7: Easter Foods

Okay, so Easter was more than a week ago. A week and a day, to be exact. And, I was going to write this a week ago and then... Harry Kalas died. It was a shock to the system and it's what prevented me from writing on Monday. And then I got busy with other stuff. Here I am a week later, still thinking about Easter food. Easter food is important to my family, just as important as Thanksgiving and Christmas and just as distinctive. My favorites: 

1. Hot cross buns. Delicious. My mom makes them every year for Easter breakfast. It's a sweet dough, with raisins and candied orange pieces. And topped with icing in crosses across the bun.

2. Hard boiled eggs. One of my favorite foods in general, but dyed? That much better. And Easter-y!

3. Cadbury eggs. There's something about scarcity that makes things taste better and Cadbury eggs definitely fall in that category. I mean, chocolate and sweet filling is a winning combination anyway, but that much better wrapped in tin foil and magically appearing in springtime. 

4. Reese's peanut butter eggs. Peanut butter cups made better--more peanut butter!

5. Angelfood cake. Light, served with lemon curd. Another Easter-only classic. It's actually one that I don't think I'd like very much if it were available year-round, but at Easter it's a favorite. 

6. Lamb. Classic Easter meat, along with salmon and ham. But, salmon is a year-round thing for me and I don't really like ham. So, lamb it is!

7. Chicken salad. It has grapes and curry and peanuts and have absolutely no idea why it appears at Eastertime, but I don't fight the awesome. And I take as much of it in leftovers as possible. 

2: Things of a Ridiculous Nature

Life is full of random events. It's what keeps things interesting. Sometimes what happens, though, isn't just random. It's just plain ridiculous.

1. Yesterday, I set off the smoke detector while boiling water. Seriously, just a pot of water. There must've been something spilled on the burner. I'll admit I wasn't paying the closest attention to the water, since, well, I thought it would be hard to burn. All of a sudden, I turned around and the whole burner was smoky. Seconds later, the beeping of the smoke detector. But, the water was boiling, so I guess it wasn't a complete failure.

2. The Phillies starting pitching this season is giving me an ulcer. We're supposed to have a kick-ass starting rotation. I'd like to meet those players, because they haven't been around much so far. At least we'll always have last season.

5: Mood Lifters

I've been in sort of a funk lately, for some unknown reason. It's not work (which is not great, but really not funk-worthy, either); it's not family or friends. So, I dunno. It's springtime, the daffodils (my favorite flower) are blooming, it's light out so I can go running in the evenings. I've decided that it's time to be in a better mood, so I've been thinking about good things, that make me smile/feel proud/optimistic. They are:

1. Having favorite restaurant. I love food, I like going out to eat well enough--but I can't eat out too often, it gets on my nerves. So, I've always had restaurants that I like and some that I liked better than others, but I've never had a favorite. That place that you'd go to all the time. The place that always springs to mind when trying to decide where to go. Now I do. There's a new Thai food place a couple of blocks from me and it is awesome. I totally love it. And, I like that I now have a favorite restaurant.

2. Taking a half day. I had carryover vacation time that was set to expire at the end of the month, so I've started making plans for it. And I had a random half day left, so I decided to take it today. For no good reason, just because it was a Thursday and I could. Let me tell you, it was pretty amazing. I slept in (well, for me it was sleeping in), I got some laundry and dishes done. I watched TV. And then, I went to work for a little bit. It was good to have some me-time, though. And not a weekend, that's different. Just time that was totally mine.

3. Cookies for dinner. I didn't know what I felt like eating tonight, so I was scrounging around the kitchen. I wasn't too hungry, but definitely wanted something to eat. Checked the cabinets. Eh, could make pasta. Looked in the fridge, nothing too exciting there. Opened the freezer. Bingo! An open box of Thin Mints. So, my dinner? A sleeve of Girl Scout cookies.

4. Buying fun, but necessary, things. I've been training for a 5K in just over a week. My running sneakers are a couple of years old at this point. Still more than serviceable, but I was starting to get a tingly feeling in my left foot when I run. So, I decided to get a new pair of running shoes. I went to my local running store at lunchtime. It's always kind of a treat to go in there, I think. I like just telling the person what I want (running shoes, good, but not excessive, arch support, size 9) and they just bring out a couple pair, I try 'em on, pick the ones I like. There's less pressure to pick one off the wall, but I still have options. And I did need a new pair, so it was totally over the top to spend way too much money on new sneakers. I also got a new pair of shorts, but it's not quite warm enough for them yet. Still, I'll be totally prepared when it is.

