Peyton's pointing the way to the Super Bowl. Whoo-hoo!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Hundred Dollar Hamburgers
Yesterday Larry invited me and Mike for a flight in his plane. It's been a long time since I was in a small aircraft, and Mike had never been, so we were both very excited about the invitation. It was a little cold out, but the skies were fairly clear and the sun was shining. A perfect day for a flight!
Our destination was Lansing Airport, and a bar/restaurant called Shannon's Landing. This was a place that I never would have known about, but if I lived in the area I would be there all the time. The atmosphere was comfortable, the food was outstanding, and the view of airport and the small planes taking off and landing was a lot of fun.
And the flight was a blast! I absolutely love the sensation at take off. No matter if I'm in a commercial jet or a small plane, I can't help grinning like an idiot when we take off. In this case it was even better because I was in the copilot seat, and we also had headphones so we could not only talk to each other but hear the pilot chatter. At 5500 or 6500 feet in the air, you also get a much different view of things. I spent most of the flight simply staring out the window, with my tongue practically hanging out. Larry also showed us the various readouts on his instruments, and explained what everything meant. You sure don't get that on American Airlines!
On the way back we could see that the clouds were starting to creep in. At Lansing there had been a lot of traffic, and that was probably due to the weather that we received this morning (snow!!!). A lot of pilots were getting in a last minute flight before they were grounded for a few days. Coming back, we could see the clouds starting to come in, and by the time we got back to Champaign it was overcast.
From the wide open skies I went the opposite way to the crowded grocery store. I pretty much had to climb over big groups of people (don't have your family reunion in the main lane to the produce section!), and many of the shelves were empty, causing me to make a side trip to another store. What a let down after feeling so free!
Thanks Larry for an awesome time!
Our destination was Lansing Airport, and a bar/restaurant called Shannon's Landing. This was a place that I never would have known about, but if I lived in the area I would be there all the time. The atmosphere was comfortable, the food was outstanding, and the view of airport and the small planes taking off and landing was a lot of fun.
And the flight was a blast! I absolutely love the sensation at take off. No matter if I'm in a commercial jet or a small plane, I can't help grinning like an idiot when we take off. In this case it was even better because I was in the copilot seat, and we also had headphones so we could not only talk to each other but hear the pilot chatter. At 5500 or 6500 feet in the air, you also get a much different view of things. I spent most of the flight simply staring out the window, with my tongue practically hanging out. Larry also showed us the various readouts on his instruments, and explained what everything meant. You sure don't get that on American Airlines!
On the way back we could see that the clouds were starting to creep in. At Lansing there had been a lot of traffic, and that was probably due to the weather that we received this morning (snow!!!). A lot of pilots were getting in a last minute flight before they were grounded for a few days. Coming back, we could see the clouds starting to come in, and by the time we got back to Champaign it was overcast.
From the wide open skies I went the opposite way to the crowded grocery store. I pretty much had to climb over big groups of people (don't have your family reunion in the main lane to the produce section!), and many of the shelves were empty, causing me to make a side trip to another store. What a let down after feeling so free!
Thanks Larry for an awesome time!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Words of Advice
I've been taking yoga classes for the last 2 years, and along the way I've learned some things. The problem is, I don't often remember to take my own advice.
The first thing to remember is to throw away the deodorant that has been sitting in your desk drawer for the last six years or so. When deodorant is sitting around for that long, it can't be good. Sure it smells all right, but it tends to crumble after being applied to your armpits. This means that you have deodorant dingleberries under your arms, and that's just not attractive when you're wearing a tank top. Not to mention that every time you raise your arms (which is frequently), some of these dingleberries fall off. I think I spent about half of my last class brushing deodorant crumbs away from my pants and my yoga mat. On the plus side, it did make the class go by really fast.
The next bit of advice comes with a warning-it may include Too Much Information. If you're not comfortable reading about my underwear just stop now.
Always always always wear comfortable undies when practicing yoga. I cannot stress this enough. No thongs, no cheeky panties that may crawl. Stick to the basic full coverage panty. In fact, this might be the only situation where granny panties are acceptable. Seriously, if you wear anything that tends to move and shift there is a good chance that the underwear will end up in a place it really isn't supposed to be. You may even be cut in half (hmmm....a plot idea for CSI?)
So, if you start practicing yoga, remember to breathe, calm your mind, and wear comfortable underwear. Now if I could just remember to take my own advice....
The first thing to remember is to throw away the deodorant that has been sitting in your desk drawer for the last six years or so. When deodorant is sitting around for that long, it can't be good. Sure it smells all right, but it tends to crumble after being applied to your armpits. This means that you have deodorant dingleberries under your arms, and that's just not attractive when you're wearing a tank top. Not to mention that every time you raise your arms (which is frequently), some of these dingleberries fall off. I think I spent about half of my last class brushing deodorant crumbs away from my pants and my yoga mat. On the plus side, it did make the class go by really fast.
