Monday, November 26, 2007

Lots to be thankful for...

I meant to write this a couple of days ago, but time got away from me.

Micah and I have a lot to be thankful for this year. We are thankful the love and support of family who have allowed us to purchase our dream home. We are thankful for our health and jobs that we both love. We are thankful for surviving the first year of marriage. We are thankful that we have each other.

Last Thursday, we made the trek out to Michigan for Thanksgiving. This year, Gram and Grampie Sizemore joined us, along with Jill, Miles and Margaret ( Miles's mom). It was a full house and Mom did a great job with all the food. The turkey was very tasty and moist. I love Thanksgiving. I love being around family.

On Friday, Jill, Mom and myself made our annual shopping trip. Miles joined us this and even got caught up in the shopping frenzy. Once again, Mom bought in to the excitement and at one point she was pushing me because I wasn't running fast enough. We capitalized on some of the deals and about half of my holiday shopping is done.

The rest of the weekend was spent watching football and playing canasta ( Jill's new favorite game.) Overall, it was a fun weekend and it was so nice to spend time with family. Hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

1133 Kingsbury Road

I finally got around to taking pictures of the new house. Please don't make fun of my photo skills. They are not good, but it will give you an idea of the house. Also, excuse the mess. We've been busy and are still trying to unpack.

We repainted the kitchen, family room, master bedroom and bath and the office so far. We still need to repaint the remaining rooms. Micah is a slave driver about the painting, so after the holiday we will be tackling another room.


Family Room


Kitchen





Dining room and Living Room





Master Bedroom





Guest Rooms



Friday, November 16, 2007

Beowulf


I have a problem with this classic tale being turned into a major motion picture. It may be because I was an English major and had to read the story four times, but it just seems wrong. Beowulf, for those of you who were never forced to read it, is one of, if not the earliest, stories every to be written down.

First, the movie is in English, regular common day English. The original story of Beowulf is written in Old English, something that is barely understandable to read, but that is what makes the story so interesting to read.

Second. I hate when someone in Hollywood tells me what a man character is going to look like. One of the greatest things about reading a book, is the readers interpretation of the characters. I have a picture of what Grendel should look like and I'm pretty sure it isn't what the movie's director thinks. This is just one reason why movies are killing our imaginations.

Third. Two words. Angelina Jolie. WHY?! WHY?! Why is she Grendel's mother????

I'm sure that Beowulf will make a ton of money. But what are thousands of kids losing by not reading this treasured pieces of literature??? I'm all for making good movies but not at the costs of a good education.

I'm stepping off my soap box.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

bravo to braVo!

Here is a long awaited update...

On October 30, my work hosted its breast cancer awareness event. I'm on of the program coordinators and have been working on this event, along with my other responsiblities, since January. The event, braVo!, is a unique event featuring a woman's bra as the focal point. We had close to 120 hand decorated bras on display at Symphony Hall in Baltimore. Even mom and Jill did a bra. Jill's was featured in the calendar and all three of ours are featured in the book. Yes that is correct. We did a coffee table book. If you are interested in purchasing any of the items (cheap plug here), visit www.bravolifebridge.org.

Also, I was lucky enough to be the main interviewee for all the media we did. I've included just one clip that was on the local CBS affiliate here in Baltimore. Click here to read the story and view the video.


Hope you enjoy!

Monday, November 05, 2007

I Survived

I have made it through one of the busiest months ever. On October 26, we closed on our new house. On October 30, I had a HUGE event I've been planning since January and we moved the last week. I promise to have an update shortly about all that has happened over the past month. I have a lot to share with the house and the event. I even did a week of media for the event and was briefly on The Today Show!

Hope everyone is well...

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

House Woes and Wedding Wishes

So we are found house of our dreams! It is a four bed room 2 1/2 bath in the neighborhood we wanted. Now all we have to do is sell our house. We had one buyer, who we accepted a contract and went through all the motions until she backed out over the home owners association. We decided to move forward on our dream house and scrapped together the money for the down payment. So on November 4 we are moving in to our new house. I'll post pictures shortly because we will have a week or so to paint and clean the carpet, etc.

The past weekend, we took a break from worrying about the house and helped friends celebrate their wedding. The wedding was so much fun and it was great to hang out with friends. Here are few pictures from the evening.







Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Funny Names

Per a request from one of my favorite Aunts, here are some fun names.

