbing card. Now we've officially suckered him in... Then I had the worst climbs today. My muscles were all fatigued before I’d even finished. I didn’t warm up with an easy run, I just jumped straight to a 5.9 and got stuck with these tiny little tic-tac sized holds. Anyway, I could tell I hadn’t worked out in a few days. Plus, my heart isn’t in as good of shape as it should be. I need more cardio workouts. God, I can not wait until the weather warms up and we can take our mountain bikes out.

So, part of my new leaf turnover is that I’m going to try to get up a bit earlier and get my work out in before 8 am. I need to have some quiet time to myself to meditate and get geared up for my day. Part of my biggest problem since I got out of the AF is finding the motivation to get things done. I used to be so hard core, but these days I just feel a little lazy.

I’m sure it has to do with developing my own internal motivation. I mean, I have it, but I have a hard time using it to my advantage. I always end up flipping out over something unimportant, like cleaning my fish tank, instead of sending invoices or working on my website. *sigh* I haven’t got it all worked out. I am feeling better these days though. I haven’t cried in weeks, so that must be a good sign. Oh and I’m still not smoking and I only have a drink with dinner on the weekends. I think that alone has helped me stop feeling like I’m still on vacation.

I’m really excited about our trip to California in April. We’ve got a wedding to attend, so we are turning the trip into a full fledged vacation. We’re going to check out Catalina Island, and all of L.A. We might even hit up San Diego before we head back. It’s gonna be so nice to see the ocean again. Plus, I can get back to my celebrity sightings list. Last year I only saw Matthew McConaughey and Brad Garrett. Maybe this year I’ll see some real A-Listers. You never know. Maybe I will run into Heath Ledger and explain to him about the whole Cowboy/Shepherd thing.

Self-Made Man...

I just finished reading this really amazing book. I’m still mulling it over in my head. There was so much information and I read it all in one sitting tonight.

At the risk of sounding trite, I want to refrain from talking about how much this book has changed my perspective. I guess the thing that really got me, was realizing how hard men have it zand realizing that I am supremely lucky that I found a husband who isn’t that concerned with the trappings of the male ego.

Also, for those of you who have curiosity about the inner workings of the Catholic Monastery, this book delves into some interesting questions and observations. I found that chapter to be one of the most thought provoking...

I don’t want to give away too much, so I’ll just quote an Amazon review:

“Norah Vincent is a respected journalist who went "under cover" by dressing as a man for an extended period of time. She interacted with men and women in various contexts: joining a bowling league, working a high-pressure sales job, even spending weeks at a monastery. She writes candidly about her experiences in "Self-Made Man." The book is funny in many places, unexpectedly poignant in others, as Vincent discovers some unsettling truths about what it's like to be a guy in today's world. The book is particularly refreshing in that it is not a guy-bashing book: one of Vincent's conclusions is that it is difficult to be a man and she writes about the different expectations and cultural conventions that affect the way men act and interact. Vincent is also frank about the effect her deception had on her: she is troubled by her deception and writes in the last chapter about her own emotional breakdown after she leaves her alter ego "Ned" behind.”

This book is an excellent read. I highly recommend you get to your local library and check it out.

Tim and I at the Candlelight Tavern tonight...

We are so cute I could throw up. :P

More here.... 

For the banquet...

We all dressed up and fancy for this banquet for one of Tim's clients tonight. The dinner was a yawner, so we left early and went to the Chinook Tavern for tapas and drinks. It was awesome... That place has excellent food. There was some guy dressed like Frank Sinatra wandering around the restaurant singing standards...It was a little silly, but also kind of fun. He wandered over, chewing on a cigar, asking us if we liked his songs. What do you say to Frank? 

Madonna is touring this summer!

Okay, It's official. I have missed every tour she's done since I was old enough to know I wanted to go. I AM going to see her this year. And I will wear all purple. :P

And in other news, for all you people who wonder why I stick to topics like shoes and liquor, have I got a story for you. It’s very short, don’t worry. I made a post a while back about an environmental site that is trying to help make people more aware of global warming and the effects on the planet. I got a few angry emails from people who wandered into my blog and randomly shot off emails criticizing my “flippant” support for the cause.