The next bit of advice comes with a warning-it may include Too Much Information. If you're not comfortable reading about my underwear just stop now.
Always always always wear comfortable undies when practicing yoga. I cannot stress this enough. No thongs, no cheeky panties that may crawl. Stick to the basic full coverage panty. In fact, this might be the only situation where granny panties are acceptable. Seriously, if you wear anything that tends to move and shift there is a good chance that the underwear will end up in a place it really isn't supposed to be. You may even be cut in half (hmmm....a plot idea for CSI?)
So, if you start practicing yoga, remember to breathe, calm your mind, and wear comfortable underwear. Now if I could just remember to take my own advice....
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Everyone Else Is Doing It
So I'm going to too! Yes, I am now on the new version of Blogger. New Blogger means new template, so I'll probably be tinkering around a bit more. I really like the fact that it makes it easy to create lists, and I also like the fact that the time will show when I actually published the post, not when I started it. For some reason, that always bothered me.
Christmas is almost officially over in our household. Mike took down the outside lights yesterday, and I took down most of the inside decorations. My village is staying up since that's really a winter thing, and the tree is still up since I ran out of energy. Christmas always goes by too fast. We went to Milwaukee and as always had a wonderful time. I got to spend some extra time with my family, and we also met Laura's fiancee's (Dave's) parents. They are great people, and it was fun to spend an evening with them. They brought over a game called Mad Gab, which was a hoot. You have to sound out nonsense words and guess what phrase they are. For example, Finned Easel turned out to be Vin Diesel. This would be even more fun if there was alcohol involved. As it was, we did pretty good.
We don't have any plans for New Year's. We usually don't do anything anyways. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing something by not going to a big party or bar celebration, but I'm not too big on getting drunk just because I think I should. That's not to say no celebrating will be going on tonight-if the wind dies down, we'll throw a couple of steaks on the grill. We have a bottle of champagne that may or may not still be good. We also picked up a bottle of Absolut Ruby Red Vodka, which tastes wonderful with cranberry juice. Gotta love Friar Tuck and the Saturday afternoon tastings!
Whether you're staying in or going out, have a safe and Happy New Year!
Christmas is almost officially over in our household. Mike took down the outside lights yesterday, and I took down most of the inside decorations. My village is staying up since that's really a winter thing, and the tree is still up since I ran out of energy. Christmas always goes by too fast. We went to Milwaukee and as always had a wonderful time. I got to spend some extra time with my family, and we also met Laura's fiancee's (Dave's) parents. They are great people, and it was fun to spend an evening with them. They brought over a game called Mad Gab, which was a hoot. You have to sound out nonsense words and guess what phrase they are. For example, Finned Easel turned out to be Vin Diesel. This would be even more fun if there was alcohol involved. As it was, we did pretty good.
We don't have any plans for New Year's. We usually don't do anything anyways. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing something by not going to a big party or bar celebration, but I'm not too big on getting drunk just because I think I should. That's not to say no celebrating will be going on tonight-if the wind dies down, we'll throw a couple of steaks on the grill. We have a bottle of champagne that may or may not still be good. We also picked up a bottle of Absolut Ruby Red Vodka, which tastes wonderful with cranberry juice. Gotta love Friar Tuck and the Saturday afternoon tastings!
Whether you're staying in or going out, have a safe and Happy New Year!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Buy This CD Now!!
This has got to be the most awesome Christmas CD I've heard in a while. It's fun, upbeat, and it just plain rocks! I've listened to it twice in a row now, and I'm hooked. It doesn't matter what your musical taste is, you will like this! I'll even make it easy for you, click here.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Meet the Cats
As promised, here are the pictures of the girls. As I type this, they're both hanging out on the couch with me.
This is Hershey. She's very affectionate, and actually comes when you call her name. Mike wants to rename her Piggy because she's always at the food dish. She also gets really excited when you change the water dish, she'll jump and try to get at it while you're picking it up.
This is Bootsie. She was very nervous when she first arrived, and is still a little scared of loud noises. She's curled up next to me right now and her tail is on the keyboard, so I'll blame her for any spelling mistakes. She's also very affectionate, and is more of a lap cat than Hershey.
They're both really well adjusted after only a few days. Larry came over tonight, and while Bootise ran away, she came out after a few minutes to say hello, and they've both been out since. It's been interesting so far having two cats. Growing up, we always had cats but only one at a time. They both have distinct personalities, and they get along really well. Right now, you would think that they have always been here. There's always an element of uncertainty when you adopt a new animal, but I think we got lucky. Saturday is their first trip to the vet, so we'll see how that goes. I got a recommendation from a lady at work for a different clinic, so hopefully that will work out.