~Rock Star Name (first pet & current car) - Woody Focus
~Gangsta Name (fav ice cream flavor & favorite cookie) - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
~“Fly Girl” Name (first initial of first name & first three letters of your last name) - JGel
~Detective Name (favorite color & favorite animal) - Blue Dog
~Soap Opera Name (middle name & city where you were born) - Anne Concord
~Star Wars Name (the first 3 letters of your last name & first 2 letters of your first) - GelJe
~Superhero Name (2nd favorite color & favorite drink put “The”) -Red Captian
~NASCAR Name (the first names of your grandfathers) - Truman Charles
~Stripper Name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne & favorite candy)-Pleasures Reese's
~Witness Protection Name (mother’s & father’s middle names) - Ruth Alan

Sunday, September 16, 2007

For Sale

It is official. Our house is for sale. We put it on the market on Tuesday, September 4 and in only a week we have two contracts on it. We are in the process of negotiating with one of the contracts.

Additionally, we've found a house that we both love and are looking a putting in a bid this week. Wish us luck that everything works out!!

Summer Travels

Sorry for the delay in posting. The last month has been crazy!! I think this might be our first weekend at home in over a month, so here is a brief update on where we've been.

Hampton, Virgina
I headed down to Hampton, Virgina to visit Jill and Miles on August 17. I picked up Mom on my way through Richmond and then we headed to Hampton. It was nice to see Jill and Miles again. During the visit, we went to Colonial Williamsburg. It was interesting to see the Revolutionary War from a Southern perspective. Being raised in New England, we learned about the battles of Lexington and Concord and the Battle at Bunker Hill, but it was interesting to learn about what has happening in nation's first settlement during the same time period.

While we were there, we all even got into the spirit, (with the exception of Jill, she thought we were being dorks.) I think Miles wins the prize for getting into character. He looked pretty serious with those toy guns.

Tara and Aden's Wedding
The weekend of August 25th we headed up to New Jersey for a wedding of a classmate of Micah's from college. It was a beautiful wedding and it was great to see old friends. (We again got to see Jonathan and Kristen Goldberg.)

Summer Vacation
During the first weekend in September, Micah and I packed up the car and headed to Michigan for a week long vacation. We stopped by Deep Creek Lake on our way and visited Micah's parents on our way. The drive out to Michigan wasn't too bad and Reese slept pretty much the entire way. Reese and Sadie got along amazingly. It is weird how much they look alike.

During our stay we visited Greenfield Village, which a little glimpse into history thanks to Henry Ford. It is a tribute to innovation and invention during the early part of last century. Dad loved it, Micah thought it was cool and for the first hour Mom and I thought it was fun. It was a lot of walking around looking at houses that are from the Northeast ( most of which Mom and I think Henry Ford stole and brought to the Village.)

Later in the week, Mom, Dad and I went to Ann Arbor (Micah wasn't feeling well). The main reason I wanted to go, was to visit Zingerman's Deli, a traditional Jewish deli. I'd read a great review about the deli in my August issue of Rachael Ray Magazine and it lived up to the comments. Mom and Dad got a traditional Reuben, (corn beef, coleslaw and Russian dressing on rye), while I got a turkey sandwich with avocado spread on a hearty white bread. It was all very tasty. Check out the Zingermans at www.zingermans.com.

Micah and I snuck away on Wednesday and headed up the Bay City, Michigan, which is on the Saginaw River. It was a cute city, with a quaint downtown. And it was nice to get away and enjoy each others company.

We all went Geocaching on Thursday when we got back from Bay City. We found the first cache quickly. Actually I found it. The second on was a little harder to find and we were attacked by killer mosquitoes. We had to abandon the search to save our skin. Micah was bitten the worse. He will say it is because he was born in Hershey and is so sweet. I think otherwise... (hehe)

On Friday, Mom and I spent the morning at the spa, which was a great treat. We each got a facial and manicure. I also got a pedicure. It was nice to be pampered.

On Saturday, we once again packed up the car and headed home. It was fun vacation, but it is nice to be home.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Let's Go Red Sox!

This past weekend two very good friends came to visit. Kristen and Jonathan Goldberg traveled from Minnesota for the weekend. It was so great to spend them with them and catch up. On Saturday, we went to Camden Yards to see the Baltimore Orioles take on the Boston Red Sox. During series with the Sox, Camden Yards turns in to Fenway South. It ballpark was full of Red Sox fans and truly feels like a home game for the BoSox.

