Iris Took of Great Smials

2012-02-10T21:07:00.001-05:00

You cannot tell from this pic, but there are about 80 ppl in this line waiting for the release of the new twilight. Lol!

Will Ferrell is incredible

2012-02-10T10:58:00.000-05:00

I wonder if he just showed up and ad libbed? He probbably did this for free. So funny. The notebook! Hilarious.

Hi Andrew!

2012-02-08T12:00:00.009-05:00

Every morning before I get out of bed, I check my phone. Perhaps this is a bad habit, but it usually wakes me up. Something fun, something exciting, something irritating. It gets my blood pumping. Yoga may be a better option...

Today, I saw the most exciting email from Twitter.

"Andrew Zimmern is now following you on Twitter."

Jolt! Who? ME? YES! Hi Andrew!! I am a huge fan!!!!! How did you find me? This is a crazy digital world we live in and Andrew Zimmern is following ME! Holy Wow! Thrill of thrills.

Andrew...need a Toledo-based food blogger?? :) I will eat ANYTHING (obviously...based on this blog). The only thing I love more than eating is writing about it (or maybe taking photos of it).

Follow Andrew @andrewzimmern
http://www.andrewzimmern.com
Read Andrew's Blog

Go Giants!

2012-02-05T22:51:00.001-05:00

Go giants!

Inspirational Video

2012-02-04T14:05:00.001-05:00

Check out this video - I saw it on Pinterest this week. This is the song "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis, or, the song that plays every time someone does something incredibly awesome...in slow motion. HA! The video is so ridiculous, the cig on the piano, the dramatic exhale...LOVE IT! Great music, though. That's for sure.

Iris Took on the News

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Weekend Adventure: Ann Arbor

2012-01-31T12:00:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend DT and I adventured up to Ann Arbor where we had a ton of fun. We made several stops.

1) Trader Joe's. I had never been to Trader Joe's and have always heard about it's cheap wine lore, low priced organics, and friendly staff. To my surprise, Trader Joe's was more like an Aldi and less like a Costco. They have good deals there and different foodstuffs than your standard Kroger or Giant Eagle stores. Seaweed snack? Ok. Chicken Andouille sausage. Yes please. Organic White Teas for $2.99 a box. Hooray! Being that is was a Sunday afternoon, it was jam packed and hard to peruse. We did get two full bags (sturdy, bring your own, recycle-type bags of course) of new and exciting groceries for a few bucks shy of $100. Included in that price, we loaded up on wonderfully priced wine and beer. Awesome. The check-out guy could not have been any nicer. Not an ounce nicer. Go Joe's!

2) Flat Top Grill. Shopping at Joe's stirred up an appetite in us, so we had spotted a Flat Top Grill along Washtenaw. There is a Flat Top in Chicago that we used to frequent. Think Mongolian BBQ, and then think...a TON better. It is that same stir-fry concept, but they must grill on a lower heat and for longer (becuase you wait longer), but it is worth it! Everything tastes burnt to me at Mongo, but FTG is the bomb! There are a lot more sauce, vegetable, and meat options. You can add "sticks" to change your bowl to soup, mu shu, get a piee of bread, etc.... It's cool. Trust me.

3) Zingerman's Deli. Zingerman's is world famous so we had to stop there despite just having eaten lunch so we could get sandwiches to go. Let me remind you, DT is a chef and I am in the food/catering business so this was more of a business trip. LOL. We love food :) Zingerman's was abuzz with people. The meat/cheese counter was glorious. Let me tell you. We bought a $15 brick of cheese. Yes. It was worth it. Then I talked with the olive oil gal for a good while. She opened anything I wanted to try and somethings I didn't even want to try. They just take care of you there. I guess that's what you can do when you have $15 blocks of cheese and $60 vials of olive oil.

Next door to the deli is a coffee/confectionery so you can enjoy more food and the Zingerman empire. They had all kinds of delicious sweets there including gelato and little chocolates, a soda fountain, places to sit and work on your iPad or MacBook Pro (I don't think they allow PCs in there).

Those Zingermans are doing something right, let me tell you.

4) Random fish market. I think we were on overload after that, but we stumbled into this cool fish/meat market with a gorgeous case of fresh Amish poulty and Angus beef. It was just fun to look at how Ann Arbor makes use of their spaces. After that we hit the road back to Toledo. Fun little trip.

2012-01-29T10:59:00.001-05:00

Walleye game! Gotta love the masscots...

Declutter your house 101

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

My WW leader turned me onto the Fly Lady. She just slyly mentioned things to do instead of eat, as in, "go FlyLady.com." In my mind I was picturing some big ol fat lady that was also a rapper. :)

Anyway! Fly Lady is no rapper, she is a de-cluttering master. You could be on this site for hours reading about how to de-clutter and organize your home. It's so incredible! The best part? She really breaks it down for you into small tasks and projects that are do-able and measurable so you don't feel overwhelmed and defeated right away.

Ever have that feeling?

Saturday morning, you are all ready to go. You clean, and organize, and clean more, and move sh*t from room to room, take a break to eat lunch, clean the kitchen, take out several garbage bags, all of a sudden it's dark and you have a house full of clutter still. OMG.

I have done this so many times. I just want to do it all in one day. Fly Lady tells us not to expect to de-clutter in one day because your house did not get messy in one day. Genius!!

Check her out and try her tip of the day. Personally, I like the Launch Pad, to help you visualize her master plan. The super fling boogie? 27 things? No problem. Think I'll get started tonight...

We're all doin the Superbowl Shuffle!

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

The New York Giants are going to the Superbowl XLVI in Indianapolis (that's 46 to those of you that don't want to take 10 minutes to figure it out). DT is a big Giants (or G-men) fan and I have been watching along with him for several years.

Immediately after the Giant's win in OT over the 49ers on Sunday night, we looked up tickets to the Superbowl. Cheapest option we could find was around $2,000....for one ticket. Most likely nosebleed seats that would make you dizzy looking at the field, too. No thank you.

I have been searching all week, mostly for fun, because some of the ticket prices go up pretty high. List price for "Street Level Suites" are $587,074.00 each. EACH! OMG. Celebrities and royals and Hugh Jackman-types. Holy crap. I cannot even imagine.

It would be fun to go to the Superbowl and tailgate and not even GO to the game. What an experience!! Either way, we will be rooting for the G-men from the parking lot or from the couch but most definitely not from the baller suite at half a mil a pop. Half time show....Madonna!

GO GIANTS!

Buy your own Superbowl tickets here.

Weight Loss Wednesday

2012-01-25T17:00:00.003-05:00

I missed my meeting! Don't judge me. I judge myself enough already. I am going on Friday. Ugh.

Green Tip of the Month

2012-01-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

We are very earth conscious at work and, therefore, share a green tip at our monthly meetings. This month's tip was offered to help us reduce our water usage.

The recommended time in the shower is 3 minutes. To help you spend the recommended time in the shower, set an egg timer for 3 minutes and then finish up when it rings.

I have a stopwatch feature on my phone so I have been timing myself and here are the results:
Day 1: 3:10
Day 2: 4:05
Day 3: 9:10 (Hair washing! takes so much longer - but I only wash my hair every three days so I feel it evens out)
Day 4: 2:35

I was impressed with myself. I can work on the hair washing days - 9 minutes is long but I have a TON of hair. Seriously.

