Good and Bad

Sorry for the unexpected blog break. I have a feeling that as long as I work at the Capitol springtime blogging is going to be rare. Session is over. I survived another year, and this one was a crazy one. 12 of my bills passed, so that’s pretty exciting. It was a good session. The good news is I’m back.

Bad news is I’d been having some pretty bad heel pain. Went to the doctor and he told me I had a heel spur that would need to be surgically removed. I had than done today. I’m going to need crutches for the next 10 days, a real sexy black moon boot for at least 3 weeks, and the potential for limited daily activities for 3-6 weeks. Yuck!

But the garden is pretty much in and doing pretty good. The family is good. And I’m looking forward to a great interim this year. Regular updating will resume shortly. I have lots if updates for you.

 

Disappointment

Well, who would have thought that we would have a huge winter storm moving through on the last weekend in March.  For goodness sake, last weekend we worked in the garden, slept with the windows open, and simply enjoyed the beautiful spring weather.  This weekend, my race is cancelled, my trip to Kansas City is cancelled, my opportunity to eat and shop in a real city is cancelled.  Damn snow. 

I know other parts of the state have had some winter weather, but here in Jefferson City, we’ve mainly just had to deal with the cold.  I got snow boots and pants for Gaby that still have their tags on them!  I guess one good thing about the storm is that Gaby might actually get to play in the snow this year.  However, in all reality, I am not a fan of winter.  Bring back my spring. 

So, I am very disappointed that I will not get to spend the weekend with my sisters.  Although, this is probably for the best.  I would have stayed up too late, ate too much, drank too much, and spent too much money.  This week and next are very busy weeks at work with very late nights, so a couple days at home will do me good.

 

Unplugged

So, I pretty much spent last week unplugged; therefore, no blog update.  I took some decent pictures, but since I was off work I didn’t have the motivation to sit behind the computer and edit pictures.  (Plus I think our monitor has blown a color tube, and I can’t tell which colors are which.  The computer is almost 10 years old and won’t die, but we’ve gone through two monitors now.) 

I cleaned house, cooked real food, played with Gaby, and worked in the garden.  It was a great and well-needed week off work.  Now the craziness at work ensues.  The final eight weeks of session will be grueling, starting with this week.  I just have to remember that the prize is time off this summer.  Eyes on the prize, Ang.  Eyes on the prize.

 

Oh My,

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted here.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had much time for recreational computer use, evidence by the 1000+ new posts on Google Reader.  One great thing about working for the state legislature is that I get spring break again.  In previous years, I’ve only taken a few days off.  This year, I’m taking off all next week!  I’m sending Gaby to the babysitter for two days so I can get some serious spring cleaning done.  I’m actually looking forward to this.  So, look for some updates as to what we’ve been up to lately.

 

It Was Just Like Spring

The weather this weekend was just like spring.  Winter is my least favorite time of year.  I never get the full on seasonal affective disorder business; however, after about three weeks of winter, I’m done.  I’m sick of the cold.  I’m sick of the dormant plants and trees.  And although the majority of my wardrobe is gray, I’m sick of gray.  So, when the weather hit the 60s and 70s this weekend, we made the most of it. 

Pardon the pale feet, but I had to break out the flip flops.  We grilled dinner outside for my parents and Missy on Friday night,  kept the windows open all day, and spent a lot of time swinging and sliding.  Come on spring!  The Green’s are ready for you! 

 

Girls’ Weekend

I took this shot driving into St. Louis last weekend.  Mom, Jessie, Missy, and I drove up there for our girls’ weekend.  We had a lot of fun.  First on the agenda was looking at wedding and bridesmaid dresses for Missy.  This was a fun and mostly successful trip. 

Then we did some shopping at the Frontenac Plaza.  I could have really done some damage at Sur la Table and Williams Sonoma; however, I practiced some restraint and only picked up items we needed.  (Oh, and a cookbook I’ve been eyeing for months.)  We then had to book it to check into the hotel, make our dinner reservations, and make the play. 

We ate dinner at a fusion tapas restaurant called Mosaic.  It was so good.  I described it to Mitch as a meal made up with Quick Fire Challenges from Top Chef.  It was fabulous chick food, and the sangria was yummy too. 

Please excuse the out of focus picture, we were almost running to get into the theatre with time to use the ladies room.  The play was good.  We saw Legally Blond this year.  I think we all agreed, it was good and very, very pink.  However, it was no Wicked. 