This is Hershey. She's very affectionate, and actually comes when you call her name. Mike wants to rename her Piggy because she's always at the food dish. She also gets really excited when you change the water dish, she'll jump and try to get at it while you're picking it up.
This is Bootsie. She was very nervous when she first arrived, and is still a little scared of loud noises. She's curled up next to me right now and her tail is on the keyboard, so I'll blame her for any spelling mistakes. She's also very affectionate, and is more of a lap cat than Hershey.They're both really well adjusted after only a few days. Larry came over tonight, and while Bootise ran away, she came out after a few minutes to say hello, and they've both been out since. It's been interesting so far having two cats. Growing up, we always had cats but only one at a time. They both have distinct personalities, and they get along really well. Right now, you would think that they have always been here. There's always an element of uncertainty when you adopt a new animal, but I think we got lucky. Saturday is their first trip to the vet, so we'll see how that goes. I got a recommendation from a lady at work for a different clinic, so hopefully that will work out.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
New Additions to the Family
We finally took the plunge and adopted not one but two cats today. We are now the proud owners of Bootsie, a 3 1/2 year old black and white domestic short hair, and Hershey, a 3 year old grey and white domestic short hair. We weren't originally looking for two (well, Mike wasn't), but these two were already a pair. They both came from the same owner, and the humane society is affiliated with a fund that pays the adoption fee for the second cat. So we thought about it and decided we would be able to handle two cats.
Today was their first day with us. We got to know their meows right away because Hershey cried the whole way home. Once in a while Bootsie would chime in with her thoughts on the matter. When we got home, Bootsie headed for the guest bathroom and stayed there while Hershey explored the rest of the house. Bootsie eventually made it to our bedroom, where she spent most of her time under the bed. When she did come out, she would kind of slink around the room like she was still nervous. It's only been in the last couple of hours that she's been out of the bedroom and hanging around with us. Hershey, on the other hand, is not as nervous. She is pretty vocal, and I swear she comes when you call her name. She was adopted from the humane society when she was a kitten, then brought back, so she's familiar with the drill. But she's not going back again :)
They are both sweet and affectionate cats, and it has been such fun watching them explore. I will definitely have some pictures up shortly.
Today was their first day with us. We got to know their meows right away because Hershey cried the whole way home. Once in a while Bootsie would chime in with her thoughts on the matter. When we got home, Bootsie headed for the guest bathroom and stayed there while Hershey explored the rest of the house. Bootsie eventually made it to our bedroom, where she spent most of her time under the bed. When she did come out, she would kind of slink around the room like she was still nervous. It's only been in the last couple of hours that she's been out of the bedroom and hanging around with us. Hershey, on the other hand, is not as nervous. She is pretty vocal, and I swear she comes when you call her name. She was adopted from the humane society when she was a kitten, then brought back, so she's familiar with the drill. But she's not going back again :)
They are both sweet and affectionate cats, and it has been such fun watching them explore. I will definitely have some pictures up shortly.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
My Drinking Personality
Yeah, this totally fits!
| You Are a Strawberry Daiquiri |
 You're a fun, playful drinker who loves to party. You may get totally wasted, but you're always a happy drunk! |
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Oh Deer Me
Well, this morning I decided to talk about how the world couldn't be all that bad since O.J.'s book and interview about how he would have killed his wife got yanked. Thankfully News Corp, which owns Fox Broadcasting and Harper Collins, realized just how tacky this whole thing was. Or how tacky all of the sponsors who probably would have yanked ad money thought it was. Either way, done deal except for bootleg copies on YouTube and eBay.
No, instead on my way to work this morning I tuned in to the Bob and Tom show, and caught them discussing a story about a man who was arrested for having sexual relations with a deer carcass. They were serious, here's the story. All thoughts of how the world maybe wasn't so bad after all flew out of my head. Not just a deer, but a carcass.....that had been laying in the ditch.........His lawyer was trying to argue that since the definition of an animal included the word "living" that the carcass was not an animal and therefore no crime had been committed. That may be the case, but that's just sick.
No, instead on my way to work this morning I tuned in to the Bob and Tom show, and caught them discussing a story about a man who was arrested for having sexual relations with a deer carcass. They were serious, here's the story. All thoughts of how the world maybe wasn't so bad after all flew out of my head. Not just a deer, but a carcass.....that had been laying in the ditch.........His lawyer was trying to argue that since the definition of an animal included the word "living" that the carcass was not an animal and therefore no crime had been committed. That may be the case, but that's just sick.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Ridin' The Rails
This weekend I went on an adventure. Mike had to be in Milwaukee on business on Thursday, and I was going to go with him so I could see my family. The problem was I couldn't get off work on Thursday, only on Friday. So Mike went up on Thursday and I went on Friday to meet him. Instead of driving, I took the train.