To assist you in your water conservation efforts, buy a cute egg-timer here.

My amazing friend KZ bought me an egg-timer that I LOVE. He looks like this but yellow.

"Fresh Love" Photography

2012-01-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

Curiosity got the best of me and I just had to look this up. Bob and Tom were discussing this photographer out of Tokyo, Hal, and his method of vacuum sealing his clients for sessions called "Fresh Love." (On his actual site it is called Fresh Love, on this article the journalist calles it "Flesh Love. lol.) Click here for Hal's webite. Please click there. Pretty interesting. I especially like the part about how he begins to negotiate with his subjects to pose.

Yes.

I would encourage you to read this article as I am not going to do it justice because I am simply not this artistic. I can tell you that I would never allow someone to vacuum seal me for a photo - or for any reason - and would not hang a picture of this in my office. I do find it interesting, hence the blog post, but interesting in the deeply disturbing and a bit bothersome interesting. My mind immediately thinks of how you would get out of the seal. Knife? You need an immediate air hole. How do you give the signal? You are wrapped up! Imagine how hot and sweaty it is in there. Ugh. I also loathe the smell of plastic - like new shower curtain smell. Horrific.

I'm sure some people find this sexy. But not me. No sirree. I like a good ole black and white photo in nature. Preferably in the fall when no one is sweaty.

Restaurant Review: Caper's Pizza

2012-01-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Another restaurant adventure led us to Caper's Pizza Bar located on S. Byne/Glanzman. Another locally owned joint recommended to me over and over again (I recommed it to people having never been there!), we checked it out the other night.
The food
Let's cut to the chase. Simply amazing. If you read this blog, you know I love food and struggle with weight/go to WW every week. So therefore it is a reasonable conclusion that I love and appreciate food. Caper's has homemade pizza - dough from scratch, fresh ingredients (Italian rope sausage!), and big ovens that I can only assume are brick. We also tried the anti-pasta skewers for an appetizer and it was not a traditional, instead, it had a nice spin of sundried tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, kalamatta olives, and salami topped with a balsamic glaze. MMMM! Their menu is extensive and I would like to go back and try a sandwich sometime, but only if I have a partner and we can still get pizza.

The service
Good service gets a great tip. Our waitress was a doll - so prompt, so nice, and she really comprehended the line between attentive and obnoxious. She did NOT push wine on me and did not make me feel weird about having a glass of wine and chasing it with a Diet Coke. It's my splurge night. I choose to splurge on pizza, wine and Diet Coke. Sue me.

The atmosphere
I didn't really feel like I was in Italy, and my feet did not touch the floor in the particular booth we sat in, but it was clean, had hard plastic plates, classic big red cups for soda, nice stemware for wine. The pizza come out on one of those pedestals - displaying it's perfect pizza-ness properly. What else can you ask for? There were pieces of art on the wall by a local artist for sale and I also noticed that Caper's is participating in Restaurant Week: Toledo. Pretty cool.

Definitely recommend Caper's!

Product Review: Tofu Noodles

2012-01-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

House Foods Shirataki Tofu Noodles have been made famous by Hungry Girl and I have been reading about them for YEARS. Literally, years, people. I have been curious, but not so curious that I was going to mail away for a package of 15 servings of noodles for $60 (+ shipping) just to have a pool of mushy goo in a pan (Elizabeth Shue reference).
However, while perusing the Fresh Market the other day, I stumbled upon these very noodles! I immediately bought a package of the fettuccine variety and played with the watery, gel-like pacakge the entire rest of the trip in the store, musing about the possibilites. When I got home, I immediately opened them. Yes, Hungry Girl was correct, they do have an earthy smell that is quite unappetizing. So, I remembered the tips: rinse, pat dry, and then disguise them with other foods. Ha ha!

I sauteed them in olive oil, fresh micro-grated garlic, salt, and pepper. Combined with stir-fried mushrooms and broccoli and a pinch of Parmesan cheese, these were a slam dunk! The best part? Zero points plus for a package of these. SAY WHAT? Freakin zero? Ok! YES! I'm not saying I will eat these every night, but maybe every week. (Click here for nutrition stats).

Thanks Hungry Girl and Fresh Market!

Easy, Breezy Dinner

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

DT and I are epicurious people who enjoy dining out at new but also tried and true establishments. Last week, we hit Mac and Tongs located on the corner of Talmadge and Central. If you've never been there, it's old and loungey and not what you would expect from the outside. It comes highly recommended, has an extensive bar, an upscale menu, daily specials, and couches for chairs.

How was the food?
Food was average...overall. They were missing a few items from the menu that were not mentioned until we ordered them. The vegetables were string green beans from a can...a CAN! Gross. Salad was good, dressing was average. The salmon was incredible though, bringing up the average.

How was the service?
Pretty terrible. Our server was new and I can be forgiving, but she pushed wine on me all night (which I hate), didn't know the menu at all, brought out the wrong meal for me and called it "our miscommunication," um, no, and never once apologized. Acted like she did me a favor when she brought out the salmon 15 minutes after my husband had his food. For a meal that cost us about $100 with drinks and an appetizer, not cool. Also, do not say "munchin on that?" Ugh.

How was the atmosphere?
This was the kicker. We sat by the bar and the crowd in this place was quite a bit....mature. DT was not at the table at the moment when a gentleman stood in front of me, back to me, at my head level, and was watching the football game. I was just sitting alone, minding my own business, when this dude RIPPED ONE directly in my face. It was loud. I felt a breeze. It actually smelled.

DT was shocked at my face when he returned to the table. I started explaining to him what had just occurred when across the room another statesman leaned over the davenport to get his overcoat and honked one out. This one was heard by everyone. Our waitress was laughing so hard she had to retreat to the kitchen.

Are...

You...

Serious?

So, overall our trip to Mac and Tongs:
1) Excellent Salmon
2) Noisy Dining Room
3) Overpriced Entertainment we can get at home

Weight Loss Wednesday

2012-01-19T11:33:00.002-05:00

...On Thursday. I lost .2. Yipee. Woo-hoo (see...I'm doing cartwheels).

It's a loss.

I was really good this week and focused on balance. I had wine. I had a cookie. I ate out. I wrote it all down. So, all in all it was a successful week.

My mantra - do not focus solely on the scale....life is about balance......

What?

2012-01-19T11:33:00.001-05:00

What happened? I have not blogged for a week. Ok, putting in an effort now.

Weight Loss Wednesday

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

I don't want to talk about it.

Pass.

I need a break.

Ok - so I went again to WW on Tuesday night and I was up. Again. I know that I am really experiencing some set backs with my hip...not being able to get to the gym, hardly being able to walk some days...but it's no excuse really. It's really a reason to do even better.

So, I think this week was a wake up call. Just because one area of your life is not going well, doesn't mean you can slack in others. So, this is me getting a grip, because if I don't, next thing you know, I will have gained 20 lbs back and I will hate myself for it. Just absolutely hate myself.