We found this place for breakfast called Rooster.  The food was outstanding.  I ordered a crepe filled with German-style sausage, cooked apples, and white cheddar cheese.  It was a little spicy and had a great sweet/salty combination.  So good.  I tried to get some food pictures, but again I was having some camera issues. 

Then we walked off (at least that’s what we told ourselves) our breakfast walking to the Arch.  I can’t wait for Gaby to be old enough to go with us on our girls’ weekends.  This was so much fun!  I can’t wait for the next one.

 

Conversations with a Two-Year-Old

Gab: Hey, Mommy!

Me: Yes?

Gab: Missy comin’ over.

Me: Really, Missy’s coming over? That’s right, she might come over on Friday.

Gab: She bringin’ domamoes. (I guess dominoes is a mouth-full for my two-year-old.)

Me: OK, maybe she’ll bring her dominoes.

Gab: Missy kind of gorgeous. 

Me: Missy’s kind of gorgeous?

Gab: Yes, Missy kind of gorgeous. 

Cue uncontrolled laughter from Mitch and I, a hug for Gaby, and a call to Missy to fill her in on Gaby’s plan for the weekend.  With Missy moving to Oklahoma, we will definitely have to plan a trip in June when session is over and she’s settled in her new place. 

 

Girls’ Weekend

St. Louis, here we come! Mom, Jess, Missy, and I leave in the morning for a short weekend trip to the Fox Theater for a play and wedding dress shopping for Missy. I think Mitch is looking forward to some time with his little girl. This should be a fun weekend! I’ll take lots of pictures.

 

Random

Sorry, that’s the best title I’ve got in me due to the nature of this post.  First, I’ve finished a painting I’ve been working on for a guy Mitch works with.  This is the same MU fan who asked for the logo.  He wanted some tiger eyes, on a canvas, to hang in the bar area of his home.  So, this is what I painted on a 48×24 canvas. 

I think it turned out pretty good.  The photo isn’t the best because it was taken with my phone, but you get the idea.  Now, my plan is to paint some artwork to put up in our house.  I think we need more than just photos on the walls. 

Other news:

After a lot of thought and discussion, Mitch is changing jobs.  He was no longer happy with his job as a loan officer and it was apparent that upward mobility was lacking at the bank.  So, Mitch has decided to go back to work for Metropolitan Insurance with his dad.  This is going to be a bit of a change for us but in the long run will provide our family opportunities that the bank simply wouldn’t offer.  Mitch is excited and ready for a change.  I’m nervous and ready for Mitch to make a change.  What’s nice is that this will likely change the dynamics of our household a bit and take some of the pressure off of me to make the big bucks.  What’s nice is Mitch will be working in a supportive environment with his father who only wants the best for our family–that makes me feel a little better about the decision. 

Also, for those of you who don’t know, my youngest sister Missy got engaged just before Christmas.  She is so excited, and Bryan will be a great addition to our family.  The down side is that she will be moving back to Oklahoma.  I’ve already told Mitch that her move will require Gaby and I take some long weekends over the interim breaks to go see Aunt Missy.  We have our girls weekend coming up this weekend and dress shopping is on the agenda; along with other shopping, dinner at a fusion tapas restaurant, and Legally Blond at the Fox Theater.  The four of us are really looking forward to this time together.

 

We’re Doing It Again

Jessie, Kristina, and I are signing up for another half marathon. This one is March 28th in Olathe, KS. Since I had to walk the last one, I only have room to improve, right? Here’s to more running!

 

I’ve Been Cooking

Mitch and I have had many conversations recently about our household.  We agree that we need to simplify our home.  We eat out too much; which is not only unhealthy, but it also depletes the bank account.  So, one of our efforts has been cooking at home more.  We both love to cook and often we find that what we’ve made tastes better than anything we would have ordered carryout. 

Last weekend I made beef and noodles, with homemade egg noodles.  Here is a picture of the noodles drying.  The mixing, kneading, rolling, and slicing was so relaxing that I had to take a picture of the process. 

 

We also like to try new meals.  So when our Egyptian neighbor moved in, we’ve had the opportunity to share meals.  He has brought over kofta and I’ve made fried chicken with all the sides.  Since the kofta dinner, Mitch has wanted to try his hand at it.  I found a recipe for a pita-type bread (that is easy and very, very good).  Then we both looked for kofta and tahina(sauce) recipes.  Our neighbor did inform Mitch that this was more of a Turkish variety of kofta rather than Egyptian because it uses different spices.  Here are some pictures of the meal.  Now I can’t wait to make this in the summer with fresh vegetables.  Ah, only a few more months. 