Micah's dad was able to get us great seats about 20 rows up from the field behind home plate. Kristen and I couldn't leave the field with out enjoying a Esskay hot dog. They were good, but nothing really beats a Fenway Frank!!

The Sox played a great game and we almost saw Josh Beckett pitch a complete game. He got the Sox to 2-outs in the 9th when they finally took him out of the game.

After the game we headed over to Rocket to Venus, a new retro bar in Hampden. (Hampden is a blue-collar neighborhood that is really coming-of-age. Imagine the row hoses in Hairspray.) I'd heard great things about the menu, which was impressive, but the services was horrible! They were short staffed and completed messed up my entree. (However they did comp the meal.) I'd probably give it another try, but the food was that good to make up for the bad service.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

The Dog Days of Summer

We've been busy cleaning house this past weekend. As we prepare to put the house on the market, (yes, you read that correctly, we are looking for a bigger house) Micah and I cleaned up the basement on Saturday. With limited space in our townhouse, we had used the basement (which is finished) as a storage space. We took a lot of things to Goodwill and Micah threw out a lot of stuff that he had been saving for years. I think this is the cleanest our basement has ever been.

I'm calling the real estate agent on Monday, so I'm hoping everything is in place. Wish us luck that the house sells relatively quickly. I'd like to be out of the house and into a new one before the winter holidays.

As we move quickly in to August, Micah and I have a full month of activities. Next weekend, two of our best friends are coming in for a visit. After that I head down to Virginia to visit with Jill and Mum. On August 24-25, we head to New Jersey for a wedding and then we are off to Michigan for a week around Labor Day. Geesh, I'm tired just writing all of that.

Hope everyone is enjoying the dog days of summer.

Tomatoe recipe

Tomatoes won the "Favorite Garden Veggie" Poll and as promised, here is a recipe that uses them.

For a little background on the recipe, I love Rachael Ray and got three of her cookbooks when I got married. I'm slowly working my way through the books, trying recipes here and there. I also have a subscription to the Rachael Ray Magazine, so every month I get a magazine full of recipes that I have to try. This recipe is from her "Express Lane Meals" cookbook. I've made a couple recipes out of this book and have loved them all. One of my favorites is the Thai chicken pizza. Micah and I like the marinated chicken so much that I used it (without the pizza) over rice for dinner. Okay enough with the commentary, here is the recipe.

Pasta with Bacon, Tomatoes and Cheese
4 servings

Ingredients
salt
1 lb. short-cut pasta
1 T EVOO
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 large onion chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
black pepper
1/2 cup white wine, a couple good glugs
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 pint grape tomatoes (I used the cherry tomatoes from my garden
1 ball fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 bunch fresh chives
15 fresh basil leaves
1/2 graded Parmigiano-Reggiano
6 cups mix greens
Vinegar for the greens

Place a large pot of water with a tight-fitting lid over high heat, bring to boil. Once boiling, add salt and pasta. Cook according to package. Remember to reserve a 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid when you drain the pasta.

While pasta is cooking, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the EVOO. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until onions start to brown. Add the white wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and reserved pasta cooking liquid, then bring to a bubble and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the grape tomatoes and cook them for about 30 seconds or until they are just hot enough that there are about to burst. Add the cooked drained pasta , toss to coat with the sauce, and let some of the sauce soak in, about 1 minute. Turn the heat off and add the mozzarella, chives, basil and grated cheese. Use black pepper to taste. Dress the greens with oil and vinegar and serve with the pasta.

This is a great pasta dish, with a light sauce. Great for a hot summer day. Hope you enjoy!!!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

And the winner is...

Margaritas won hands down for the favorite summer drink. And in honor of the poll, here is a tasty recipe for a Watermelon Margarita that should cool you down on a hot summer day.

Frozen Watermelon Margarita

2 1/2 cups seedless (or seeded) watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes, rind discarded before measuring
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 ounces tequila
2 ounces orange flavored liqueur
1 1/2 cups ice
Lime wheel or watermelon wedge, for garnish
Put cut watermelon in a plastic bag and place in freezer for a minimum of 2 hours. (If time does not permit this step, add a few extra ice cubes when blending, the difference is not that significant.)
Stuff all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. Garnish rim of glass with a lime wheel or a watermelon wedge and serve immediately.

And now for this week's poll topic. In honor of my tomatoes ripening, what is your favorite summertime vegetable?

I'll post a recipe (or two) for the winning veggie.