5. Wandering around the grocery store. I needed milk Tuesday night (I had a cereal-less morning on Tuesday and it was tragic. Talk about starting the day on the wrong foot. I was not a happy camper.), so I went to the grocery store. And it was packed. Long lines, etc. All I really needed was milk, but I was going to be forced to stand in line for forever. Instead, I wandered around the grocery store, which I love. And, I remembered that I needed tahini (sesame seed paste, for making hummus), so I wandered around and finally found that (in the produce section, which seems to be the home of all things I can't find elsewhere (last time it was wonton wrappers)). Then I just spent time wending my way through the isles. By the time I was bored, all I had in my basket was milk, tahini and flour, so it wasn't like I went to excess, but the lines died down and I wasn't frustrated by standing still, instead I was amused by walking around. It was a great compromise, since I wasn't in a hurry.

5: Phone Stuff

So, I was at poker night with coworkers this week (Texas Hold 'Em rocks, btw) and we wanted to order pizza, so someone had to call for delivery. But, at the guy's house where we were playing, Verizon doesn't get service, but AT&T mostly does. Long story short, we used the landline, which then brought up the cell v. land conversation and whatnot. So, a couple of things:

1. No cell phones. The guy who's house we were at: doesn't have a cell phone, at all. I guess it's a sign of my generation, but that sort of baffles me. I mean, I almost always have my phone on me and it's my only phone. Why bother with a land line, which has to stay at home? I guess there's some merit to not always being reachable...

2. Which brings me to: not answering the cell phone. Granted, sometimes you're in the shower or sleeping or out to dinner or at work or forgot to take it off vibrate or something and really can't answer, but I think everyone's guilty of screening calls, I mean, sometimes it's not convenient to talk, but where's the line between answering and saying "Hey, can I call you back?" and just letting it go to voicemail? One of the guys at the table was incensed that friends don't answer sometimes and I think he was more referring to inner-circle-type friends that you know they're screening the call for no good reason (like, you're supposed to meet up at a bar and they don't answer), and I think it's different if it's someone you don't talk to often and you know it'll be a long conversation and you want to wait until you can devote time to the chat. I dunno, maybe that makes me a jerk. So sometimes you let the call go to voicemail...

3. Which bothered one of the other players. He dislikes voicemail, apparently--he claimed to have a voicemail that he got either earlier that day or the day before that he wasn't going to listen to until the weekend. Perhaps I missed the backstory, but I found that odd. I almost always leave a voicemail (unless, like the example above, I'm supposed to, say, meet up with someone and the why of the call is implied). It's nice to know if the person is calling to chat or make plans for later in the week or if... I dunno, they need bail money. If I couldn't answer the phone, I'd like to have a sense of the level of emergency of calling back.

4. Ringing at work. This was a group of coworkers and there are a bunch of people in our office that a.) leave their ringers on during the work day and b.) have really loud/annoying ringtones, so we bitched about that for a bit. We work in an office--a cubicle and offices set-up that is rather quiet. I don't understand why you would need to leave the ringer on at work. Set it on vibrate: If you're at your desk, you'll hear it; if you're not at your desk, it won't be as bothersome to everyone else. That just seems like common courtesy to me, but again...it might be a function of my generation, since most of the people with loud and/or annoying rings are older.

5. Texting. Some are, well, sort of obsessed with it, some use it sometimes (like me), some seems diametrically opposed to it. I find texting useful if I'm at work or anywhere else where actually talking isn't an option, but I still want to communicate. I don't think I could use it as a primary method of communication; it's too unwieldy. But, it has it's uses.

3: Awesome Things Seen While Walking Around Town

I enjoy walking around town. I love walking and it seems so much more efficient than driving. Well, for short distances. I mean, I love driving, too, but walking is fun. Yeah, that's a circular conversation for a later date. Anyhoosits, walking around sometimes lead to interesting observations. Like these.