My best friend said something to me the other day that made so much sense. I wanted to write it on my wall in permanent marker. She said that in your thirties you embrace your mortality and weight loss really becomes more about fitness and health, not about being thin. "You either get it, or you don't." Wow. So, instead of ruining my living room, I'm writing it here and reading it every day.

You either get it, or you don't.

Only in an office environment

2012-01-10T12:15:00.000-05:00

We have a one bathroom type situation. No stalls. Just one door and one commode (ick). Thank god we have a men's and a women's.

Question (based on real life experiences):
Who is it more awkward for when someone does not lock the ONE door? The person getting walked in on or the person walking in?

You then have to see that person periodically throughout the day. Avoid eye contact and definitely avoid conversation. You have that vision of their surprised face burned into your memory. "Oh....uh...sorry!" You both yell it. It's terrible.

Moral of the story. LOCK THE DOOR.

2012-01-07T22:27:00.001-05:00

Is this guy flippin the bird?

The Movies

2012-01-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

Once of my favorite activities is seeing a movie on the big screen and I have not been to the theater in a while. I prefer to always see an action movie though. Comedies or, ugh, romantic comedies, are not as good to me in theaters and I feel like it's kind of a waste of money unless it's one I have really been wanting to see.

Here are the movies I am looking forward to seeing (especially with the Oscars coming, I want to be in the know):
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (although I really do want to read the book first...I don't care if it's cliche)
Sherlock Holmes
Contraband
The Devil Inside (Let's be honest, I'm too big of a wuss to see this. Even the commerical terrifies me, but it looks really good.)
Mission Impossible
Underworld: Awakening (Although I'm sure it's not getting Oscar buzz, I just like to see Seline kick some ass another time.)
The Grey (Starring Liam Neeson who also kicks ass.)

That should keep me busy for a while. Seen any of these?

2012-01-03T17:33:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!! I hope everyone had fun last night and has enjoyed your first day of the fresh, new year.

We had a total ball last night and, for once in a long time, I didn't have too much fun (read: I'm not so hungover today that I can't function). I went to the gym today and ate normally (read: did not have pizza for lunch and Taco Bell for dinner - standard New Year's Day fare for a hungover me).

While at the gym, I was thinking about my resolution. It snowballed of course and I wound up with many resolutions that were piled up in an overwhelming mountain-form in my mind.

Then it occurred to me that I don't have to get everything done in a month, or even six months. A resolution means to just DECIDE to act, and that I now have a year to formulate new and good habits. I can break it up into monthly goals and check in with myself, like we do at work (eek! type A work self seeping into type B home self!).

My resolutions (in no particular order):
Reach my goal weight
Read more books
Explore higher education options
Organize the house
Paint/redecorate house
Support family and friends
Be where you are
Simplify

The last one I had to throw in there based on what DT always tells me. My to do list is typically huge and he looks at it and goes, "Eh, cross off three things." Just like that. He's right. It needs to be just that easy.

I'll check in with you to let you know how I'm doing mid-year or sooner.

Happy 2012 to everyone! Best to you all!

2011-12-31T11:10:00.001-05:00

2011-12-30T21:16:00.001-05:00

Spike!

I Dare You

2011-12-29T11:06:00.002-05:00

Call this number:

719-266-2837

Pretty funny.

Don't worry (it's safe - not porn, no charges either).

Weight Loss Wednesday

2011-12-28T20:49:00.012-05:00

Crap.
Well, it was no surprise to me that I gained 1.6 this week after my Christmas eating and drinking extravaganza. It's amazing how two days of throwing caution to the wind can cause you so much agony at the scale. You can do a lot of damage in just one day (or maybe a day and a half!). One tiny cookie? No big deal. But when one tiny cookie turns into many cookies, and bottles of wine and cheesy potatoes, I'm screwed.

I just hate that I feel like I have to be perfect or else it's all downhill. The new year will be good for me and I need to really focus on myself and my goal. I need to put all my obligations and other stuff aside if I am really going to get there in 2012. The only thing stopping me now is me...my choices...my mind. I need to get it together and really make the commitment. Every weekend there is a party, every day there will be a late meeting, every night someone will need me on the phone.

I need to make time for myself. There's no reason not to.

Here's to 2012.

People are Crazy - Holiday Edition

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's true, people are crazy, and holidays make it even more intense.
Walgreens, Christmas Eve.

Standing in line for photo pickup. It's pretty crazy in there, everyone is impatient, bustling around. The lady in front of me is distressed. It's not clear if she has been waited on and I don't really feel like waiting even longer, so I ask, politely...
Me: "Have you been helped already?"
Her: "Well, sort of, "panicked, "They gave my photos to someone. Someone has my prints....of my teenage daughter."
Me: "Oh. Well, that's terrible. Are they re-printing them for you?"
Her: "Well, yes, but that doesn't help the fact that some person is walking around with pictures of my baby. He could, you know, post them to Facebook or myspace or something."
Me: thinking, no one uses myspace lady...."Well, hopefully someone like my Mom would find them, realize what happened, and return them. Plus, creepy people don't get pics developed anymore, it's all digital." I don't think that helped. But it's true.
The pics come out. No one is helping me yet. Sigh.
Her: "Oh good. SEE...isn't she gorgeous?" SHOWS me the pictures. They are posed pics of her teenage daughter who, does have quite a rack, and then more posed pics of the two of them. Shows me about 20 pics. Awkward.
Me: "Well those are nice, uh, have a Merry Christmas..."
Her: "Ok, well I just hope she doesn't end up on an online dating profile or something...." and rushes away.

The best part (well for me) was the teenage clerk rolling her eyes behind the counter.

She's not crazy...it was just crazy that she got so engaged with me and showed me all the pics. It was probably my fault...for being nice. I can see how a mother would be worried, but this girl was not showing any skin plus kids are lazy and unless it's for persona gain or about themselves, they just don't care. It would be fine. I hope she listened when I told her that creeps don't get pics developed. It really is all about the web. The manager should have come up and apologized and given her some coupons or something. Gotta love that customer service.

2011-12-24T16:40:00.001-05:00

Another great part of getting married? Instant Christmas gifts.

2011-12-22T22:14:00.001-05:00

Great way to wrap a soft gift. Leave room to fold over, hole punch, tie w ribbon! Tag optional...fun touch.

2011-12-22T21:07:00.001-05:00

Great way to wrap a soft gift. Leave room to fold over, hole punch, tie w ribbon! Tag optional...fun touch.

The Hobbit - An Unexpected Jorney

2011-12-22T12:00:00.002-05:00

This is beyond exciting...like an old friend's return. THE HOBBIT comes to theaters in December 2012! Peter Jackson has thrilled us by making it a two-parter (I would have been happy with another trilogy). No, I will not be sleeping outside, but I may make t-shirts again. YES!

Here is the official blog for the movie, if you are so inclined. I was, of course.

Then I searched IMDB to see what old friends will be returning. I was crushed not to see Viggo Mortensen, John-Ryhs Davies, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd or Dominic Monahan (no Aragorn, Gimli, Merry or Pip?). However, this cannot be the EXACT same film so I am happy to report the return of the amazing Kate Blanchett, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Ian McKellan (Sir), and, thank God, Orlando Bloom. Intersting adds of Martin Freeman, Evangeline Lily, Richard Armitage (aka Captain America), and gang of international well accredited actors who are also signed on for The Hobbit: There and Back Again (2013). PUMPED!