Harry Potter Mania



It's here. The final book for the Harry Potter story. I pre-ordered my copy on Amazon.com for a great price, but it also meant that I had to wait for the postman to deliver it on Saturday afternoon.

As soon as it arrived I began reading and stopped for very little, okay, I did make dinner and we did go see Hairspray (which I'll review at another time). I finished the book around 11 am this morning. I won't ruin it for those that are still reading it, but I will say that is one of the best ones in the series.

Now what I'm a going to do now that is no more stories about Harry Potter???

Friday, July 13, 2007

Summer Yummies

Plump, juicy, red ruby fruits of summer. The tomatoes are starting to ripen on the vine. This year, I started a handful of tomatoe plants by seed. In early April, I put the tiny seeds in mini-greenhouse on the windowsil in the kitchen. With love, care and lots of water, they grew big enough to be replanted and now are at home in big pots on the deck. After patiently watering, sometimes twice a day due to the southern heat, I've finally got my first red tomato. I'm very excited. More for the fact I haven't managed to kill them yet.

My little garden, if you can even call it that, reminds me of walking through Grampie's garden in the summer. It was always full of colorful veggies. Dad, Grampie, Jill and I would walk across the yard and peer in between the rows looking for the ripe produce. I always loved picking cucumbers and nothing tastes as good as a sandwich made with cukes picked straight from the garden.

In the next couple of days, I should have more cherry tomatoes than I know what to do with. If anyone has any good recipes that call for cherry tomatoes, please pass them along.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Check it out...

I figured out how to put a poll on my site. I'm going try and update it once a week or so. So check back often and don't forget to take the poll!

Summer Vacation


Happy Independence Day!! Micah, Reese and I packed up the car early Wednesday morning and headed to Deep Creek Lake for a mini vacation. DCL is in western Maryland, about 20 minutes from West Virginia. If you look at a map it is in the very tip of the tail of Maryland. It takes us about three hours to get there from Owings Mills and we make the trip quite often in the summer.

Despite the rainy July 4th, we headed out to see the fireworks that are set off at the resort nearby the house. Fireworks are quite the same in the rain, but what is July 4th without fireworks.

On Thursday, Micah and I headed up to Pittsburgh. Micah's father's family is from the 'burgh and I had never been. So once again, we got back in the car and made the two hour trip north to see the Steel City. It a nice city, very hilly. We had planned on seeing a Pirates game while we were in town. However, after waiting at the stadium for about an hour and half, we decided to skip the game and head to Squirrel Hill (a community within the city of Pittsburgh) for Mineo's pizza. But before we left the ball field, we did make sure to have a Primanti Brother's Pitts-Burgher Cheeses Steak sandwich. (For those of you who are not familiar with the Primanti Brother's, it is a restaurant that is a Pittsburgh landmark. The meat is a compressed steak-like substance that is topped with french fries, cheese and seasoned lettuce. It was, let me say, interesting.)

After running back to the car in the pouring rain, Micah took me a on a tour of Squirrel Hill, the community where Micah's dad and family grew up and still live. Micah described the corners of Forbes Ave. and Murray Ave, the center of the universe and for people that grow up in Squirrel Hill it is. After the scenic tour down memory lane, we walked down Murray Ave to Mineo Pizzehouse. This small joint has won more "Best Pizza" awards that I lost count around 15. And after sampling a slice, I realized why it has won all those awards... It was damn good pizza. Thin crust with just enough combination between cheese and pizza sauce. After filling up on pizza and taking a half-baked home for those who didn't make the trip to the 'burgh with us, we headed back to the lake house.

On Friday and Saturday, we put in some serious lake time and have the sun burns to prove it. Reese loves the lake and enjoyed running around with Ashley's two dogs, Harold and Sophie. The three of them run around so much that by 5pm they crash on the porch or living room rug. As soon as we got home, Reese climbed up on the couch has has only left to pee and eat dinner. He should be comatose for at least another day or so. You have to love the lake!

Early Sunday morning we headed home to catch up on chores and TV. (I can't help it, we are both addicted to TV.)

I love vacation, but it is nice to be home.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Just one reason why I miss home...

Quick update

SO I've been told by some family members that I need to update my blog. I do have to admit that I've let this slide a little bit, but life has just gotten in the way. So here is a quick update.