1. Lot full sign. In and of itself, not all that weird. But, when you're walking up a one-way street in the wrong direction, and the lot full side of the sign, which is on the back of the spaces available side that's facing traffic, is what you see, along with a guy sitting in a parking booth with exactly two cars in a 30+ space lot, well, it was amusing. A freezing cold night, with a guy huddled there trying to do his job, but the optical illusion that he was turning people away. Yeah, the more I think about it, the less amusing it is, but it caught me off guard, I guess.

2. Snowman on porch. Now this, this is just pure awesome. A little snowman, about two and a half feet tall, sitting on the edge of a porch the night after a snowfall. No snowman accoutrements, no carrot nose, button eyes, arms, hat or anything, just three progressively smaller snowballs. No lights on the porch, no celebration of it, just a snowman highlighting the day's weather.

3. Two Lady Liberties. Two women, dressed in green dresses with the statue of liberty hats and torches, standing near a sign for a couple of businesses. Again, on a freezing cold night. They had to be cold. And I have no idea what they were doing. They didn't have any signs, they were just smiling and waving at traffic, as far as I could tell. The more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to turn around and go see what they were doing, but... I didn't. So, it remains an interesting mystery.

7: Best and Worst

Of an indeterminate time period and covering an indeterminate spectrum of topics. Basically, stuff that's been on my mind or just occurred to me right now.

1. Best news: Teleportation as a viable option. Well, not really, but I've read several studies/news reports about teleporting and it has me quite excited. Teleporting is something I'm eagerly anticipating. I'm hoping it doesn't turn out to be like flying cars (i.e. not a real means of transportation). Maybe teleporting will be the internet of the future?

2. Worst phrase: In this economy. Gaaaaaaaaaaah, this is like my kryptonite right now. I mean, I get it, economic conditions are in the crapper, monitoring it is what I do for a living, so I'm maybe more attuned to it that most, but that phrase makes me want to scream. It's like nails on a chalkboard. It's torture. You get the picture.

3. Best snow removal technique: a CD case. I walked by a dude this morning who was cleaning the snow off his car with a CD case. I didn't catch what album, but I admire his resourcefulness.

4. Best commute: walking home in the lightly falling snow, with all surfaces covered in a thin layer of snow. So picturesque. So peaceful. I don't have much more than that to say about it, really.

5. Worse tragedy: My DVR's recent insistence that it need not record new episodes of my favorite shows. Um, hello, 3D episode of Chuck? Yeah, not so much. Guess I have to watch it online. Ditto last week's House. And the second episode this season of Friday Night Lights. Maybe "tragedy" is overselling it, but...so sad.

6. Best non-goldfish snack: Tostitos. Or, tortilla chips, but I happen to have a bag of Tostitos at the moment. They're all crunchy, and salty, and non-potato-y. Definitely a superior chip. They're good with salsa, guacamole, spinach dips, buffalo chicken dip, cheese dips. They're universal. You can eat them in big pieces or little. They can be round or triangular.

7. Worst Superbowl loss in 2009: The Arizona Cardinals. Okay, I wasn't really invested in the Superbowl this year, not being a big football person. And, I do like that the home-state team won. Although, I'd've been happy with a Cards win, too. Really, I just needed a seventh thing, and I wanted it to be a worst, to sort of balance the list, and the Superbowl seemed to fit the bill. There you have it, the secret inner workings of my mind.

7: Awesomest Things About Vacationing

I took my first true vacation in about a year and a half last week. I mean, real as in going away from home, have to get a pet sitter, don't do any work vacation. 'Twas grand.

1. Actually taking vacation. Yes, yes, the best thing about vacation is... that it's vacation. That's a bit of circular reference, I know. But, it's so nice to do it and just get away and relax. Spending time with family is nice, and even more so when you can get away, not just hang out at home over the holidays. So, making the effort to go on vacation rocks.

2. Not thinking about work. Yeah, again, sort of in the definition, but with remote access and email and whatnot, it's easy to fall into the, I'll-just-check-in habit. I didn't. All week. I decided that I'll deal with whatever needs dealing with on Monday morning. When I'm at work.