Hey Peter! It's not too late...you can still cast me as a hobbit!! Seriously...Peter...

Here's the trailer, enjoy my prrrreciousssssssssssssssss. Super freaks, look for the shot of Narsil. So exciting!!!!

Weight Loss Wednesday

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

I stayed the same. 0.0. That's good considering that I had tons of parties and events and running around to do.

I'll take it!

Let's see if I can actually lose this week.

Verizon gets an A+ today

2011-12-21T08:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true. Verizon gets an A+ today. Yes, Verizon Wireless the phone company.

My phone has been misbehaving lately and it's marring my reputation. Basically, it does not ring and texts are delayed, both incoming and outgoing.

"Did you get my text?" Friend asks.
Me, "No, when did you send it?"
"Uh, I have been trying to get a hold of you. I sent you a text and then called you."
Me (aloof), "Well, I never got it."

But, seriously, I never did! I am sure if I was not me, I would be talking serious shit about me.

Annoyed friend, "Have you talked to Een? She's so annoying. She acts like she doesn't get texts and NEVER answers when I call. I mean, learn how to work your phone already."

Last night was the kicker. DT called me 6 times in a row and my phone didn't ring once. It never even registered the call. So, I got a speech ready, consulted 5/3 bank to make sure I had enough money to purchase the iPhone if necessary, then wore a responsible outfit but not too perfume and marched myself into Verizon prepared for wireless war.

Guess what happened?

I met Steve. Steve was awesome. Steve did not ask me if my ringer was on (dumb!). Steve did not ask me if I had paid my bill (duoy!). Steve listened to my issues (genius) and checked out my phone. Then Super Steve issued me a new phone with NO CHARGE that should arrive on my doorstep tomorrow.

Thank you Steve at Verizon on Reyonlds Road. You are definitely spreading Christmas cheer.

2011-12-17T09:26:00.001-05:00

Gingerbread house from scratch. With a Yoda cookie! Mmmmm!

2011-12-15T22:15:00.000-05:00

My goal was to clean the kitchen tonight. FAIL.

Weight Loss Wednesday

2011-12-14T17:00:00.002-05:00

Back to Weight Watchers!!
2011 was definitely the best year of my life...all the most amazing things happened.

In sequence:
Got engaged (technically 2010)
Fiancee (at the time) bought a Mexican Restaurant
Got Married (I really kicked ass and was at my lowest weight on the Tuesday before the wedding!)
Went on excellent Honeymoon to the Dominican Republic - 7 days of freedom
Had surgery - off feet and resting 6 weeks - off work too
Thanksgiving (feeding frenzy....)

Ok - now back to reality....

I went to weigh in at Weight Watchers. I even went to a meeting that I don't normally go to since I couldn't face my leader. I didn't want her to be disappointed in me. 8 weeks after the wedding...I had gained a whopping 15 lbs.

15 pounds.

Oh. my.....GOD. How did it take me 10 months to lose 40 pounds but only 2 months to gain 15? This is a joke. For real. No joke. Just a ton of comfort food and sitting on my ass (doctor recommended though).

So I got serious and went back, but MAN facing the mental music was hard to take. It felt like I had committed a sin and needed to confess. I felt terrible. Just terrible. Like all my hard work was for nothing and I was back to square one. Jiggly and blobby and terrible.

Then I got a hold of myself.

Seriously? Get a grip! You didn't gain it ALL back - you need to check yourself. This is exactly where I have failed in the past. I couldn't face the music and just let myself keep eating, keep drinking and go crazy. Because?? I don't know. Because it's easy. Because food is awesome. Because it's fun to be social.

But it's not fun to not fit into clothes. It's not fun to shop when you hate your size. And it's really not fun to look in the mirror and not like what you see.

So. Back on track. I lost 1.6 yesterday and feel better. Feel empowered and feel like I am getting ahead of the game for 2012. Here's to a healthy year!

Half Baked: The Cake Blog

2011-12-14T12:30:00.000-05:00

I stumbled upon this blog while reading BRIDES magazine (hey, it was work research!) and more specifically THIS dessert table. HOW cute is that? For the holidays? LOVE.

This blog is just incredible! What's the expression? Oh yeah, food porn.

MMMMMMMM.

What Not to Wear, er, Say

2011-12-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

Having just returned to work from a long absence (got married, honeymoon, surgery, and then 6 weeks of recovery - I will blog more about that later), I am finding myself back to the same place, with the same people, and the same stuff.
However....

This is a blog about what people SAY to you. Not having any idea what you have been doing, or not doing, while you have been off. Yes, yes. I have heard that I am a bit, oversensitive, or care too much what other people think or say. Again, I say, this is my blog and this is precisely why I started it. So I can tell you what I think. Or maybe more so I can just journal it.

Here's what NOT to say to someone that has been mysteriously absent for a while (note, you have no idea how long or why): All things written are actual things said

"Hey, been on vacation?" Uh, no. No, no. But it's nice to be away from idiots like you.

"Have you been off this whole time since you don't have enough work to do?" RRRRRRRRRR, youfuckingserious?

"Must be nice to come and go as you please!" OMG, need restraints. Must restrain self. Smiling so big it looks like I'm constipated.

"Every time I walk by your desk I forget you are here! I'm having a hard time getting used to you again." Oh, I'm sorry that I'm interrupting your work day by being here. Because I've worked here longer than you. Sigh.

Here's a list of suggested things to say to someone:

"Nice to see you!"
"Welcome back!"
Seasonally appropriate, "Merry Christmas!"
"We missed you!" Can be true or not.
"Want to have lunch and catch up?" Even if you don't go, if it's well intentioned....

Chipolte: Brown Rice?

2011-12-12T18:00:00.000-05:00

Chipotle has amazing food - that is the truth.

The rumor?

Chipolte has BROWN RICE!

My chef-hubby told me about the rice rumor yesterday so, naturally, I consulted their website, which made me feel really old. It was crazy! So interactive and hip, with word clouds and funny sayings. However, I can neither confirm nor deny this rumor based on my research from the web.

Not satisfied with this treasure-less quest, I called the Chipolte on Central Ave. They confirmed! Brown Rice for ALL!

Here's to you Chipolte - for making the Burrito Bol even healthier. Kudos!

2011-12-12T14:09:00.001-05:00

Thrush's Bakery! Amazing!

It's really happening

2011-12-09T08:00:00.009-05:00

Guns N' Roses are OFFICALLY being inducted to the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame on April 14th, 2012 in Cleveland. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGAD!

My cousin is getting married that night IN CLEVELAND DOWNTOWN and after the wedding I may seriously have to go on an Axl-witch hunt. This is not just "my cousin's getting married" either. This is a favorite cousin that I hang out with and he is marrying a friend of mine! So, I'm excited about this wedding too!

I might explode on this weekend. I just might. To think, Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff, and Steven all in one room. It makes me crazy.

Shananananananana- KNEES!

Danny on the news!!

2011-12-08T08:00:00.005-05:00

Danny did so well on the news promoting Sundown Cantina! Look for them on Facebook too if you are not already a fan.