It's been many years since I was on Amtrak, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. When I got to the station in Champaign, I was surprised by how many people were already there, and by how many people showed up afterwards. Then I took a good look at the crowd and figured it out. Many of the riders were college students, presumably going home for the weekend. With the fare being relatively inexpensive, this would be a good option, especially if the students don't have a car on campus.
The train to Chicago started out in Carbondale, so there were already quite a few people on the train. I was lucky to get a window seat (I love looking out the window!), and my seat mate ended up being one of the many college students. She had a laptop with her and watched Memento during the ride. That's such a good movie, and it was really hard not to shoulder surf (although I couldn't hear anything). I had plenty to keep me busy anyway, I brought my iPod, a book, and a book of crossword puzzles. Amtrak's policy towards food is bring whatever you want, so I also brought some snacks and a soda. I would hate to get stranded on a train without chips!
The train started rolling, slowly, slowly, and then stopped. We were barely up to the north end of town. We then sat and waited, and waited some more. Finally after ten minutes they announced that we were pulled over to a siding to wait for a freight train. It ended up being a half hour wait until we could go, then we had to back up practically to the station to get on the main track. Once again, here we go!
We had to pull over again later on to let the southbound Amtrak pass. All told, we were delayed for an hour. Good thing I had a two hour layover in Chicago! They kept thanking us for our patience. As if we were going to get off the train? Definitely a good thing I brought snacks....
So we rolled into Union Station and my first priority was to find where I caught the train to Milwaukee. I won't elaborate on my second priority but it involved standing in a long line. After that, I stopped at one of the restaurants and grabbed a bite to eat. There was also a bar in the station, and just in case you didn't want to stop at the bar you could stop at the little beer wagon and buy a can of Miller Lite or something. Gotta love the train!
The trip to Milwaukee was much shorter (and also full), and we got into the station just about on time. I got off the train and walked out into a monsoon. The wind was blowing, it was sleeting, and there was thunder and lightning. Mike's parents were there to pick me up, and they pulled up just as I walked out of the station. Talk about great timing!
All in all, it took 6 1/2 hours (including layover) to get to Milwaukee from Champaign by train. Considering it takes about 4 hours by car, yes, it was a longer way, but it was also fairly convenient. I didn't have to worry about driving, and the fare wasn't much more than a tank of gas. It's nice to know that we have this option if we want it.
It's been many years since I was on Amtrak, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. When I got to the station in Champaign, I was surprised by how many people were already there, and by how many people showed up afterwards. Then I took a good look at the crowd and figured it out. Many of the riders were college students, presumably going home for the weekend. With the fare being relatively inexpensive, this would be a good option, especially if the students don't have a car on campus.
The train to Chicago started out in Carbondale, so there were already quite a few people on the train. I was lucky to get a window seat (I love looking out the window!), and my seat mate ended up being one of the many college students. She had a laptop with her and watched Memento during the ride. That's such a good movie, and it was really hard not to shoulder surf (although I couldn't hear anything). I had plenty to keep me busy anyway, I brought my iPod, a book, and a book of crossword puzzles. Amtrak's policy towards food is bring whatever you want, so I also brought some snacks and a soda. I would hate to get stranded on a train without chips!
The train started rolling, slowly, slowly, and then stopped. We were barely up to the north end of town. We then sat and waited, and waited some more. Finally after ten minutes they announced that we were pulled over to a siding to wait for a freight train. It ended up being a half hour wait until we could go, then we had to back up practically to the station to get on the main track. Once again, here we go!
We had to pull over again later on to let the southbound Amtrak pass. All told, we were delayed for an hour. Good thing I had a two hour layover in Chicago! They kept thanking us for our patience. As if we were going to get off the train? Definitely a good thing I brought snacks....
So we rolled into Union Station and my first priority was to find where I caught the train to Milwaukee. I won't elaborate on my second priority but it involved standing in a long line. After that, I stopped at one of the restaurants and grabbed a bite to eat. There was also a bar in the station, and just in case you didn't want to stop at the bar you could stop at the little beer wagon and buy a can of Miller Lite or something. Gotta love the train!
The trip to Milwaukee was much shorter (and also full), and we got into the station just about on time. I got off the train and walked out into a monsoon. The wind was blowing, it was sleeting, and there was thunder and lightning. Mike's parents were there to pick me up, and they pulled up just as I walked out of the station. Talk about great timing!
All in all, it took 6 1/2 hours (including layover) to get to Milwaukee from Champaign by train. Considering it takes about 4 hours by car, yes, it was a longer way, but it was also fairly convenient. I didn't have to worry about driving, and the fare wasn't much more than a tank of gas. It's nice to know that we have this option if we want it.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Winds of Change
Ahh.....the morning after an election. There's something new and fresh in the air, can you feel it? The sun is shining (or would be in Champaign if it wasn't foggy), birds are singing, people are smiling and happy. What can this possibly be? Does this signal a shift in the political climate? Are the politicians actually going to follow through on their promises and lower taxes, clean out corruption in the government, fix our schools, and give us health care?