3. Sharing the love of snow tubing. Now, for the more this-vacation-specific stuff. I got together with college friends, which was delightful, not surprisingly. And, I suggested snow tubing, since it's something we could all do together (rather than skiing). And, it's glorified sledding, but you don't have to walk back up the hill, you get to ride. It's _awesome_. And everyone else seemed to think so, too (I don't think anyone else had been before). It's always nice to do something you enjoy with friends.

4. Not having easy access to TV. I looooooove television. It's a bit of an addiction. But, up in the mountains, we only got NBC and CBS and sort of ABC and not really FOX. And, when it was daytime TV, that's all there was. And when it was evening news time, that's all there was. I'm so used to my DVR and cable that it was...weird at first. But liberating, because it was either, watch one of the two-ish available shows, watch a movie, or find something else to do.

5. Reading. Yeah, I do that at home, too. But it's nice to have a reading-dedicated afternoon.

6. Eating out. Especially at Piggy's Restaurant. I adore going out for breakfast. I dunno if it's because I always just have cereal and it's a nice treat to have cooked breakfast foods. Or, if it's that I don't go out to eat all that often, and it's just a special treat. There's something about it, though. And Piggy's Restaurant rocks. Possibly my favorite restaurant. So efficient. A mid-sized, one-room, jammed-in (but not too close) tables, constant coffee refills, awesome mini blueberry muffins place. And, the food is delicious.

7. Scenery. It snowed most of the weekend and the lake was frozen over. The snow clung to the trees and the lake was a sea of white. Sunsets from the side of a mountain are breathtaking. Riding up a ski lift is oddly serene. Bringing wood in from the wood pile is somehow very satisfying. I live in a picturesque area, and I appreciate that, but a change of beautiful scenery is always appreciated.

2: Advertisement/Marketing

I vacuumed my entryway, by my door, yesterday. Now, everytime I see it (which has been, maybe, three times that I've taken notice of it) it looks super clean. I just vacuumed the carpet, didn't do anything special. Sometimes, though, things just stand out, I guess.

1. OSFM. No, no, it's not anything inappropriate. I was at Kmart, looking for gloves. Y'know, the cheap knit ones that are just enough to be a glove and protect a little bit from the cold, but not too much glove. And I found the display and was trying to find the right gloves (not the mitten/half gloved fingered ones). Found 'em. Trying to figure out if they were the right size, since some genius decided to stick the tag all the way through the wrists. All I could find was the label, price, bar code and OSFM. Yes, but do they fit? I thought to myself. Then I realized: One Size Fits Most.

2. Huyndai. Have you seen the new commercial? The whole, if you lose your job or income in the next year, they'll take your car back? That's not a new program, folks. That's called repossessing--they do it all the time.

5: Things That I Did In 2008

The obligatory New Year's post, of course. I'll try to keep it non-traditional, though (things that will not be included: graduation from grad school, getting a job, etc.). As always, the list is in no particular order. And, of course, this doesn't come close to covering all of the ground of things that happened during the year, but it's a lovely little random sampling of events I'll remember from the year.

1. I went snowtubing for the first time. I've been sledding more times than I could count, but I'd never gone to a mountain and paid someone to let me sled down it. I've now done that several times. It's totally awesome and I highly recommend it. Yeah, you're paying to go sledding, but you're guaranteed snow AND you don't have to climb back up the hill--you get towed up. Awesome.

2. I watched the Phillies win the World Series. (So did a lot of other people.) I don't want to oversell this, but: it was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. I'm still amazed by it. Every time I listen to the Harry Kalas call of the final out (and yes, I've listened to it a lot), I get all teary. In the words of Chase Utley: World Fucking Champions.

3. I drove to Canada for a long weekend. I really wanted to get my passport stamped, but didn't, because the new rules weren't in effect. Still, it was an awesome 12 hour drive. Canadians are awesome. Frozen Niagara Falls is beautiful.

4. I got drunk in front of most of my family. It was at a cousin's wedding--you're supposed to do that, right? I didn't do anything too embarrassing (of this I've been assured by multiple sources), but still... it was an interesting experience. How am I supposed to say no to top-shelf G&Ts?

5. I watched the Phillies win at Shea stadium. I might add: while sitting 8 rows from the field on the third base line. Sweet, sweet tickets for a pretty exciting game. I tried not to be too annoying (although I was wearing my Phillies paraphernalia), but we were locked in a pennant race at the time, so... it was pretty sweet.