2011-12-07T18:47:00.001-05:00

Best candle ever!

Bizzare Foods comes to Toledo

2011-12-07T17:07:00.000-05:00

Check this out!

Andrew Zimmern, host of Bizarre Foods, is speaking at Owens Community College on 4/30/12 - tickets on sale now. HOW FUN! Do you watch this show? Andrew travels all over the world to remote sections of our planet and eats the CRAZIEST stuff, calling the cuisine "delicacy" or "gem" while eating stuff like pig intestines or rats on a stick. He often uses words like "pungent" or "bity" and "greasy." It's so insane, but wildly interesting.

Sometimes he finds stuff that I would eat. Street food and what not.

Other times it's hard to watch. Like the fish that sits out in the buckets. Pungent. Uggggggg.

One of the most terrifying episodes was in Indonesia when he went on a cow-slaughtering trip with the locals. He shared in the eating of the raw flesh and dipping it in the leg joint juice. Barf. Oh Barf.

Sometimes I have to look away. Way better programming than the Kardashians, that's fo sho.

2011-12-06T10:51:00.001-05:00

Cleaning....look what I found!

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2011-12-04T00:52:00.001-05:00

For Zilla....

2011-12-02T16:06:00.001-05:00

Fat tree!

F for November

2011-11-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

Blogging has been TERRIBLE! I am lacking inspiration and EXPERIENCES. I have no pictures, I just watch TV. It's kind of awesome though. To unplug, relax, unwind...

I have not been doing much, recovering from my hip surgery and hanging out. I guess I could blog about THAT. I don't know. It's the :when you are busy, you get more done" mentality. I am not busy, and I am not getting anything done. I must say though, I am enjoying the break and the DOWNTIME. My life this year has been extremely busy and this change of pace was welcomed.

December? Bring it on! Blogs galore!! Plus I will be back to work and will definitely have more adventures and grocery store altercations to report.

I still love you all.

Photo Card

2011-11-30T14:21:00.001-05:00

Family Snowfall Holiday

Create photo new year's cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Missing the snow?

2011-11-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

It's warm here in Ohio. Too warm for the holidays. For travelers it's nice to have clear roads, but 55 degrees is to tepid for Turkey Day.

I am hoping the temperature plummets in time for Santa's arrival otherwise my attire cannot be traditional. Christmas sweater? I'd rather die. Corduroy or velvet? OMG...no. It's too HOT! I kinda miss the snow. I also may regret typing this, but for now...it's really too balmy for the festivities. Roaring fire? Blech. No thank you.

It gets so hot in the house with all the hustle and bustle and 450 degree ovens. I'll be outside. I'm the one with steam rising from my head.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I have a lot to be thankful for this year :)

2011-11-24T18:53:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Testing...iCloud

2011-11-21T22:39:00.001-05:00

Testing....downloaded some updates tonight. Anyone using iCloud yet?

Pinterest for Prom Queen

2011-11-21T10:06:00.000-05:00

Pinterest is really entertaining and I have been exploring it for a few weeks. Not able to fight the urge anymore to organize my online thoughts, I finally signed up for it yesterday. I was extremely disappointed and surprised to receive this email in response to my inquiry:

Hi!

Thanks for joining the Pinterest waiting list. We'll be sure to send you an invite soon.

In the meantime, you can follow us on Twitter. You can also explore a few pins.

We're excited to get you pinning soon!

- Ben and the Pinterest Team

Seriously? There's a wait list for Pinterest? I need a proper INVITE? I didn't realize that Pinterest was so high profile and exclusive. Uh, sorry, our table's full. But you can sit at the loser table and, follow us on Twitter. It's like high school all over. Are they going to call me on three-way to see if I am mad at Julie?

2011-11-20T22:24:00.001-05:00

Thank you notes...almost done!

Wedding Photos - Pre Ceremony Details

2011-11-17T16:08:00.001-05:00

More wedding photos! This set details the morning before the ceremony. Girls really have a lot of prep...we started at 8am for hair and makeup but the stylists came to us so we could relax and have fun in the hotel. We had food and drinks, and tv and music all in a LARGE suite at the host hotel. The ceremony was at 2 so we had plenty of time to get ready and we were actually on time. Crazy how long it takes though! 7 bridesmaids plus bride plus mom plus misc people popping in and out. It was a lot of fun and I was really relaxed. It was a nice set up and I enjoyed how we did it.

I was able to talk to Danny on the phone that day around 11am. One of the wedding-isms that you often hear is that it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding but I have not heard if it's back luck to talk on the phone. My thoughts? Who cares. I was happy to talk to him and it made me more relaxed, more excited, and just feel better in general. He sounded so...normal. Girls tend to have a lot of hoopla and hype and he was so steady. Just what I needed.

Check out the "een" hanger - my sister sal had it made for me. The bracelet was a gift from my fabulous mom. The incredible diamond earrings I wore were on loan from Heidi who wore them on her wedding day and even better yet, her mom wore them and her grandmother wore them on their wedding days too! How amazing. Best day ever.

I love the pre-photos of Danny. The pocket watch and cuff links were my gift to him. I had one of the more responsible groomsmen take them the night before :) so Danny could wear them on our wedding day. I especially love how our photographer captured Danny in the "shell" doing whoknowswhat. Hilarious.

All photos courtesy of Blue Martini Photography.

Happy Holidays....and.....

2011-11-16T22:01:00.002-05:00

I'm famous!

Look for me in the bronzed panda section.

http://www.toledozoo.org/SafarEmail/Holiday_Greeting_2011.html

You may need to pause it...I'm to the right of the tall man. LOL!

Happy Holidays!!

Congratulations

2011-11-15T14:37:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Kate (One More Thing) and Jeff as they welcome their beautiful new daughter Gracie Belle!

Kate, I am sure you "have your hands full" so we'll talk later.

So excited for you guys!

I can never pick favorites

2011-11-13T19:46:00.000-05:00

I can never pick favorites. We always laugh about it. Favorite food? Well, it is main dish, appetizer, or dessert? What restaurant? See? So hard.

Favorites are a hard one.

What I can tell you is that I have a favorite day. October 15, 2011. The day I married Danny. The best day of my life. No question.

We had a perfect day. Perfect for US. Everyone had told me that they would pray for us and boy did it work (so thank you!). It was a cool, crisp, overcast fall afternoon with patches of sun and VERY blustery. The news had those funny little icons like WINDY for days. And it was magical. I know my bridesmaids were freezing during photos (sorry!!!), but for us, it was perfect. My favorite kind of a day. My favorite day.

All the planning and plotting and scheming and organizing was put aside. I never once looked at a clock or a watch becauase things just happened when they happened. All my favorite people were there with me so it was fine. It was more than fine. It was perfect.

People say that something always goes wrong with a wedding. Something has to and hoepfeully it will be something little or insignificant. But nothing did. It was peferfect. The perfect day. My favorite day.

They also say it goes by in a blur and that much is true. I remember taking it all in and wanting to slow it down but knowing I couldn't, just enjoying every second of it. My favorite songs, my favorite food, my favorite dessert, my favorite people, my favorite dress, my favorite shoes, my favorite boy. Amazing.