What, are you kidding? No, I'm talking about our airwaves. They are now free and clear of muckracking, name calling, and unflattering pictures taken with someone's mouth open. Yes folks, the campaign ads are over. Some of us remember a time when campaign ads were a good thing. They were the equivalent of the whistle stop campaign-they allowed you to get a look at the candidate and hear what he or she thinks is the reason they are qualified to hold office. Now, it's turned into an ugly mess of he said she said, and you get no real sense of who the candidate is as a person and potential leader. Both sides are equally good at this, so you can't blame just one party.
I know I'm not the only one to complain about these ads. Surely there must be research somewhere that shows that the public does not respond well to this kind of advertising. Or maybe I'm wrong, and people don't let this influence their vote (or lack of).
All I know for sure is, my television is now free of name-calling politicians. I can go back to watching a barrage of male-enhancement commercials. Smilin' Bob, how I missed you.
What, are you kidding? No, I'm talking about our airwaves. They are now free and clear of muckracking, name calling, and unflattering pictures taken with someone's mouth open. Yes folks, the campaign ads are over. Some of us remember a time when campaign ads were a good thing. They were the equivalent of the whistle stop campaign-they allowed you to get a look at the candidate and hear what he or she thinks is the reason they are qualified to hold office. Now, it's turned into an ugly mess of he said she said, and you get no real sense of who the candidate is as a person and potential leader. Both sides are equally good at this, so you can't blame just one party.
I know I'm not the only one to complain about these ads. Surely there must be research somewhere that shows that the public does not respond well to this kind of advertising. Or maybe I'm wrong, and people don't let this influence their vote (or lack of).
All I know for sure is, my television is now free of name-calling politicians. I can go back to watching a barrage of male-enhancement commercials. Smilin' Bob, how I missed you.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Kickboxing is Fun!
A friend of mine at work, Jennifer, is a member of a local gym, and they had a "bring a friend" day the other day. She and Leanne, another coworker, go to a kickboxing class, and both of them had been saying how much they enjoyed it. So, when she invited me, I had to take her up on it. What could be more fun than kicking and punching things? Especially on Thursday, when I had a really stressful day at work.
The lady who was teaching the class was the regular teacher. Both Jennifer and Leanne said that when they first started, they thought she was really tough and mean, but they had grown to like her. The teacher was not what I expected. Instead of some skinny, muscular, workout princess, she looked like a regular person. She was a little chunky, but very muscular. She also wasn't dressed in fancy workout clothes, just a t-shirt and sweats. That made me feel a lot more comfortable.
In the yoga class I take, the instructor starts out by chatting a little bit before getting started. Not this lady. Instead, it was turn on the music and let's go!!!! I wasn't familiar with a lot of the moves, but I tried to keep up and when I wasn't sure, I would either move a little bit or just stop and watch. My main goal was to not hit anyone. The class lasted for an hour, and after a while I allowed myself a peak at the clock. I thought for sure it was about halfway through. No such luck! 15 minutes in and I was drenched with sweat. And if that wasn't enough, time for Turbo! Which is instructor speak for "the next three minutes are even higher intensity and a living hell". Actually, I didn't mind the turbo so much, since I couldn't really keep up. The best thing was after turbo you got a short break-enough time to towel off and gulp down some water.
At that point, I didn't think I could make it anymore, but I had to tough it out. I couldn't be a wimp in front of my friends. So more lunges, jabs, cuts, bob and weaves, and two more turbos. After that, we did some stretches to cool down, which I was more comfortable with since they were very similar to yoga stretches. Even so, by the time I was done I was DONE. I think a couple gallons of sweat left my body that night. During our breaks, Jennifer and Leanne kept asking me if I liked it, and I honestly couldn't answer.
When I got home, I was a serious couch potato. I fully expected to be sore the next morning, which I was, but not to the extent I thought I would be. They also warned me that it would take two days. I gotta admit, it was really hard to get out of bed this morning, but as the day has gone on I feel a lot better. They asked me again today if I liked the class, and after evaluating it I really did. If I end up joining the gym, I think I will make it a habit to attend that class.
Next up, bellydancing! That's on Wednesday, with the lady who teaches my yoga class. I'm really looking forward to that!
The lady who was teaching the class was the regular teacher. Both Jennifer and Leanne said that when they first started, they thought she was really tough and mean, but they had grown to like her. The teacher was not what I expected. Instead of some skinny, muscular, workout princess, she looked like a regular person. She was a little chunky, but very muscular. She also wasn't dressed in fancy workout clothes, just a t-shirt and sweats. That made me feel a lot more comfortable.
