Blog Improvements

I have stolen an idea from Loud. She has a calendar of upcoming events in her life on the sidebar of her new blog, Too Twisted for TV. I really like that idea so I've added one too. Now you can find out what MTH and I are up to over the upcoming months. Note the cool colors for each of the months. March is green in honor of St. Patrick's Day. April is pink in honor of the Cherry Blossom Festival. May is yellow in honor of Cinqo de Mayo. June is blue in honor of the fact that I'll be at the beach twice that month. July is red in honor of Independence Day.

Accomplishments

I accomplished a lot this weekend. Yesterday, I got the wireless on our computer fixed, I sealed the granite countertop, I washed clothes and I planted some pansies in the front yard. I know it's a little late for the pansies but they should last until May and then we'll plant some begonias and impatiens. I also planned our menu for the 2nd Annual St. Patrick's Day brunch tht we're holding next Saturday. Today, I ran with my new running group, I organized my scrapbook/card making stuff, I polished the granite countertop, I re-organized the countertop and threw out a few things and now I'm cooking a beef brisket with Guinness, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and onions - in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

This past week, I made a lot of reservations for some upcoming trips. I've already mentioned that MTH and I are meeting MAK and PT in Vegas in early April. I'm also going to Macon in late April for my 10 year reunion at Wesleyan College (yep, I'm officially old). Then, in early June, I'm heading to Miami to meet up with EE and MAK. Hopefully, CLM can hop over and hang out with us. I'm definitely excited about that trip. We'll be staying at the South Beach Marriott because I had received a nice gift certificate from work for being part of a market research panel. Our cost will be less than $100 per person to stay there for 2 nights. Then, in early July, a friend is getting married in St. Thomas. I've reserved our hotel room but not the flight yet. That will be done soon though.

The thank you notes are not something that I can say are an accomplishment. I did at least write up in Word the wording for a good number of notes. I sent that document to MTH for his thoughts. He wrote back that he had some edits but didn't actually send those edits yet. Therefore, it looks like my updated resolution of finishing the notes by the end of February may not happen. When did I get so lazy!!!!

How did it come to this?

Well, MTH and I stood up our friends last night. I was very disappointed and upset. One of my personal pet peeves is people not following through on commitments so when I'm the one doing it, it doubly upsets me. Of course, I have to explain how it came to this. MTH is very very busy at work right now. He's worked the past few weekends and if you've kept up with my blog, you'll know that he didn't go to SF with me back in January due to work. Anyway, last weekend, there was a party at QY's and MTH wasn't able to make that either. I did go without him but it definitely wasn't as much fun. So, QY was nice enough to have a small get together this weekend with just KK and his wife and us. We were going to have Chinese Hot Pot and chocolate fondue (a melting pot of cultures - ha ha :). But, the long story short, MTH was delayed at work until past 7pm instead of being able to leave at 4pm as expected. Since QY lives about 30 minutes from our house and MTH had to work today (he's there now and who knows when he'll be home), it was too late for us to go out there to eat, play foosball in their basement and watch a movie in their brand new home theater. QY even rented the movie that I wanted to see (and if you know me, you know there aren't many movies that I want to see). She got the Wallace and Gromit movie!!! I feel extremely bad about not making it. I think at this point MTH and I can't make any plans with anyone. It's not fair to them.

I will be so much happier when he's not quite as busy at work. I'm sure he will be happier than me!