Maybe the letdown will happen later but for me I don't feel let down. I feel happy and excited and blessed. I have memories and photos and look forward to seeing my friends again and to future weddings of friends and family so they can have their favorite day too.

Next time someone asks me my favorite, I bet I can pick.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the wedding (courtesy Blue Martini Photography):

Movie Review

2011-11-08T18:09:00.000-05:00

I have a lot to blog about, I know, but I wanted to get started with something simple. Movies!

X-Men First Class
Two thumbs WAY up. LOVED it. I never wanted this movie to end. Great casting on the mutants and wonderful beginning to the saga. James McAvoy is an excellent and very suave Xavier and you will love Michael Fassbender as Erik aka Magneto. He's pretty much the perfect cast. You may not recognize him, but when you click on his IMDB reference, realize that you have seen him in a ton of stuff. Sweet mutants and very interesting story weaved into historical events. Pretty clever. Kevin Bacon? Great choice. I did want his mutant powers to be dancing...sadly, no.

Water for Elephants

This movie got some bad reviews, people said it was boring and never really got going. I disagree. Maybe it's because I'm laid up, but I thought it was really compelling. The action was all in the tension between the three main characters all played excellently. Reese - come on. She's amazing. Christolph Waltz has impressed me ever since Inglorious Basterds. I feel much better about Robert Pattinson now, too. He's not a vampire chasing an ungrateful teenager (ugh, twilight!). Thought this was a great story and LOVED the animals in this film, especially Rosie. I should have read the book first. Kicking myself for getting MONEYBALL for our honeymoon. Terribly boring read. I think I was hoping for a Brad Pitt centerfold of photos. No such luck.

Horrible Bosses

Talk about dirty mouth! Way to go Jen Anniston! This was a funny movie with plenty of shock value for the adults. Jason Bateman is great as this kind of character - grown up, beat down, corporate. Charlie Day is one of my favorite actors. He's a different character than Charlie in Sunny but he's still spazzy, freaks out periodically, and gets angry so you will love him in it if you like "Charlie." Liked it.

Bridesmaids

I heard this was the best movie of the year, and while I wouldn't go that far, I laughed out loud so many times at this movie. I happen to be in love with Kristen Wiig - she is simply amazing in this movie and plays so nicely alongside of Maya Rudolph. The whole cast is FUNNY. The dress shopping scene is one of the funniest/grossest I have ever seen. Worth mentioning is Doug's sister played by Melissa McCarthy. Her one liners got me every time.

Now for other movies I don't really care to admit watching, but I will:
17 again: Zac Efron. OMG. This was terrible and I was embarrassed to watch it. But I watched the whole thing anyway. Zac Efron does have an appeal though. Dang it.
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Really? This was on the Hallmark Channel. Sigh. The uncle was played by the Fonzie. It was terrible. Watched the whole thing. Paused for commercials.
Beauty and the Beast: I have not seen this since it came out in the 90s (91 to be specific). I liked it better now that I'm a married old lady. 91 I was still sort of an angry teenager and didn't think a slow dancing Beast was cool. The chandelier animation IS impressive still. Whatever Pixar.

Aaaaand that's that I've been doing. Also tons of thank you notes...still tons more to go.

Testing

2011-11-05T22:07:00.000-04:00

Test

I'm back

2011-11-01T23:26:00.003-04:00

I'm back!! Ok, here's the update on what I have been doing since my last post:

We got married :)
Went on a honeymoon (see pic above...more to come)
Had and awesome time!
Worked one day
Spent a few hours in the Social Security office, BMV, BBandB and Target
Had scheduled hip surgery to repair torn labrum
Went to the ER because of stomach pain
It was GERD (like ulcer stuff)....all that because of acid reflux!
And now...finally able to blog

SO! That means that more blogging, LOTS more to come in November.

Love to you all!
Mrs. Iris Boffin of Needlehole (maiden name Iris Took of Great Smials)
Get yours here

2011-10-17T10:50:00.001-04:00

Duty free Miami!

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H-moon bound...see ya in a week!

2011-10-17T06:23:00.001-04:00

2011-10-16T01:26:00.001-04:00

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Wedding Week

2011-10-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's wedding week - yes, our wedding is on Saturday! It's been a year away for so long, I cannot believe it's finally here now. There is so much to do at the end. Stuff you never though to do or take care of ahead of time (which is funny, because I was obsessed with doing things ahead of time). However, you cannot do everything in advance and YOUR timeline is not everyone else's timeline.

Maybe it just feels like a fury because I'm so excited and getting lots of texts, emails and phone calls. Or maybe it feels like I have a lot to do because I'm going over lists in my head a million times. Or maybe, just maybe, I'm creating things that don't really need to be be done.

Will there be a groom? - Yes
Will there be a bar? - Yes
Will there be music? Yes
Will there be food? Yes
Will our friends and family be there? Yes

Then it's all good in the hood - RIGHT?

:)

2011-10-08T14:32:00.001-04:00

Hungover at babies r us....not good times.

Axl Rose coming to the PALACE!!

2011-10-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

I'm going. I'm going and nothing can stop me. December 1st! It will give me something to look forward to after my wedding is over. It's almost as exciting.

Do I care that Axl Rose looks like he's traded in his heroin and whiskey behavior for twinkies and fried bologna sandwiches? Not.at.all. Who can blame him really?

Bring it.

I've been squirming around in my seat all day because I'm SO PUMPED for this show. Yes, I know he'll be hours late starting the show. Yes, I know there's no Slash (pour a little out). Yes, I know all you haters are hatin. But guess what?

Axl is Axl and he's a prima donna but I can't wait to see it again live and in action. When the spotlight hits the piano and that first key of November Rain ripples through the crowd, look for me, melted on the floor.

Loaded like a freight train!!!

Wah-waaaaah.......

Happy Birthday (belated)

2011-10-05T14:03:00.001-04:00

Happy Belated Birthday to my cousin Brad! Brad, you have been a big influence in my life as we grew up together. We share the love of classic rock, great movies, tv, joke telling and all things awesome. It was fun being your roommate for a short time and I wish we got to see each other more, but really enjoy when we do get to. I hope you had a happy birthday and I am looking forward to seeing you soon!!

Love, een

Happy Birthday Sal!

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Happy 30th Birthday Sal!!!

To my little sister: you are the best sister and friend anyone could ever want. Too bad not everyone has a Sal, because everyone should. You are the kind of person that makes a new friend at the grocery store, meets celebrities at the bar and gets their phone numbers, has 1000 facebook friends that are actually your real friends, has a blast doing everything and anything and the kind of person that everyone wants to be around.

Sal, we have our own language. Some people may think we are on the kooky/weird/eccentric side, but we know just what the other is talking about (Shane Oman, Put it in your purse!, Bee Bop, The Pig and Mrs. Pilzecker, etc...). This list could go on and on, but I'll save it for when I see you tomorrow.

Remember that time as kids when you dressed me up as a horse with that Mexican-style blanket and fed me sugar cubes for treats? Then you rode me around the living room and added a belt like reigns. Anyone else would think that the older sister would do that to the little sister. But no. You made me your horse and I loved it. It was fun. That's how we operate. Like a crazy little team fueled by sugar cubes.