In the yoga class I take, the instructor starts out by chatting a little bit before getting started. Not this lady. Instead, it was turn on the music and let's go!!!! I wasn't familiar with a lot of the moves, but I tried to keep up and when I wasn't sure, I would either move a little bit or just stop and watch. My main goal was to not hit anyone. The class lasted for an hour, and after a while I allowed myself a peak at the clock. I thought for sure it was about halfway through. No such luck! 15 minutes in and I was drenched with sweat. And if that wasn't enough, time for Turbo! Which is instructor speak for "the next three minutes are even higher intensity and a living hell". Actually, I didn't mind the turbo so much, since I couldn't really keep up. The best thing was after turbo you got a short break-enough time to towel off and gulp down some water.
At that point, I didn't think I could make it anymore, but I had to tough it out. I couldn't be a wimp in front of my friends. So more lunges, jabs, cuts, bob and weaves, and two more turbos. After that, we did some stretches to cool down, which I was more comfortable with since they were very similar to yoga stretches. Even so, by the time I was done I was DONE. I think a couple gallons of sweat left my body that night. During our breaks, Jennifer and Leanne kept asking me if I liked it, and I honestly couldn't answer.
When I got home, I was a serious couch potato. I fully expected to be sore the next morning, which I was, but not to the extent I thought I would be. They also warned me that it would take two days. I gotta admit, it was really hard to get out of bed this morning, but as the day has gone on I feel a lot better. They asked me again today if I liked the class, and after evaluating it I really did. If I end up joining the gym, I think I will make it a habit to attend that class.
Next up, bellydancing! That's on Wednesday, with the lady who teaches my yoga class. I'm really looking forward to that!
Monday, October 23, 2006
Wrinkle Free
I'm glad I was born in modern times. By modern times, I mean the times when women do not stay home and do housework. You've seen the cute little plaques and cross-stitches with the chores list-"wash on Wednesday", etc. Most of those chores aren't so bad. And some days staying home and doing housework doesn't sound so bad either. No, I'm talking about a specific chore on that list, and that chore is ironing. I really hate ironing. Just in case I'm not being clear enough, let me repeat-I hate ironing.
Most of my clothes that need ironing get worn infrequently. They get worn, they get washed, and then they get shoved into the back of the closet until I am either out of clothes or I can sweet talk Mike into ironing for me. The problem is there's always that piece of clothing that I really like, and gets wrinkled really easily. Then I eventually break down and drag out the iron. Of course, I try to rationalize it first-"why bother ironing, it's going to wrinkle as soon as I put it on anyway?" Sometimes I can get away with it, but not always.
The problem with my ironing is that it doesn't look much better after I'm done. When Mike irons my shirts, they stand up and walk back to the closet and hang themselves back up. When I iron my shirts, they kind of slouch back into the closet, yawn, and take a nap. Plus I never seem to be able to keep them on the ironing board-they tend to slide away just when I have them turned the right way. I may have to get a staple gun to solve that problem.
We've made great strides with wrinkle free pants, now the laundry geniuses need to come up with wrinkle free blouses. Or better yet, a home version of a laundy press like they have at the dry cleaners. Until then, there are some shirts I won't be wearing a whole lot.
Most of my clothes that need ironing get worn infrequently. They get worn, they get washed, and then they get shoved into the back of the closet until I am either out of clothes or I can sweet talk Mike into ironing for me. The problem is there's always that piece of clothing that I really like, and gets wrinkled really easily. Then I eventually break down and drag out the iron. Of course, I try to rationalize it first-"why bother ironing, it's going to wrinkle as soon as I put it on anyway?" Sometimes I can get away with it, but not always.
The problem with my ironing is that it doesn't look much better after I'm done. When Mike irons my shirts, they stand up and walk back to the closet and hang themselves back up. When I iron my shirts, they kind of slouch back into the closet, yawn, and take a nap. Plus I never seem to be able to keep them on the ironing board-they tend to slide away just when I have them turned the right way. I may have to get a staple gun to solve that problem.
We've made great strides with wrinkle free pants, now the laundry geniuses need to come up with wrinkle free blouses. Or better yet, a home version of a laundy press like they have at the dry cleaners. Until then, there are some shirts I won't be wearing a whole lot.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Dude, Pass the Doritos
Am I the only the one that's confused by this story? I thought pot was supposed to kill brain cells and cause memory loss, now they're saying it might actually prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease. What next, are they going to say that drinking alcohol will actually help your liver in the long run? Eating McDonald's will help you lose weight? Eating chocolate is good for your heart? (Oh wait, that one's true.)
I can already picture the nursing homes of the future, and what festive places they will be. Instead of folks dozing into their applesauce while watching Price is Right and Jeopardy, the residents will be laughing and giggling, munching chips and brownies while watching Comedy Central. The term "old person smell" will take on a whole new meaning. And forget the stereotype of the person forgotten in the nursing home, I bet the relatives will start visiting with the hopes of catching a contact buzz.
Oh, what the future will bring!