Well, as an answer, I have this to say. Consider this blog my own personal soap box. I will talk about whatever the hell I want. If you don’t like it, then move on. Or better yet, get your own soap box!

And in other news, I’ve been sticking to my diet and working out ever day. EVERY DAY! And I’ve actually gained 4 pounds. I think it’s muscle though, but still it’s very frustrating. I need to do more cardio. It’s just that I REALLY hate running. I need to get an exercise bike or something. I’d love to ride my bike outside, but it’s frickin’ freezing out here. It snowed last night… *brrrrr*

We just got back from game night at Charliegh and Blaine's house. We played a few rounds of very unsuccessful poker and then switched to Scattergories. I love that game... I don't like anything that gets too difficult after you've had a couple drinks. Like, Cranium. Super fun game, but try explaining it to a bunch of drunk people. Not gonna happen.

The night has claimed my soused fingers, so to bed I must flee. Nighty night.

~e 

Super Bowl XL Commercials on Google Video

Super Bowl XL Commercials on Google Video

In case you missed the Super (boring) Bowl... Here are all the commercials!

The truth about blogging...

I was recently reading the blog of a certain NYC girl who is famous for her no-holds barred approach to blogging. Nothing is too personal…sex, love, food, vaginal dryness…whatever, it’s all there. She made a post about feeling like a failure because of a recent weight gain. I’m not talking about 20 lbs, but like 8 lbs or so. Anyway, she turned commenting off on that post, I assume because she didn’t want people to make comments about her weight or the post in general. But she has a ton of readers, most of them nosy like myself and full of their own wisdom and unwanted advice. So they waited until she posted again and bombarded her with comments about her weight being just healthy, or was she trying to make people feel bad who were much heavier than her etc. She commented that she considered her entry to just be a “journal entry”. People spat on that too, but it does bring up a valid point.

Is the blog a journal for yourself or do you write for your intended audience?

When I first started blogging…back in 2003 or so, the only people that read my blog were me, a few scattered online friends from GoodTimesCheck.com and the occasional person who I’m sure had accidentally happened upon my blog while searching for pictures of “hot military women”. But over time, I’ve gotten a much bigger group. And oddly enough, the people I spend time with in my “real life” come here now too. Now granted, I send them here most of the time… like hey, check out this article or photo from last night at so and so’s party blah blah…but I never really think they will be that interested. I mostly write so that my scattered friends that are all over the world can keep up with my shenanigans and tomfoolery.

But nowadays, especially since I have my stat counter set up, I see all the hits that come to the site. I see IP addresses for people from my family, people for whom I usually censor my shenanigans and tomfoolery. I mean, I’ve never been one to talk about vaginas but I’m not above the occasional poop joke and I feel a little worried that I might not be presenting an accurate picture of myself. A blog is really about the ultimate “meme” experiment. I mean how much can I talk about me, my life, my interests and ideas and feelings… and how many people are going to want to read that? How many people are going to find that interesting?

A surprisingly large amount… But they aren’t here for me. They are searching for a connection with someone who has opinions that might be relative to their own lives. They are searching for something that they can comment on. They are searching for their own way to be heard. It’s the same reason why I comment on other blogs. Sometimes I feel so disconnected from the people around me. I go out with friends or I go to a party and I talk a lot, hoping something I say will seem smart or funny to someone.

My blog is the social equivalent of that person who just keeps on trying to tell you about their childhood or their job or their life in an effort to find common ground. So that is why I am here. I hope to find common ground with you. With my friends, my family, and people I don’t even know. If I give you a window into my life, maybe you’ll give me a window into yours and we will become closer to understanding each other. And maybe we can share a few poop/vagina jokes along the way.

Except for with you Dad… our jokes will be about criminals and taxes and they will be very tasteful.

p.s. Stuff going on with me right now:

1) I am into the Harry Potter Audio Books right now. I know, what you are thinking... JOHNNY COME LATELY! At any rate, they are so awesome. The only bad thing is that the man that is reading them has a really weird voice when he talks for Hermione. He sounds like Tiny Tim.