4 Things Updated

This post has been updated. All updates are in red.
ETK had the good idea of replying to CLM's email in her blog so I'll steal her idea:

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. Senior Statistician
2. Teaching Assistant
3. Math Tutor
4. Secretary

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Wedding Singer
2. Steel Magnolias
3. Fried Green Tomatoes

Four places you have lived:
1. Alexandria, VA
2. Richmond, VA
3. Atlanta, GA
4. Macon, GA

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Pretty much anything on Food Network
2. Myth Busters with MTH
**that's it, I really don't watch much TV

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Barcelona, Spain
2. Dublin, Ireland
3. Paris, France
4. Honolulu, HI

Four websites I visit daily:
1. washingtonpost.com
2. gmail.com
3. yahoo.com
4. blogger.com

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Goat Cheese
2. Seared Tuna
3. Grilled Salmon
4. Eggplant Involtini

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Relaxing with a fun drink on the beach with MTH
2. Shopping for some new shoes
3. Massage
4. Anywhere as long as it's with MTH - I'm not really that needy, I just haven't seen MTH very much lately!!!!

Online Again

While MTH was online Wednesday night, the wireless connection died. When I got home Thursday afternoon, I couldn't figure out how to fix it. So, in order to work from home that day, I had to lay in bed becuase that's where the DSL router is located. I took the Apple computer and wireless router to the Apple Store this morning. He couldn't find anything wrong with it but he did change the channel that we're using for the wireless connection. Who knows if that's what fixed it but one of the by-products of that change is that I can now be on the phone and the internet at the same time!! Our 2.4 gHz cordless used to interfere.

So, unless we have another freak outage, I'm back!

Day Off Update

Things haven't worked out quite as planned. I met TV at her house in order to see her kitchen renovation ideas. She has some good ones but I'm so glad it's not me. MTH and I already dealt with renovating a kitchen and it's really no fun at all. Then, we headed for St. Elmo's get a muffn and some coffee. Our plan was to then go to the National Gallery to check out the new Cezanne exhibit but we decied that it would be mobbd due to the holiday and so we would go to the new Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit at the Phillips Collection. We get over to Dupont and walk to the museum to find... it's closed on Mondays!!! So, we walked to Connecticut Ave and just checked out a few stores. She then dropped me near Georgetown and I walked the rest of the way to meet AL. We met near Wisconsin Ave and then headed to Cafe Bonaparte - a little creperie several blocks up Wisconsin. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table at 1:45! People were definitely enjoying their day off. We didn't leave there until close to 4pm. We had a nice lazy lunch and all we ate were crepes! Then, we went to Banana Republic, Coach and White House Black Market. I found a nice pair of pants and a sweater for MTH at Banana (I had a 15% discount card so I had a good reason to spend money :)

Now, I'm finally back home and still haven't made it to the grocery store or the airport to pick up my rental car for the drive to Richmond. I have to leave in a few minutes or they'll take away my reservation for the car. I may write another entry again tonight since I'll be gone until Thursday night.

Running Update

Last week was a good week for running. Even though I wasn't able to go on 2/12 due to the snowstorm, I got up that Monday morning and ran my 4 miles on a treadmill. Then, Tuesday night before my girls' Valentine's Night out, I ran 3.7 miles (time was short as I had to take a shower and meet AL in the hotel lobby at 8pm). Then, I did my Thursday run on Friday morning as I had plans on Thursday night. Yesterday, I did my long run (5 miles) with the new running group. I'm so glad that I joined the group. I would have had a really hard time getting myself up normally since it was 15 degrees outside!!!! But, since I was meeting people there, I had that extra push to get out there.

This week is shaping up to be good. I'll be able to run Tuesday night and then my Thursday night run will have to be on Friday morning again as I'll be driving back from Richmond that night. Then, I'll meet up with the group again on Sunday morning. I've also been doing my Pilates DVD here and there. I'll try to do it Wednesday night in the hotel room - I can use my laptop as a DVD player.

My Day Off

I've already gotten some things done today and I have more planned. So, today should be a productive day. I've planned our dinner menu too - we'll have Creamy Bean Soup, Grilled Marinated Pork Chops (flavored with rosemary and sage and maybe I'll even go outside and use the grill) and Asparagus or Broccoli with Parmesan and Butter. I'll be in Richmond until Thursday so the rest of the week will be frozen meals for MTH.