I love that people are shocked to hear that we are sisters. I love that you always make people guess who is older. I love that when they guess it's you, we crack up like lunatics. Every.single.time.

Bob, you light up my life and I love you so much. You deserve all the best on your birthday and in this year as you turn 30. Thank you for always being there for me. Happy Birthday to you my baby sister!

Love, een

iPad

2011-09-29T21:48:00.001-04:00

I got an iPad for my birthday from my wonderful, amazing, incredible fiancee! The package was so beautiful - simple, clean, clutter free.

The anticiaption of opening it up was killing me since I didn't actually get my hands on the iPad on my birthday (we had dinner plans). I finally opened it up yesterday. One cord, no manual. The problem is...I don't know how to start it. Der!

I think I have to go online to figure it out. I didn't feel old until just now. Better call a 14 year old to teach me how to use this fancy screen do-hickey.

Thank you DT! Love you.

Guns N' Roses....best week ever

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Thud, thud,thudthudthudthud.

What's that? It's my heart. It's beating out of control. OH YEAH! GnR - Hall of Fame!!!!!

I just cannot express to you in words how excited I am for this event. 4/14/12 at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Guess what? I'll be in Cleveland that weekend for my cousin's wedding....downtown. After the wedding, there will be some serious stalking if Axl and the original gang are going to be there. Let's get real....I would kill to even see Buckethead. I may not pass out if I saw that dude with his KFC hat, but you can be sure I would blow a gasket if I witnessed Axl, Slash or Duff. I would want to be cool, GOD I would try, but you know I would lose my shit. Probally start reciting lyrics. Like a lunatic. A happy, drunk, lunatic.

**Side note - I am editing this now, and realize that they are only NOMINATED. When I read this initially, I obviously read the headline and during the details seciton, my mind went crazy. HAH! "Briiiiiiing it down..You're ******* craaaazy!"****

My 33rd Birthday

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

According to Hobbit-lore, 33 is a very significant birthday as it signifies coming of age. Hobbits reach their adulthood at 33 and typically throw big parties and instead of receiving gifts, they give gifts to others. How novel.

We can learn something from Hobbits as they celebrate their birthdays. Hobbits are happy folk. They enjoy drinking and even more so eating, typically indulging in 6 meals a day such as breakfast, second breakfast, elvensies, luncheon, tea, dinner, and supper. Hobbist have wonderful senses of humor, invented pipe weed, and are very welcoming to other Hobbits. Doesn't that sound nice?

So, on my 33rd birthday, I am buying everyone I know a brand new car. :) I wish. In this next year, it is my goal to give back. It is apparent that I have been blessed in my life by family, friends, and health and I want to live a good, happy, and hobbit-like life. One filled with family and friends and general festive-ness (plus food and drinks sound amazing). Thank you to everyone - my dear DT, my parents, my sisters, my family and friends for the gifts you have given to me throughout my life. My gift to you is to be the best Iris Took to you - to BE there for you when you need me and when you don't.

Let's start with cake though...

Exercise TV

2011-09-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

It's a little nerdy, but I have discovered Exercise on Demand based on a friend's recommendation. There are a ton of free programs on VOD on Cable (Buckeye System) and I love them! There are even trainers like Jillian Michaels featured (she's kind of scary though - waaaaay intense).

Wanting to vary my routine and needing some low-impact, quick forms of exercise, I am really enjoying the ~~nerdiness~~ convenience of exercising with the TV. Moving is moving at some point, ya know? Yoga has always been a challenge for me and if I can actually get myself out of bed before work, then it's worth it.

Did I mention it's free?

Have you ever tried one of these programs?

Guns N' Roses To Launch First U.S. Tour In Five Years

2011-09-25T14:25:00.001-04:00

Guns N' Roses To Launch First U.S. Tour In Five Years

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

OMG
OMG
OMG
OMG

This is the best thing to have happened to me since my engagement! I don't care what is going on in my life when Axl, et al, comes to Detoit, this is happening. Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, cuz I'm getting NUTS when Axl hits the stage.

SHA NANANANANANNA KNEES!!!!!!!

2011-09-25T09:28:00.001-04:00

Race for the cure

2011-09-24T10:05:00.001-04:00

...aaaaaand because there aren't that many people at the clerk of courts we wanted to stop, we took seperate pics :)

2011-09-24T10:01:00.001-04:00

It's getting close now - marriage license!

Happy Birthday to KZ

2011-09-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Kristin!

I love that we are neighbors (cubicle neighbors). You make my days brighter and have helped me more than you know since we have become friends. Have you ever met someone and felt like you have been friends for years? That was how it was when I met Kristin. Because it would embarrass you if I said to your face, I will say it on this blog and to the world - you are the most caring, best listener, great advice giver, gorgeous, fun, funny, talented and well - just amazing friend all around. Even though you hate food I love and vice versa, we work it out. There! I said it!

Have a wonderful birthday! You deserve all the best.

Love, een

2011-09-23T22:17:00.001-04:00

Zoo brew! Beer tasting at the zoo!

Phone Etiquette

2011-09-22T12:40:00.001-04:00

Can we talk about this? Allow me to get up on my high horse...errr...ugh....ahhh...oof...

Ok, I'm up here. Man, it's fun up here! Now....

Here's the gist: Someone not employed here left something on our property. I have made several phone calls and messages to that person. Finally, I got a hold of said person today. I had called and left another message with her secretary and she called me right back.

Her: "Well, I'm glad I finally got you. You're really hard to get a hold of." Please don't start a conversation off like that. It makes me immediately hate you and not want to help.
Me: "Oh, I'm sorry (translation: you're rude), did you leave me message? I don't have one on my voicemail or email?"
Her: "No, I didn't leave one. You never answer your phone."
Me: super irratated, "Well, I have a lot of appointments and am on the phone frequently," yeah, it's called WORKING. Did I mention that I'm doing you a favor? I have a small office and could have just as easily thrown out your item. Did you say thank you? I'll let the readers guess. If you guessed that she didn't say thank you, you are correct.

Anyway, through modern marvels I can check my phone log. No missed calls in the past two weeks from my new BFF. I have to say it...really? Check yo self.

Weight Loss Wednesday

2011-09-21T22:12:00.001-04:00

I'm down .8 this week! (And crunched for time)

Thanks for reading!

Success!

2011-09-21T13:50:00.000-04:00

Finally!!! I can post videos again! Thank you Kylee, OH Goddess of the blog!

2011-09-21T13:47:00.000-04:00

Testing...1.2...testing....1.2.3....Ok testing...testing. Kylee, you are a genius!

2011-09-20T19:15:00.001-04:00

Do you know about this store?

International Talk like a Pirate Day

2011-09-19T13:37:00.000-04:00

It's true. Pirates even have their own day...and that day is today. Allow me to switch to pirate speak.

Ye pirates and wenches grab yer goblets of grog! Today be the day of all pirates and buccaneers to join in a fest of all things piratey! Arrr!

A wonderful pirate site which includes pirate pickup lines (they're classy).
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/howto.html

Favorite pirates:

Captain Jack Sparrow...my first Pirate Love

Angelica Blackbeard - Penelope Cruz was an amazing Lady Pirate in the last Pirates Movie.