We spent a lot of time in June with Micah's parents. In early June we went up to Harrisburg to celebrate Larry's birthday over sushi. (Can I share with you how much I love sushi!!) And then we spent the next two weekends out in Deep Creek. We lucked out and got two beautiful weekends at the lake. And then the following weekend, we headed back up to Harrisburg for brunch because Ashley, Micah's sister was in town for a wedding. The exciting thing is that Ashley is moving back north and is hoping to find a job in Baltimore. It will be so nice having family closer.

This past weekend we threw a pre-Fourth of July BBQ. We had about 10 friends over gor some good food and great conversation. Like the junior Martha Stewart that I am, marinated chicken and veggies and made rice and even homemade ice cream. It was a lot of fun and it was great to spend time with friends.

Now, Micah and I have one more day of work until we are off for a mini vacation. We are heading back out the Deep Creek for the 4th and then up to Pittsburgh for the day on Thursday to see a Pirates game. (I know if I want to see a horrible baseball team I could just go to an O's game, but I heard they have really good food in Pittsburgh :) ) I'll be sure to bring my camera and take pictures of the ballpark, so at least I will have something to show for my travels.

Wishing everyone a safe and fun Fourth of July!!

Friday, June 01, 2007

May Happenings

Life didn't slow down after Jill's wedding. I headed to Chicago for a public relations conference in mid-May. As soon as I returned home, Micah and I headed up to Harrisburg to help some of out best friends move and celebrate Mother's Day with Micah's mom. Last weekend we had attended a friend's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, dispite the rain that dampened the ceremony.

In between celebrating milestones with friends and family, we've been doing little things around the house. The tree in our front yard died (the tree doctor said it was declining, so we had it taken out). So instead of replanting a tree since we are most likely going to put our house on the market later this summer, we are trying to grow grass in its place. Wish us luck. Other than that, we are slowing cleaning out closets and trying to thin out some of the crap we've both collected over the year. (however, it is mostly Micah since I've moved four times in the last five years and I have gotten good at throwing stuff out.)

As we head in to June, things look a little more low key. Hopefully we will get to a couple of weekends in Deep Creek before the July 4th. Until then, we are just enjoying the amazing weather we have been having.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

On The Set

If you are a true Angelina Jolie fan, you'd probably already know that her new film is currently being shot in Chicago. I, however, am not a Jolie fan and was completely unaware that she was filming a movie in the Windy City until I stumbled upon the set while in town for a conference. Yes, that is right. I actually got to see a scene from her latest movie "Wanted" being shot tonight. A coworker and I were walking back from a dinner at a great steakhouse (I'll blog about that later) and noticed all these people with headsets on. The curious person that I am, I walked over to the person and asked what was going on. "A movie shoot" he said with more authority than he really had. So the easily excitable people that we are, we watched as they did a chase scene three times. I know. I'm such a loser, but it was pretty cool to see the chase seen and hear the gun shots. I may not be in the movie, but I was on the set...

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Wedding Wishes

Congratulations to Jill and Miles!! Last Friday, Jill and Miles got married in Michigan. Micah and I went out to Detroit on Thursday morning and after picking up Aunt Joan, we headed off to Milford to catch up with the rest of the family. Later Thursday afternoon, we went to the rehearsal and then off to the Miller's for dinner.
The Miller's house is amazing and it was great to catch up with family and meet some of Miles'. The food was amazing. Also to set the mood, the Miller's hired a accordion player who played classic tunes including, "If I Were a Rich Girl" and "Sunrise, Sunset".

That was a lot of fun and Aunt Joan showed that she can play a mean tambourine player!!

Friday morning came quickly and Jill, Mom and I headed off to the salon to get our hair done. Around 1pm, Aunt Cyndi, Uncle Dom and the girls arrived and we got to visit with them. I can't believe how big the girls are!!

Friday afternoon, we headed over the Dunham Hills for the wedding. Jill looked amazing. (Miles looked handsome as well.) And the reception appeared to be everything that Jill wanted. She did a great job planning the wedding. Jill and Miles looked so happy!!

On Saturday was the Birthday Bash. We celebrated birthdays for, Dad, Grampy S., Grampy G., Grammy S. and Aunt Joan. Mom made a great big cake, that needed a little help frosting from the cake master, Cyndi. After we all had our fill of cake and ice cream, we went outside for a game of Sizemore wiffle ball. It was all going well until Mom slammed Dom to the ground. (She just never plays fair.) And Dom threw out his back. Let's just say that the game quickly ended after that. After Dom had a couple of Aleve, we resumed the new tradition of closest to the pin. Grampy won again. I'm starting to doubt Dad's golfing ablatives. And as the winner, Grampy got a used pooper scooper. I agree with Cyndi, someone else needs to be in charge of the prizes!!