2) I'm very busy turning over a new leaf. It involves REALLY quitting smoking. Not like the last three years where I bought one pack a year and spent the rest of the time bumming them off people. I'm really really not smoking anymore. So if you see me, don't offer me one. And I'm really really trying to be healthier... so if you see me, please don't offer me anything with butter on it.

3) I have to choose between seeing Jamie Cullum or Flogging Molly next month...ARGH! I love them both. *sigh*

New Tour Dates for Eightrack Mind

If you are going to be in the area for any of these shows, do yourself a favor and go see these guys play. Their music is really amazing... and if you see Chris Murphy, tell him Erin Cooper sent you. :)

Saturday March 4th @ John's Alley in Moscow, ID

Wednesday February 1st @ opening for The Wailers in Bozeman, MT

Tuesday February 7th @ Machinery Row in Great Falls, MT

Wednesday February 8th @ Jesters in Helena, MT

Thursday February 9th @ The Top Hat in Missoula, MT

Friday February 10th @ The Boulevard in Spokane, WA

Saturday February 11th @ Watertown in Shoreline, WA

Monday February 13th @ The Rainbow Room in Seattle, WA

Tuesday February 14th @ Diablo's Downtown Lounge in Eugene, OR

Wednesday February 15th @ The River City Saloon in Hood River, OR

Wednesday February 16th @ T.B.A. in Portland, OR

Friday February 17th @ The Reef in Boise, ID

Saturday February 18th @ The Reef in Boise, ID

Thursday February 23rd @ Club Suede in Park City, UT

Friday February 24th @ The Black Bear in Big Sky, MT

Saturday February 25th @ The Zebra in Bozeman, MT

January Saturday January 28th @ Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow in Salt Lake City, UT

Freaky Friday...

Yesterday was really bizarre. In the morning I had my normal stuff going on. Smoothie, cup of tea, vitamins etc. I finally had some work in house after a bit of a dry spell last week, so I was rarin’ to go. I sat down at my computer and Tim went down stairs to work. At about 10 am, there was a knock at the door. I went and opened it and one of Tim’s friends (a guy he used to live right next to in his old apartment, someone he was good friends with, but who has kind of faded out since we moved away. We only see him and his wife every few months or so) is standing there. He says,” Is Tim around? Can you watch my daughter for a while? I really need to sleep…” He looked like something was really wrong, I thought maybe he was going to expound on his reasons. Instead he just handed me his 1 ½ year old daughter, Starla. I asked him, “When can we expect you back?” “In a few hours…” he responded. “Does she have a diaper bag?” I said. He mumbled, “Nah, I forgot it…” Then he jumped in his truck and was gone.

I looked at this little girl. She was completely oblivious to what had just happened. Luckily she is a very chilled out baby, so she didn’t really get upset. I carried her downstairs to Tim’s desk and said, “You’re friends are weird.” He looked at Starla and asked, “Is Ryan here?” I explained to him what had just happened. We both looked at her like, "what are we supposed to do with you?" I mean, I am the oldest of four and I know how to take care of children, but usually they come with accessories. This one came with nothing. Just the clothes she was wearing. We tried to call her father on the only number we had for him and it just rang and rang and rang. Then I noticed that she was starting to smell.

So, I had Tim watch Starla and I ran to the store. I bought diapers, wipes, snacks, and a sippy cup. (I don’t even own any plastic cups and I was sure she wasn’t going to be down for snacking on gruyere and water crackers…) Changing diapers is like riding a bike. I'm not sure how many I changed over the course of my childhood, but I'm pretty sure I could do it in dark. Somehow, it seems less gross than cleaning out the litter box. I still can't do that with out gagging.

After I got back, I spent the morning hanging with the Starla. We watched t.v., chased the cats, played horsey ride and peek-a-boo, scribbled with crayons, changed another diaper and chased the cats some more. I wasn't sure about if she had any allergies and I knew enough that you shouldn’t give babies peanut butter if you’re not sure. So I made her little jelly sandwiches (all finger food sized) and heated myself up a Lean Cuisine. She wasn’t interested in her food. She spent some time wiping jelly all over her shirt and then came over to me and opened her mouth. So I gave her a bit of my Lasagna Florentine and she was all about it. I guess babies love noodles. So I made some mac and cheese for her and she ate a very decent helping.