Mr. William Turner - Swordsmith turned Pirate. Ever notice how much hotter he gets as the movies go on? Ridiculous.

Michael Bolton:

What? Yes, Mr. Bolton is featured in this Turtleneck & Sweater video. I must tell you, we watched this video at the lake all summer long and it just became the anthem of 2011 summer. Watch it and I dare you not to laugh. Michael Bolton has an amazing voice, but what's even more amazing is that he can make this much fun of himself. Andy Samberg - I heart you.

Here is the video (I cannot post videos anymore and I am really, very annoyed by it):
http://youtu.be/GI6CfKcMhjY

2011-09-18T14:31:00.001-04:00

Need willpower!

2011-09-17T18:40:00.001-04:00

Todd and Anna's wedding at TCC!

The Sundown Cantina

2011-09-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Need a new favorite restaurant? I have the place for you!!

The Sundown Cantina in Mayberry Square (Sylvania, OH) is home to Margarita Monday, Taco Tuesday (tacos are 50 cents each), 1/2 off appetizer Wednesday, and Kids eat free Thursdays!

The menu is Mexian American featuring an outstanding quesidalla with a variety of filling options and a few specialty quesidallas, fish tacos, healty options like grilled fish or chicken dinners, burgers, southwestern eggrolls, and daily specials. House made salsa and margaritas, too!

So...hungry yet? Good!

I have been wanting to blog about this for a while, but wanted to wait until they were off the ground a bit. The summer went well and now, the Cantina has extended hours with all new TVs and the NFL ticket for football fans.

The Sundown Cantina is owned and operated by my fiancee so I have a vested interest in its success. Even though I am biased, the Cantina is doing well so far since Danny and his family have been running the restaruant since the end of May. Danny went to culinary school in Chicago and then has worked at various establishments any anyone can tell you...the man can COOK. He definitely has a flair for it and enjoys food and creating new dishes.

Come see us at the Cantina!

Like us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002562611622

Thank you!!
The future Mrs. Cantina

One Month To Go

2011-09-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

One month from today....DT and I are getting married! I cannot belive it is only one month away now. After 18 months (well 17 really as of today) of engagement, we are almost there. The big question is....

Am I ready?

With all the wedding stuff -
1) Timeline - Yes. I have an eight page timeline that details our wedding extravaganza. Don't worry, only a select few are getting this. Omg.
2) Seating chart and escort cards - not yet. We are still waiting for all the RSVP cards to come in. I have to wait...patiently.....for those to come in to create the seating arrangements.
3) Dress and accessories - I have a second fitting next Friday and then a final one is TBD. I don't like the TBDs. I want to check everything off the list immediately and put it in a sterilite clear tub and label it. Alphabetically.
4) Menu, DJ, Photographer, Vendors, check! All of those folks are on board and in order.
5) Ceremony - all set.
6) Marriage License - done! Will post pic of that later (accomplished 9/12/11).

There are some small tasks that need to be done still but I have some time to do them (with deadlines) and I have helpers (thank you helpers!). I am enjoying the wedding process and not letting it exasperate me. It always makes me sad when brides say, "I just can't wait for this to be over." Time management is key and I have said NO to a lot of things in the next month so I am not a maniac (more than my usual mania).

Whew!

Now, am I ready?

With the important stuff -

Yes. 100% yes. I am so ready and excited to get married then honeymoon with my love so we can spend more than one consecutive day together. I am ready. And happy. Happier than ever.

2011-09-14T22:34:00.001-04:00

Popcorn...my favorite!

Beer!

2011-09-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

I totally forgot about my Lazy Sunday Poll!! I need to bring it back.

Over the weekend we started discussing a classic debate...

Bottled beer or canned beer?

Now, I have always preferred canned beer and I will tell you why (I can feel some of you rolling your eyes at me). Canned beer has the ability to get colder than bottled beer. I think aluminum is a better conductor than glass. I love the aluminum bottles too! However, the plastic bottles? Don't even try it. Those are straight terrible.

Bottled beer people think the canned beer people are simply white trash. They claim that the bottle is superior in taste and it is easier to hold. They are elitist beer drinkers and less able to go with the flow at parties in my opinion.

Personally, I dig the cans. Plus, you can shotgun cans and you never know when you gotta get a party started. Am I right? Am I right?

What do you prefer?

2011-09-12T17:02:00.001-04:00

Ta da! My organizational quest continues....I assembled this today (getting it to my car was a harder task).

People are Crazy

2011-09-11T23:29:00.000-04:00

This story is about kids that are crazy. I don't have kids, so often, I am awkward when kids act out since I don't feel I should discipline a kid that is not my family member, but also often, I feel that kids need to behave in public. As kids, my parents made us mind. ESPECIALLY in public.

So...at a friend's house the other night watching the ND/Michigan game (how crazy was that!?), there were a few kids. They were running around, having a great time, being kids.

This little boy, about 5, ran by me and smacked me on the butt. No big deal. I saw him do it to someone else a few minutes later though. Like it was his trademark. He's a grabber....ok. I don't know this kid's parents so I can't even joke with them about the 5 year old ass slap. I am not sure they would understand my humor. It's not like I could tell little Frank that it's inappropriate to touch people in spots where bathing suits cover. Someone overhears that then I'M the creep. Ugh.

Ok, sitting on the couch, minding my own business. Little boy ass-slapper comes running up to me, Popsicle mouthed, crazy.
Me, awkward at best, "Hey buddy, you like football?"
Kid: "NO!" he shouts in my face and PUNCHES me in the boob. For real. Not the chest. Right to the cup.

Now, his Dad was sitting right by me and saw the whole thing. Let me have you guess what the Dad did.

If you guessed A) Corrected his son....you are wrong. If you guessed B) apologized to me...wrong again. If you guessed C) did absolutely nothing...ding ding ding! You are the winner.

I felt like I was on a episode of Modern Family or something. I got felt up and then punched in the tit by a toddler on a Saturday night. People are crazy.

2011-09-10T18:09:00.001-04:00

As seen at Kohls. Im not sure how I feel about this.

2011-09-09T20:02:00.001-04:00

Cleveland...gallery opening!

2011-09-08T19:55:00.001-04:00

Time for hootie!

Soup du Jour

2011-09-08T17:07:00.002-04:00

"Excuse me...Flo??? snickering What's the Soup Du Jour?" Flatly..."It's the soup of the day." "MMMM, that sounds good...I'll have that."

Today is a soup day...cold, rainy, dreary...SOUPY! I hit Panera for their chicken noodle. In line, I remembered they changed their recipe but the sign boasted that a cup had only 90 calories. Bonus!

If you recall, the CxN was really very delicious before - hearty, ethnic style noodles, with a rich and filling broth.

Panera - why on earth did you change it?

The new style of soup is like broth out of a can - aka clear with flecks of who knows what, the noodles are no where near the old style quality, the chicken is still real chicken (how novel), but it is just a big fat disappointment. Little to no flavor. At least I only wasted 90 calories on it.

2011-09-07T23:07:00.001-04:00

project wedding...Thanks mustache and sal!