 

I Can’t Wait

Those of you who know me well accept my addiction to fondness for fountain Diet Coke. However, when it’s 2 degrees in the morning I get strange looks walking into work with my bucket of soda. Don’t get me wrong I really like coffee too, but I don’t want to try 15 varieties to find one I like and the stuff from the store just doesn’t do it for me flavor-wise. Plus, I know what I like.

Just look at that green and white awning, I think I’m salivating right now.  So, this morning, I ordered two cans of the coffee with chicory because Mitch and I love it.  I think we went through the can I brought back from New Orleans in about 3 weeks, in August, and that was rationing it.  I am craving that dark nutty flavor, and even with shipping it was cheaper than two bags of Starbucks coffee.  Cafe Du Monde regular coffee with chicory, I can’t wait until you get here.

 

Christmas Crafting

Another overdue post.  I made close to half of the gifts we gave to family this year.  This is a feat of which I am proud and hope to improve upon next year.  Since I didn’t start early enough and worked my tail off for an A in the masters class that wrapped up a week before Christmas, I didn’t leave myself much time for my projects.  Starting the Sunday before Christmas, my bedtimes were as follows: 12:30, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:30.  I also took two afternoons off work.  Not to sleep–to craft.  However, I’m really, really happy with the results.  The only picture that isn’t include is my mother-in-law’s gift.  It is a family tree that I am still working on finishing.  I wasn’t happy with pictures I had in my files.  (These pictures aren’t the best.  I so want a DSLR camera.)  So, this is what everyone received:

Chad, the football/basketball coach got a school logo painted on canvas.

My dad the Nebraska football fan, received a Huskers logo painted on canvas.

Mitch’s sister Melissa, received silhouettes of her boys.  Grant’s favorite color is orange, so his background had to be orange.  Blake was wearing a blue shirt in the picture I took of him, so I thought this would be a nice compliment to the orange. 

Jessie received Amy Butler lounge pants in some of the softest purple fabric.  I also got her a book that I loved reading. 

Finally, Missy received kitchen towels and a matching apron.  So cute, I have to make this pattern for myself.  It’s from Amy Butler’s In Stitches. 

 

Christmas Recap

So I’m a little slow getting this out.  I was somewhat unplugged over Christmas and New Year’s, then work got busy with the legislative session starting up, so I’m just now getting around to posting about Christmas.  This was a good year.  By far this has been the most fun Christmas as a parent.  Gaby had so much fun with everything she was give.  Color books are already almost filled up and dress up clothes have been greatly used. 

Between Christmas and New Year’s, Gaby and I spent a few days with Jessie and Missy in Kansas City.  We had a lot of fun.  I got some new fabric I can’t wait to use.  Gaby got to ride in what she thought was Cinderella’s coach.  It was a fun trip.

With school, work, and all the Christmas crafting, I didn’t get Christmas cards out.  I hope to get a card of sorts out in the next couple of weeks.  Here are some of my favorite pictures of the holiday to tide you all over. 

 

To Do:

I have a super busy weekend to get ready for Christmas. Here’s my list in no particular order. 

1. Finish decorating the tree (nope it’s not done yet, blame my class this term)
2. Finish Christmas shopping
3. Dinner Friday night with Mitch’s family (his grandma is down for Christmas)
4. Start handmade Christmas gifts (yes, you read it right–start them)
5. Do some household and Christmas baking
6. Don’t go crazy in the meantime

Wish me luck!

 

A Year Ago This Week…

We had a horrible ice storm. 

Some of the sights were beautiful.

Our backyard, not so beautiful.

We were without power for two days, not bad compared to thousands of other people.  Our trees were severely damaged, to the point that we decided to cut two of the huge maples down in the back yard to make more room for the play set.  All in all we were very lucky.

 

What do you do?

Question: What do you do when your mommy makes you a nice floor pillow with a huge pocket? 

Answer: You collect all your princesses, Barbies, and fairies and then put them to sleep. 

I opened the door to the spare room that has been converted to the playroom and found that Gaby had put all her dolls in the pocket of the pillow I made her.  So sweet.  That’s my girl.  She is getting so big.  The first picture below was taken 10/07 and the second picture was taken 11/08, only 1 year between the two.  She is definitely no longer a baby, she’s a little big girl.  She uses her imagination in the funniest ways and loves anything art related (just like her mommy).  What a joy! 