Before I head to the grocery store, I'm going over to a friend's house for a late breakfast and then we'll head to the Cezanne exhibit at the National Gallery. Then I'll meet AL in Georgetown for lunch and shopping.

I'll give a running update later today.

Coffee at Brooklyn Bagel

I had a nice coffee and egg/cheese bagel with EE this morning in Court House in Arlington. It was nice to catch up. I haven't seen her since the wedding. I'm hoping to go visit in NJ the weekend MTH is in Las Vegas for the NCAA tournament opening. Then, she may come back down to cheer MTH and me on for our Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run. That would be really awesome.

Here's a picture of her new hair cut. It looks really good! Remember, this picture is from my phone so that quality is not the best.

Valentine's Day

Since I was in Richmond on Valentine's Day, I set up a "date night" with other commuters. We went to Metro Grill. MTH and I had our first date there. It was fun to go back. That first date was over 5 years ago! The food was pretty good and the price was awesome. They had a special called the "date night special". Basically, for $39.95 you got: 2 house salads, 2 entrees, a bottle of wine and a dessert. So, for 5 people, we paid about $130 before tip. I don't think you could find food as good as this for that price.

Also, we had a lot of fun hanging out and gossiping.

Another Long Weekend That Doesn't Include MTH

How is it that his work decides he needs to work extra hours the weekends that I have time off? At least this time we didn't have plane tickets that would then be wasted. But, it looks like he won't be able to make it to QY's cooking party. And, tomorrow I'll probably be on my own as well. Not that I can't find things to do but I'd like to spend some time with him. During the week, we're busy and don't see each other all that much.

I guess that's life. We have to make a living in order to enjoy ourselves when we aren't working.

Snow Man

MTH built a nice snowman after he cleaned off the sidewalk. We definitely got a good amount of snow but thank goodness it's already stopped snowing. The sun is even out now. I'm sure that MAK is happy not to be in Boston anymore. It looks like they'll get the worst of it. I guess that EE and SA are not able to go out and enjoy the weekend since they're up in NJ now. And, ETK is keeping her fingers crossed that she won't have to go to Boston until Tuesday but according to her comment earlier, it seems that she may have to go.

Dinner Tonight

MTH and I stayed in to watch the Olympics so we decided to cook dinner as well. For some reason I was really craving salmon (even though I had it last night). Even though I've always thought of fish as a hard thing to cook, salmon is actually quite easy. I just cooked it in the oven with olive oil, roast peppers, capers, garlic, salt and pepper. The side dishes were steamed asparagus and capellini with olive oil and garlic. As an appetizer we had a cheese called Drunken Goat with bread. The wine was one I had bought back in the summer on one of my wine tasting trips :) It's a Zinfandel from the Coppola winery (now called Rubicon). Such a great wine. It's bad to drink those wines because then our $6 wines are not nearly as good.

21 P

We went to a new restaurant last night called 21 P. As you can guess, that's also the address. I really enjoyed my salad with goat cheese dressing but the salmon entree was the highlight for me (that is, until they brought the check - I'll explain later). With the bread, they brought olive oil that was steeped in some sort of spicy flavor. It was very good. MTH and SM (MTH's friend, not my sister) both got the pork tenderloin. I think that they liked it. I would say the only bad thing about the dinner was the lighting. One set of the lights wouldn't stop flashing. It was weird and annoying! They did have a nice wine - Luis Felipe Cabernet Sauvignon. Luis Felipe is a Chilean vineyard. MTH and I first tried their carmenere. It's an inexpensive but good wine. I would recommend trying out any of their wines if you happen to see them in the store.

At the end, when the waiter brought the check, he also brought walnut brittle. SM (MTH's friend, not my sister) and I loved it. SM (MTH's friend, not my sister) even asked for seconds - I was so glad that he did.

Since I don't really rate restaurants, I don't know how many stars to give it but instead I'll rate restaurants as to whether I'd go back again or not. In this case, I give it a thumbs up!