After a long couple of days, Kenzie and I were wiped and needed to take a nap! One of my favorite moments of the entire weekend!

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Celebrations


Fifteen people helped Jill celebrate her upcoming wedding this past weekend. The shower was a lot of fun and Jill got a lot of great stuff. (She got enough bed sheets that she is now set for life.) Since this is my blog, I'm going to 'brag' a little about my party hosting skills. I got into Michigan last on Friday evening. And after a quick bite to eat, I got to baking. I found a cute cake recipe in one of my new favorite magazines, Everyday with Rachael Ray.

It was a two-tier white cake with raspberry filling. In order to allow ample time for the cake to cool, I had to bake it on Friday night and assemble it Saturday morning. I was a little nervous about putting it together since I've never done a two-tiered cake, but I think it turned out all right. I also made chocolate covered pretzels dipped in pink sugar. (Can you notice the pink theme??)
Once Jill left for the evening, Mum and I put together the shower favors. I wanted to make sure that shower and the favors reflected on who Jill is, so I created Cosmopolitan kits for all the guests. When leaving the party, each attendee received a bag filled with a pink martini glass, a nip of vodka, a bottle of cranberry juice and a recipe for Jill's favorite drink, a cosmopolitan.


I hope all the guests enjoyed them. (For those of you who couldn't make it to the shower, there is left of ingredients so we can enjoy this tasty treat during the wedding weekend:) Grammy - Don't worry, I'm sure we can dig up a Margarita mix too.

All the festivities this weekend got me excited for the wedding in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to see everyone. I can't believe that it has been almost six months since I've seen a lot of you. Only a few more weeks to go!!!

Friday, April 06, 2007

Oy! Matzos!


Matzo pizza, matzo brie, matzo cake and matzo kugel. I'm about matzo'd out.

For those of you who have never experienced matzo(please consider yourself lucky), it is about as tasteful as eating a cardboard box. So to make this spring delicacy somewhat eatable, I spread butter or cream cheese on, but then it just taste like butter-covered cardboard. And I'm only on day four of eight. Oy! - it is going to be a long weekend.

Don't get me wrong, Pesach (Passover) is one of my favorite holiday. I love the story telling and being with family and friends. But the food. Oh dear. It is horrible. And for a foodie, trying to make anything tasteful out of this terrible wheat floor by-product is like trying to milk out of a bull. It just ain't happening.

So I'm stuck with four more days of potatoes, chicken, broccoli and matzo. If you have any suggestions for dinner that does not include bread, beans, rice, corn - I'm all ears. I think the lack of carbs has limited my creative menu ability.

In need of a Passover laugh? Check out JibJab's Matzah video.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

My Plea...

America - or at least those who read this blog with any regularity - please vote Sanjaya off of American Idol. For crying out loud, the kid can not sing. Every Tuesday I watch, glued to my TV waiting for the outrages outfit and hair-do he will come on stage with. And every week, I'm surprise at his chose of clothing and throughly disappointed by his singing performance.

Please note, American Idol is a singing competition. The keyword in that sentence was singing. You actually have to be able to sing in order to compete. WHY does someone who CAN NOT SING keep earning enough votes by the American public to stay on this show.

Please next Tuesday, tune into American Idol and cast your vote for any of the other seven talented contestants on the show. Sanjaya has had his 15 minutes of fame. He is done.

Thank you for your support.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Guilty Pleasures

Is it sad that I get excited when Soapnet runs a 90210 marathon?

We all have them, something we keep secret, silently ashamed to admit... guilty pleasures. I love Beverly Hills - the show that this. I've never been be in the actually zip code. As a 26-year-old, a part of my brain knows that it is just a silly, oversexed teenage drama, but the other part is addicted to it like some are to smutty grocery store romances. I can't help it.

I use to blame it on the fact that I didn't have cable growing up, but I think that excuse doesn't stands up anymore. I've seen the entire series so many times that I when exactly Kelly was caught in a fire, shot and then held at gunpoint or who Donna finally lost her virginity to or who shot Dylan's wife.