I can already picture the nursing homes of the future, and what festive places they will be. Instead of folks dozing into their applesauce while watching Price is Right and Jeopardy, the residents will be laughing and giggling, munching chips and brownies while watching Comedy Central. The term "old person smell" will take on a whole new meaning. And forget the stereotype of the person forgotten in the nursing home, I bet the relatives will start visiting with the hopes of catching a contact buzz.
Oh, what the future will bring!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Urbana Doesn't Completely Suck
In keeping with our summer of doing things in the area we hadn't done before, yesterday afternoon Mike and I went to the International Beer and Chili Festival in downtown Urbana. It was advertised as having over 140 beers to taste, as well as a chili contest. When we got downtown, we noticed a HUGE line of folks waiting to get in. The festival opened at 3, and this was a few minutes afterward, but still......the first 500 folks to get in free received a special glass for the beer tasting, and there were a lot more than that by the looks of the line.
After driving around a bit we found a parking spot and headed to the end of the line. There were actually two lines around the block to get in, and they almost met each other. We saw Kanno and Becca, and for some reason didn't skip in with them. Oh wait, that's called common courtesty not to skip a line. Unfortunately, a group ahead of us didn't know that and we watched two people turn into twelve.
The line really didn't take too long, so we finally got in around 20 minutes later. We paid our 5 bucks and received our "over 21" bracelets, so on to the drinking. In order to taste the beer, you purchase tickets worth fifty cents. Most of the tables (there were 35 in all) were one ticket, and five or six required two tickets. We each got $10 worth of tickets-that's some serious tasting!
I figured out later we each tried 15 different beers. You got a sample cup at each table that was filled with 2 1/2-3 ounces (depending on the pourer). We also made sure to get different samples so we could share. These were all beers from smaller breweries located in the US and various other countries. None of that Miller or Bud stuff here! I discovered that I really like wheat beer, and I think my favorite was Boulder Sweaty Betty Blonde Wheat from Boulder, CO. Mike thinks his favorite was Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA from Illinois.
At some point we took a break from the beer and decided to try the chili. A lot of places had already packed up and left, as they were out of chili. One of the stands had a long line, so we figured that must be a good one and got in that line. The chili was also one ticket and you got a small sample cup for that. When we got to the front of the line, it turned out they only had two bowls left. YES! We rule, we got the last of the chili! I'm glad we did too, because it was really good. They posted the ingredient list, and it contained (amongst other things) maple sausage and brown sugar, which gave it a really sweet taste.
Back in for more beer. We kept running into Kanno and Becca, as well as Darcy, Grady, and Kristina. We were able to compare notes, and were advised to skip a certain table as the pourers were drunk. Gotta love volunteering at the beer festival!
Near the end, we decided to use some of our tickets for more food. Mike got some curly fries, and I got a larger bowl of chili. After the other stuff, it really wasn't that good. As we were standing outside eating, we were approached by a reporter from a local TV station. She wanted to know if she could interview one or both of us. I said sure, what the heck, why not? She made the comment that she was constantly turning down the drunk college kids who wanted to be interviewed. Guess she picked us because we weren't college kids (which was about 90 percent of the crowd). I don't think I realized how buzzed I was, because in the "interview" I rambled on about how great all the beer was. Afterwards, we tried to find the rest of the group so I could brag about how famous I was, but we couldn't find them. So on to the Esquire to get some real food (and more beer), where I ran into an annoying ex-coworker. She told us about her recent trip to Alaska, which I have to admit sounded really cool (no pun intended).
We then went home to watch my television debut. When the story finally came on, I was very nervous to see how it would turn out. Turns out I had nothing to worry about, because my stunning discourse on all the wonderful beer ended up on the cutting room floor. I think I'm relieved, because I'm not sure I really wanted to be on TV.
So there is a good festival in Urbana. Why haven't we been to this before? I don't know, but we are definitely there next year. And we are getting there much earlier-I want a souvenir glass.
After driving around a bit we found a parking spot and headed to the end of the line. There were actually two lines around the block to get in, and they almost met each other. We saw Kanno and Becca, and for some reason didn't skip in with them. Oh wait, that's called common courtesty not to skip a line. Unfortunately, a group ahead of us didn't know that and we watched two people turn into twelve.
The line really didn't take too long, so we finally got in around 20 minutes later. We paid our 5 bucks and received our "over 21" bracelets, so on to the drinking. In order to taste the beer, you purchase tickets worth fifty cents. Most of the tables (there were 35 in all) were one ticket, and five or six required two tickets. We each got $10 worth of tickets-that's some serious tasting!
I figured out later we each tried 15 different beers. You got a sample cup at each table that was filled with 2 1/2-3 ounces (depending on the pourer). We also made sure to get different samples so we could share. These were all beers from smaller breweries located in the US and various other countries. None of that Miller or Bud stuff here! I discovered that I really like wheat beer, and I think my favorite was Boulder Sweaty Betty Blonde Wheat from Boulder, CO. Mike thinks his favorite was Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA from Illinois.