Well, thank god for cartoon Network and our friend Rachel. Rachel showed up around 2, with extra clothes, snacks and toys and a baby Shakespeare movie. She helped me entertain Starla for a while and by about 3:30 or so, her dad showed up. He walked in, picked her up and left. Not a thank you, no questions about if she’d eaten or napped. He just took her and left. Tim followed after him and let him know that I had taken a day off work to help him out and that next time, more notice would be best. He mumbled something about being sleepy and then drove off.

Tim and I are the kind of people that will help out our friends no matter what. Sure, I lost money from not working that day, but if he would have taken the time to explain what was going on, I would have been glad to babysit. Instead he just acted angry that I hadn’t kept her for longer. His wife called us later and let us know that he’s been having some major issues. After she explained in detail what has been going on, we weren’t really angry anymore. You can’t help people when they have problems that just can’t be talked out. It’s tough when you have people you care about that just can’t live a normal life. It made me so glad that Tim is such a awesome guy and how supportive he is. And also, that we don’t have children. We are so not ready for all the work that comes with having a baby. I didn’t get anything done yesterday! Ah well, at least I caught up on my Sesame street.

This post was brought to you by the number "$250 (in lost profits)", and the word "birth control". *sigh*

The Upside...

Sure... Working from home means that I don't get out much. But, it also means I have plenty of downtime with which I may obssess over my outfit for Saturday night, or ponder the meaning of life.

It also means that when I haven't had any work for almost a week, and then I get a job that is due on Sunday, that I will work on into the night to finish everything that needs to be done.

But it also means that I get to have a nice bottle of Lodi Shiraz to drink and the audio book of Harry Potter to listen to, while I am finishing said work.

ah... Working from home definitely has it's perks. I love working in a pants optional office. :)

Greek Tragedy: from the heart

Greek Tragedy: from the heart

Wow! Stephanie Klein is pregnant and engaged... It's so shocking, but so awesome for her. Oooh, I bet Linus is gonna be jealous...

Top News Article | Reuters.com

Top News Article Reuters.com

Oh Lordy... Here we go. *sigh*

Any Takers?

Flogging Molly at the Ogden Theater. $20 a ticket… March 4th

http://www.hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=36023

I love these guys…

http://www.floggingmolly.com/

The State of the Union...

The Transcript

I don’t usually watch the President do any speeches. I just can’t. It’s too easy to get pissed off at the fake furrow in his brow and the smug way in which he says things like, “we are worried about activist judges trying to redefine marriage…”, and other jerky things. But, I care about what he is going to say and I was really worried he was going to do something nuts. Like, you know, declare war on Iran.

A bit over the top, I know, but with this guy, you just never know what hair-brained scheme he is going to come up with next. I watched the entire thing and slowly got more and more enraged. It really bothers me that someone who does not share my moral values and ideas is representing me to the world. It’s makes me angry that he has so many people on his side in spite of what seems to be an obvious ploy for…I don’t know what… World Domination?

The best part about the speech was how every time the President would say something inflammatory, especially to the Democrats watching, the camera would pan to Senator Clinton. She would smile and "teeth clenched" smile and look a little nauseous.

I realize that many of the people that read my blog might be Republicans, and I don’t want to offend any of them. Please understand that I make decisions based on my own moral compass. I can’t be for something (or someone) who I honestly feel in my heart makes dishonest and dangerous statements about war, oil, morality and the like. It’s just how I feel…

That being said, I will now get off my soapbox and go make a cup of tea. All this talking about news and politics has me all riled up.

Thoughts from Moby (one of my favorite blogs)
Decoding the State of the Union

Stop Global Warming: Join the Virtual March

Stop Global Warming: Join the Virtual March

I urge you all to read the information on this site and sign up for the virtual march. Thing Globally, Act Virtually!