Running Update

The training is going much better this week. I followed my training plan starting last Tuesday. I also think that my back strain may have been partially due to running. I don't think I'm holding my lower/abs correctly when I run. So, today I did Pilates and will try to do it at least once a week. I'm supposed to run with my running group for the first time tomorrow. It looks like it's still on even though it's currently snowing outside. I'll show up and hope that others are there too. If not, I guess I'll run by myself. MTH was good and ran over 5 miles today. It wore him out though. But at least he should be ready for the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run.

Update: The snow has put a dent in my plans for running today. My fitness center at work is not open on the weekends. I tried going to the YMCA as well as the city recreation center but they're all closed for the snow. Today is supposed to be the long run so it's one that I really can't miss. I'm hoping that MTH's fitness center is open later today!

Weddings

Now that MTH and I are married, I'm looking forward to attending other people's weddings and just chilling! It looks like we'll be going to St. Thomas in early July for the wedding of SY and JS. Then, I've heard from MTH that MDH and KS have set the date for 11/18 in South Beach at the Palms. I absolutely love South Beach so I'm excited that MTH will finally get to see it. Plus, going for a wedding should be awesome. I'm supposed to go with EE an MAK in early June. The three of us have got to on the planning soon. Looks like lots of beach time this year. I better buy some sunscreen. I'm sure I'll need some new sunglasses, sandals, bathing suits, etc! Plus, MTH still owes me a Christmas present. I found out that he actually had picked something out for me but that he then couldn't find it. It was a Coach bag I had asked for earlier in the fall. Since he's a boy, he didn't understand that it was a limited edition and he should have bought it as soon as I sent him the email!!! Oh well, I'll take him shopping this weekend and we'll finally rectify this no Christmas gift issue!!

I'll stop typing now since it seems that I'm going crazy with the exclamation points for some reason.

PS ETK - I don't think I'll be able to talk MTH into buying me a Gucci. Maybe you'll be so lucky.

Valentine's Day is coming up

So, although I sent out cards and gifts, I don't really buy into the "commercial holiday". It's a way for stores to make money. But, I'll admit I did have fun making cards and sending out chocolates to friends and family. Hopefully, they'll enjoy it. I'll be in Richmond next Tuesday so MTH will have to celebrate without me :) He and the cat can spend a romantic night at home. Maybe he'll buy her some canned food as a special treat. On second thought, we don't want to get her addicted.

Anyway, about Valentine's day. What makes it special? What's the point? Aren't we supposed to love each other every day of the year? I guess other holidays could be summed up the same way though - July 4th, for example - aren't we supposed to cherish our independence and freedom every day. But, we still have a special holiday just to do that. It's usually a lot of fun too.

So, maybe Valentine's Day is a good holiday after all. The stores just need to stop stocking Valentine's candy BEFORE Christmas. I'm not kidding, I saw bags of Valentine's candy prior to Christmas Day!!!

Will I ever officially change my name?

MTH is wondering if I'll officially change my name. Of course, I will eventually. The problem is that the government makes you go in person to the Social Security Administration. It makes sense to have to go in person but the problem is the long lines. Work has been pretty busy lately so I haven't felt like I had the time to do it. Then, I'll still have to stand in line for my passport and then my driver's license. The only reason MTH hasn't pushed it too much is that he knows he would never take the time to do this if it was his responsibility. He still hasn't even sent his groomsmen's gifts!!!

I think I should have included this one in my resolutions. I'll add it now. My resolution is to have my name changed officially by the end of March.

Olympics

It's almost time for the next big sporting event - Winter Olympics. I love watching the Olympics although I really hate the "human interest" stories that NBC must show every 30 minutes. I just want to watch the sports with commentators who speak in "facts" not in opinions that are so pro-American, it's embarrassing. I realize that each athlete is there to win the Gold but I do think that they are mostly good sportsmen and don't go around rubbing the other countries noses in their wins.