At some point we took a break from the beer and decided to try the chili. A lot of places had already packed up and left, as they were out of chili. One of the stands had a long line, so we figured that must be a good one and got in that line. The chili was also one ticket and you got a small sample cup for that. When we got to the front of the line, it turned out they only had two bowls left. YES! We rule, we got the last of the chili! I'm glad we did too, because it was really good. They posted the ingredient list, and it contained (amongst other things) maple sausage and brown sugar, which gave it a really sweet taste.
Back in for more beer. We kept running into Kanno and Becca, as well as Darcy, Grady, and Kristina. We were able to compare notes, and were advised to skip a certain table as the pourers were drunk. Gotta love volunteering at the beer festival!
Near the end, we decided to use some of our tickets for more food. Mike got some curly fries, and I got a larger bowl of chili. After the other stuff, it really wasn't that good. As we were standing outside eating, we were approached by a reporter from a local TV station. She wanted to know if she could interview one or both of us. I said sure, what the heck, why not? She made the comment that she was constantly turning down the drunk college kids who wanted to be interviewed. Guess she picked us because we weren't college kids (which was about 90 percent of the crowd). I don't think I realized how buzzed I was, because in the "interview" I rambled on about how great all the beer was. Afterwards, we tried to find the rest of the group so I could brag about how famous I was, but we couldn't find them. So on to the Esquire to get some real food (and more beer), where I ran into an annoying ex-coworker. She told us about her recent trip to Alaska, which I have to admit sounded really cool (no pun intended).
We then went home to watch my television debut. When the story finally came on, I was very nervous to see how it would turn out. Turns out I had nothing to worry about, because my stunning discourse on all the wonderful beer ended up on the cutting room floor. I think I'm relieved, because I'm not sure I really wanted to be on TV.
So there is a good festival in Urbana. Why haven't we been to this before? I don't know, but we are definitely there next year. And we are getting there much earlier-I want a souvenir glass.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Goin' to the Windy City
Or Rainy City today, as the case may be. Mike and I are headed off to a much needed long weekend in Chicago.
I especially need it after yesterday's news. I think it will be fine, it's just a little hard to get used to the name change. But we've done it before, we'll do it again.
I especially need it after yesterday's news. I think it will be fine, it's just a little hard to get used to the name change. But we've done it before, we'll do it again.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Another Colts Victory
The Indy Colts won again today, 43-24 over the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see too much of the scorefest. We were at the Third Sunday market in Bloomington this morning, and we didn't get back until halftime. I saw a few minutes of the third quarter, and the Colts scored right away, bringing the score to 27-3. The powers that be at the network then decided that it was too much of a blowout so they switched to another game where the score was 3-0. Yeah, that was much more exciting.........so we watched the Bears instead (hey you have to take what you can get). Mike was very excited that the Saints beat the Packers. Of course, given the way that the Packers have been playing, I'm not sure it counts. But a win's a win, take it how you get it.
We didn't find anything at Third Sunday. For those of you who have never been, it's basically a giant flea market type of place with lots of crafts and antiques. Most of the stuff is not in my taste, but every once in a while you see something nice. I saw a couple of nice pieces of furniture, but didn't have the extra $500-$1000 dollars to spend on it. I did see one of the drivers from Brinks who said "hey, you're the bank lady!". Yep, that's me. The bank lady. However, I prefer my other title, the ATM queen.
We've got storms in our area, which is good because I won't have to water my flowers. I've got a couple of window box and a couple of containers, and a couple of weeks ago I planted some mums. But the mums aren't doing so well, and the rabbits aren't helping any by chewing them up. I was going to post some pictures of the containers but I'm having technical difficulties, so maybe some other time.
We didn't find anything at Third Sunday. For those of you who have never been, it's basically a giant flea market type of place with lots of crafts and antiques. Most of the stuff is not in my taste, but every once in a while you see something nice. I saw a couple of nice pieces of furniture, but didn't have the extra $500-$1000 dollars to spend on it. I did see one of the drivers from Brinks who said "hey, you're the bank lady!". Yep, that's me. The bank lady. However, I prefer my other title, the ATM queen.
We've got storms in our area, which is good because I won't have to water my flowers. I've got a couple of window box and a couple of containers, and a couple of weeks ago I planted some mums. But the mums aren't doing so well, and the rabbits aren't helping any by chewing them up. I was going to post some pictures of the containers but I'm having technical difficulties, so maybe some other time.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Thursday, August 31, 2006
New Addition
I've now got links to different bands/artists I like. This is in no way a comprehensive list, but I figure it's a good start. There's also bands that I like that are no longer together, which makes it difficult. I'll keep adding as I think of more, of course I'm drawing a total blank while I'm doing this. They're also not in any particular order, except for the top three.
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