I don't know what it is about the show that draws me in? Maybe it is the high-fashion or intriguing plot lines (hehe), but whatever it is, you know where to find be between 5-7pm Monday - Friday -- watching reruns on Soapnet.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Let the Madness Begin

The Sweet Sixteen teams are determined after this past weekend of basketball March Madness. I do have one bone to pick... basketball isn't the only sports madness going on - there is hockey! I know, most of the country doesn't even know how to skate, but hockey is the sport of choice for those of us from Northeast and upper Midwest (even parts of the Northwest). It might also be that I graduated from the school with the worst Division I basketball record in NCAA history.

You haven't seen madness until you see a player shoot a 3-inch round saucer past a two defenders and a goal into the net. Or until you watch a goalie stand on his head in double overtime to win a national title. Or until you've traveled all the way across the country to watch you team play a conference rival in a state that doesn't even have ice. College hockey is more intense than college basketball will ever be.

The Madness begins this weekend in four barns in Denver, Grand Rapids, Rochester and Manchester. (And for those of you that know, even a little bit about college hockey - there are five Hockey East teams in the top 16 competting for the national title. If that isn't a sign of the best conference in the country, I don't know what is.)

Below is the bracket for the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. Let the madness begin. Go 'Cats!!

2007 NCAA Tournament

Denver
1 Minnesota vs. 4 Air Force
2 Michigan vs. 3 North Dakota

Grand Rapids
1 Notre Dame vs. 4 Alabama-Huntsville
2 Boston University vs. 3 Michigan State

Rochester
1 Clarkson vs. 4 Massachusetts
2 St. Cloud vs. 3 Maine

Manchester
1 New Hampshire vs. 4 Miami
2 Boston College vs. 3 St. Lawrence

Sunday, March 11, 2007

A Walk in the Park


It was beautiful this weekend. Temps reached the high 50s, even low 60s on Saturday. Micah and I took advantage of the warm weather and took Reese for a walk this morning. Just around the corner is a state park and natural resource center, Solider's Delight. Just a few minutes into the walk, you begin to forget that you are only 20 minutes from a major American city - it makes me feel like I'm back in the New Hampshire.

Reese loves it. On days when we can get to the park early, we let him off his leash. The moment he hears the click of the hook release, he takes off like a light, running around the trail. The nice thing about having a lab, is that he doesn't go far without checking back to make sure we are still there. One of Reese's favorite spots in the park is the tiny stream that runs through it. (A close second are the muddle puddles that are more than abudance this time of year.) Like a true boy, he splashes around in the water. Thankfully, the stream is located about halfway through the trail, so by the time we get back to the car, he is fairly dried off.

One of the real reasons we like to take Reese for long walks is that they tire him out. At just shy of his second birthday, Reese is still a little ball of energy, barking and running through our tiny townhouse like a banchee. A 2.5 mile walk at Solider's Delight helps take the edge off. As soon as we get home, he flops down on his bed or the couch. Hours later, we practically have to drag him off to go to the bathroom. The results of just a little walk in the park.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Busy Bee

I've been a busy bee the last couple of weekends, so I apologize for my lack of updating.

Below is a quick recap -

February 18 - Organized the first-ever LifeBridge Health Brain & Spine Crossword Puzzle Tournament. It was a pretty cool afternoon. The whole idea behind the event was to raise awareness for the new Brain & Spine Institute at the hospital. We had more than 50 people show up. And we even featured four pre-published New York Times crossword puzzles.

February 23-24 - I went to New Hampshire. (I know, I didn't tell anyone, but it was quick trip.) It was a girls weekend. I stayed with Katie, my best friend. We celebrated our birthday's in true New England style - we went to a hockey game. If you know anything about the friendship I have with Katie, we will go anywhere for a hockey game. In three short years, we had traveled to eight of the nine rinks in Hockey East, to RPI in Troy, NY and Minnesota to watch the Frozen Four (Yeah,that was the year they played Maine.) With one rink yet to visit in Hockey East, we ended to Providence, RI on Saturday night to watch the UNH Wildcats take on Providence. I was all excited, because there was chance the team could win the regular season title - HOWEVER- Providence College whooped the Cats 7-1. Nothing like a loss on the road. The weekend wasn't a total loss, Katie and I spent a lot of time catching up, revisiting old times and talking about the future. It was a great way to celebrate our birthdays, even if it was a couple weeks late.

The bummer is that I came down with a pretty bad respitory infection on my way home. So I spent the better part of Monday and Tuesday in bed trying to recover. It was not fun!