My favorite events are: skiing, figure skating and ski jumping.

I like the Summer Olympics better but it's still fun to watch this one.

I don't actually know the date that it starts but I'm sure MTH will let me know :)

He's been pushing for a new flat screen TV. I'd rather wait a little while. We need new shelves so it would be better to wait until we got those and could "fit" the TV in.

New Drink - French 75

French 75

Crushed ice
1 1/2 ounces dry gin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
6 ounces chilled champagne

Half-fill a 14-ounce collins glass with crushed ice. Pour in the gin and lemon juice and stir in the sugar. Pour in the champagne.

It may sound weird but it's very refreshing. It would definitely be good at one of our cookouts. We'll also have to try out the variations.

Variations:
French 95: Use bourbon instead of gin
French 125 Use brandy instead of gin.

Steelers Win!!!!

It was definitely a good game. It never was certain as to who was going to win until the last 3 minutes. It's unfortunate there had to be some bad calls to make it not quite so clear cut but I guess the score at the end is what matters.

MTH and I had fun eating our "healthy" food. I made bean dip, guacamole, baked tortilla chips and oven fried buffalo chicken. He even bought a beer called Steelhead - in honor of Pittsburgh, I guess.

Well, no more football til next August.

The Weekend

MTH and I went to the Caps game last night. This time we got the tickets from his company. I'm just not a hockey fan. We left a little early, thank goodness. We headed to the District Chophouse. They have this oatmeal stout that's aged in bourbon barrels. It's so smooth. Since MTH and I had already eaten "snacks" at the game, we shared a burger and fries. Today, I was planning to do my Pilates DVD but MTH didn't set up the DVD player. Hopefully I'll get him to do it before next weekend. This afternoon I bought Valentine's gifts. They'll be in the mail on Monday!

Tonight, MTH and I were supposed to go to see "Walk the Line" at the Old Town Theater but MTH was under the weather this afternoon. He slept for at least 2 hours. So, this evening, we ended up staying in and cooking dinner here. It turned out nicely. Then we played Scrabble and drank Kir Royales.

Tomorrow's the big day - Super Bowl XL!! We still haven't figured out our menu yet. We're going to try to go for a "healthy" menu but I have a feeling that'll be hard to do. I'll update tomorrow.

Bon Jovi

The concert was fun(ny). QY and I enjoyed the music and the food. They played the expected songs: Shot through the Heart, Livin' on a Prayer, In a Blaze of Glory - reminded me of being in high school. It definitely would have been a lot of fun to go at that point in my life. But, now I'm spoiled. Our seats were in a suite. It's so nice to have all of that room and free food and drinks! I'm hoping to upload some pictures from QY soon.

Almost There

MTH and I still have a few gifts from Christmas that we haven't sent out. I'm finallly getting it all together today and will send it from work on Monday. One of our perks is being able to send personal packages from the mail room. So, anyone who knows that they haven't received a gift from me should be getting it soon.

I guess getting all of my gifts out by the end of January should have been a resolution but waht's the difference, its status would have been RED .

Resolutions 2006

Let's revisit my resolutions and get a status update

Take vitamins and eat more veggies Yellow - I'm doing better than in December but not near what I'd like to do
Write all of our thank you notes by the end of January RED - We haven't written one yet and it's now February
Finish all Christmas shopping and card writing by 12/15/06 (I know it’s a bit long term but I was frazzled last year with work and Christmas so I’ve got to plan better this year) Green - Can't be less than Green until next December!
Continue running – MTH and I are signed up for the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run Yellow - hurting my back cut into my training time this week but I did run for the first time again today

My plan is to continue eating more veggies and to actually buy a multi-vitamin - I can't take one if I don't have one.

For the thank you notes, we just have to sit down and do them. My new goal is to finish them by the end of February.

As long as I have no more injuries, I feel good about the running. That one will be in Green.