 

30 When I’m 30 Update

Wow, it has been a long time since my last post.  Work is getting busy again and I started a 9-week class, so my time is again at a premium.  I figured it was time for an update on my 30 When I’m 30 list.  You know, keep myself accountable. 

Here goes: Thirty Things To Do When I’m Thirty

1. Grow a garden without killing everything I did it! 
2. Sew at least 3 items of clothing for myself that are wearable None yet
3. Sew at least 3 items of clothing for Gaby that are wearable None yet
4. Paint more (and I don’t mean our home) I’m working on this one
5. Catch up Gaby’s scrapbook Still behind
6. Give more handmade gifts This one’s going well, check back in after Christmas
7. Run 1/2 marathon Walked it, but done.  On the schedule for next year too 
8. Keep blog updated Clearly this one isn’t going so well
9. Send 3 items off for publication  (poems/stories/articles/etc) Nothing even written yet
10. Make time at least 4 times a week for something creative Does thinking about it count?
11. Read 10 books that aren’t work or school related I’ve got four done
12. Eat out less Small steps here, but we’re going in the right direction
13. Lose at least 15 pounds I’ve put on a couple pounds.  It’s time to get serious about losing weight
14. Organize and keep organized craft area Marginally improved
15. De-clutter house This is planned for Thanksgiving weekend
16. Teach myself to knit I’ve started
17. Make something that isn’t from a pattern by someone else Not yet, I only have some drawings
18. Put family favorite recipes into a book Still organizing them
19. Paint Christmas china I need to get going if I’m going to have it ready to use for Christmas.  Any good ideas where I can get pictures for the 12 Days of Christmas to work off of? 
20. Write business plan Still need to do this one
21. Create Etsy account and sell something Not yet
22. Get more active in the crafting community OK, I’m still lurking around other blogs.  I seriously need to make more comments on others’ blogs and post them in my blogroll
23. Sew another item for a contest After Christmas gifts are done
24. Entertain more We are doing this one.  Most recently, the annual Green Chicken and Dumplings Dinner
25. Try to figure out what I want to do when I grow up Nope
26. Then figure out how to make it happen Again, nope
27. Journal about 1/2 marathon training for writing later Since I failed to train, I’ll have to journal after the first of the year for the 2009 1/2 marathon
28. Keep a daily journal I really need to do this one
29. Take more pictures, not just of Gaby I’ve not been the greatest about this either
30. Realize I can do all of the above if I don’t get in my own way I know I can; I just need to do it

So, as you can see I’ve made some progress.  I just need to keep on myself about this stuff.  I’d like to have everything crossed off next July and a new list to work on.  Wish me luck!

 

A Tradition Begins

We’ve all agreed: same time, same place next year.  The weekend was a blast.  Jessie ran the half-marathon and finished in about 2 1/2 hours, Kristina ran/walked it in about 3 hours, I walked it in 3 1/2 hours, and Katie had to switch to the 5K but finished it in less than 23 minutes!  We all finished our events. 

Kristina and I got into KC around 3:00 Friday afternoon.  We met up with Jessie, ran some errands, picked up our race packets, and then went to Missy’s to make dinner.  I cooked pasta, red sauce, and some chicken for protein.  We also had salad and Jessie’s friend Julie brought some bread.  I love racing if I get to eat a bunch of carbs before hand. 

I am disappointed in myself for not being diligent with my training and that I had to walk the half marathon.  However, I am proud I finished the half (and ran across the finish line), and it only took me an hour longer than Jessie who ran the half.  I am going to really work next year and run the thing.  I was getting passed by people who, although didn’t look as fit, had clearly conditioned themselves better than me.  Talk about having to swallow your pride a little.  Regardless, I finished! 

This made me realize how much I miss the pain and satifaction that come with working out regularly.  I am going to get back into a regular routine.  I was a little envious of Jessie who had really trained for the event.  She was so prepared and educated about the process.  I want that to be me next year, and it will!  She and I will take this picture again next year but hopefully there will be two things different:  I will have finished in a time much closer to hers and Missy will be there with us as a participant not a spectator. 

 

It’s that Time

Well, the half marathon weekend is here.  I’m waiting for my friend Kristina to pick me up and we’re driving to Kansas City.  I’m excited, nervous, and disappointed.  I’m excited for obvious reasons; nervous for obvious reasons (13.1 miles!!!); and disappointed because I didn’t follow through with my training and will be walking the half marathon.  However, this will still be a huge accomplishment and I hope will be motivation to get my butt in gear and really train for next year.  Pictures and details of the race to follow.  Wish me luck!