March 2-4 - I'm heading to Michigan. This, as Jill has stated, is a weekend all about her. (Although, I really think she believes that every weekend is all about her.) We are doing wedding activities. Dress shopping, ring shopping, cake tasting and such. Jill did such an amazing job being my maid of honor that I can only hope to live up to her footsteps. I'm sure I'll have some good stories on Monday, since it is always a good time when all three Sizettes are together.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Oh, Brother...

I always wanted a brother - an older brother. Someone who would protect me on the playground and 'hound' my dates in high school. I even ask Mom to adopt a older boy so that I could have an older brother once I learned about the birds and the bees. It didn't work. Mom and Dad didn't adopt a boy. The only way for me to have an older brother was for my sister to marry an older man. And...

That is exactly what it happening. Last Friday, Miles asked Jill to marry him. She said yes. So in less than a year, I'll get my dream of having an older brother.

Congratulations to Jill and Miles. I'm so happy that you have found someone who completes you. Miles - welcome to the family.




Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Snow day

No, I didn't have a snow day today. Actually being a PIO (Public Information Officer) for a hospital, we actually are required to go to work during natural disasters. Fun. Now I wouldn't quite call the the snow fall we got last night a 'disaster,' it was, according to this New England girl, flurries. We got maybe an inch of the light white fluffy snow. You know the kind that blows around with ease.

So as I drove into work this morning, listening to my favorite country music station, I listened carefully as almost every public school across the state called off school. FOR AN INCH OF SNOW. I just don't understand. Maybe it is because I grew up in New Hampshire, where school isn't cancelled unless we get more than five inches of snow, and in most cases we only got a two-hour delay.

One of the funniest things I've seen this winter is how the television stations in Baltimore make a HUGE deal over an impending snow storm, i.e. 1-2 inches. The reports cause panic and people rush to the store to buy milk, bread and toliet paper. Because if I'm trapped in the house, I'd want to make sure I had enough bread. (Being my father's daughter, I make a stop at the liquor store for beer.) And driving in the snow, even flurries, people slow down to a screetching halt, driving only 5 miles and hour. The other day it took me over and hour to got 9 miles. I wanted to SCREAM.

I don't think that I'll ever get used to winters here. I hate to admit it, but I actually miss New England winters.

Friday, February 02, 2007

The wrong side of 20

It is official, I'm now closer to 30 than I am 20. It is sad and scary. It doesn't seem that long ago that I turned 21. Where has the time gone????

I celebrated my birthday over Chinese food. Micah was in Seattle and promises to take me out for my birthday at a later date. Even though he missed my birthday, he did send me beautiful flowers. He and his parents got me a day at the spa - a massage, mani and pedi. I can't wait until my back is healed so I can make the appointment. Mom and Dad and Grampy and Grampie either got me a gift certificate or donated money for a mini-shopping spree (he he).

One of the most creative gifts would have to be the cake my co-workers got me. It was a butt, in honor of my recent surgery. Good thing that I'm a good sport.

Overall, it was a great birthday! Well as great as it can be now that I'm moving closer to 30.

Monday, January 29, 2007

You've been selected as a Nielson Family

Yes. It happened. I got a phone call last week from the Nielson Survey people saying that they would like us to be a Nielson family for the next ratings period. It was so odd, because just the other night I told Micah that I really wanted to be a ratings family.

HOWEVER...

my dear husband works in television, SO this prohibts us from participating. I was so disappointed. This has always been my dream ever since watching the show Roseanne when they were selected to be a Nielson family and Roseanne would only allow them to watch educational programming.


And an update about my back...

The hump is gone. In it's place a small indentation. The doctor ended up taking out a fatty tumor that was a result of the fall. I guess the fats cells got squished together then got confused and starting growing to form the mass. I believe I heard someone say that is weight about 1lb. It is a relief to have the hump out, however, the recovery has been a pain in the ass (the pun is intended.) So I'm just resting, switching from my side to side as it is the only way to get comfortable.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

The Humpty Dance

As many of you know, I feel last Labor Day (2005) and have sizable 'hump' on my rump, (actually is is just above, but who is counting.) After more than a year walking around with this "little tail" as Jill has called it, I'm finally having it removed. Tomorrow. It is minor procedure (I hope), which is being done in Outpatient Surgery so I should be home in the afternoon.

I'm sure, over the next couple of days, I'll be online more as I recover from the surgery. Look forward to amusing postings as I try not to be a big a pain in the ass.