this is the sun's birthday

I've been kind of obsessed with Whitacre lately. I've been leaving him on as we're falling asleep, and listening to the CD I have pretty much the entire workday. It reminds me how much I love singing with a choir, and how much I miss it.

Tonight, I tried making potato chips. We bought purple potatoes and sweet potatoes at the market, and the plan was to make purple potato, sweet potato and eggplant chips to have as a medley, but our oven thwarted my plans. It has this affinity towards getting way hotter than it's supposed to, so not only did I turn the heat down, but I also cut the time by ten minutes or so. I burned a couple batches before I got smart and only started trying to cook a couple chips at a time, to try and get the temp and time right. It didn't ever really work out, but I managed to get enough to be somewhat satisfied with the result. I have enough to take some for a snack to work tomorrow, and maybe some for Tuesday, as well. I'll probably try the sweet potatoes next. If anyone has any suggestions for home-made potato chips, please let me know!

This afternoon we went to the Apple Store and did a little more grocery shopping. Now we're finishing up laundry, and I'm about to figure out what to bring for lunch to work tomorrow. I've slept in way too late this weekend, so getting up in the morning is going to be tough, but I'm determined to look decent tomorrow AND make it to work on time. Since, you know, I didn't make it past putting on a t-shirt, jeans and a hat. At least it was a cute hat? (plus it meant I didn't have to do my hair. Win!)

Time to go make either white bean spread or hummus to take to work with carrots tomorrow. Haven't decided which. It will be a split second decision!

-C

kivinen tie

Ok, so I don't really like football, but the Seahawks just ran a 67 yard touchdown against the Saints. This game is a little ridic.

In any case, I've made the same thing for the past two nights for dinner, but I feel like I have an excuse because a) we only did half the grocery shopping today and b) I only had about 15 minutes to slap something together so Nate could eat before he went to work this evening.

The half of the grocery shopping we did was to the Asian grocery store (Uwojimaya, or some craziness like that,) is the part of the shopping that always makes me feel grateful that we live in this part of town. We got:

-one acorn squash
-one spaghetti squash
-three large yellow onions
-shallots
-garlic
-bananas
-brussel sprouts
-two sweet potatoes
-three purple potatoes
-one pound of pre-sliced white mushrooms
-fresh basil
and probably something else I'm forgetting FOR $20.

And then we went to our favorite little tiny Asian market down the street, because they have really cheap  meats, and discovered they have whole chicken breasts for $3.50. We didn't buy them today, because their salmon shipment hadn't come in for the day, so we're going back tomorrow, because you have to spend at least $5 to use a card of any kind. WIN!

I also was fairly decent looking today, even though we were only leaving the house for about 45 minutes. I even straightened my bangs, to make them look a little more socially acceptable. Be impressed!

Today's outfit consists of:
-off-brand Coral T-Shirt with Rockstar Design on the front (because, you know, I'm 14)
-Express Zelda Grey Skinnies. These things are the best, especially because they are SUPER blinged out and make me feel fancy. Express calls them jeggings, but they aren't really. They're more just really skinny jeans, not leggings mean to look like jeans. And because I refuse to say I own jeggings. I mean, really.
-Express Black, White & Metallic Silver Circle Scarf
-Chucks, black with light blue detail
-Forever 21 Grey Quilted Jacket with furry hood

Nothing too fancy, but I at least feel like I tried before I left the house.

Nate is at work this evening, so I'm by my lonesome. I'll probably play some Wii in a little bit, but for now, I'm hanging out on the couch listening to music and poking around in the new Mac App store.

-C

that's not my name

Alright, so I found this little gem of an idea when I was going through Google Reader's suggestions for me, and it's something that I was going to do for myself anyway, because I am always jealous of people who are always so put together.

Tada! The Put Together Project. For me, this mostly means getting up earlier than I want to, because while it has been fairly easy to pick out clothes the night before (seeing as I don't really have that many to choose from, especially for work,) my hardest thing is doing something other than putting my hair in a pony-tail in the morning and slapping on some mascara. And sometimes I skip the mascara because, let's face it, I sit and talk to people online all day due to the fact that we don't really have clients that come into the office. So...yeah. I'm a lazy bum.

Anywho, I'll post the pics I take here, as well as in the Flickr group, and we'll see how it goes!

Today's outfit consists of dark teal v-neck sweater from Express w/ extra long white tank from Wet Seal underneath, dark stretch jeans from Gap and the most comfortable flats I have ever owned from Target. I even convinced my friend Zoe to buy these, and I think she owns two pairs now (but not the zebra ones, like mine.) Also, you can't see it in the photos, but I do have on my diamond and white gold heart necklace from Kay Jewelers (present from the BF,) and two silver rings. I feel like the jewelry makes up for the lack of make-up today...which is in my bag, I just never got around to putting it on!

-C

p.s. From now on, I'll try to take pics with Photo Booth on my Macbook, so they'll be better and you can actually see the clothes.

higher and higher and higher

I am doing well with my New Year's Pacts I made with myself. I contacted my best friends, Leslie, Jessamyn and Megan, yesterday and they all seem really excited about being in contact more! I'm so in love with this new communication thing, I get super-giddy every time I see I have an e-mail, hoping it's something from my friends. I have a gift planned, but I need to have enough money to afford it. As soon as I'm allowed to spend the money, it will be no longer a plan but a reality! Yay!

Next step is contacting Yahtzee members, who I consider to be some of my dearest friends, but who I don't speak to very often. I'm excited about this as well, especially since I had to miss the wedding in FL at New Year's.

The final step is contacting my sister. I love her so much, and I'm so proud of her, but there is a rift between us that occurred when we started growing up more and started being best friends less. I remember a time when she used to tell me everything...back in the days when I ripped her dollar and we used to use the video camera to film EVERYTHING. I miss her.

Let's see how I'm doing on the rest of my resolutions:

1. Stop being lazy. I have been doing better. I've been playing some on the Wii. It's gone back to raining, instead of being nice outside, but I do walk back and forth to work every day. I'm hoping I can get 'Just Dance II' for the Wii soon, because it looks like soooo much fun. I also need to find a time to go over to my friend Charli's and play her Kinect (and visit with her ;) because Nate played it a little bit in the Bose store at the mall the other day and it looks kind of cool. And by kind of, I mean...I might want one. Just a little bit.
2. Learn to cook better. I've been doing some different cooking than normal. So far, I've made cauliflower and onion puree with potato rounds and salmot filet, spaghetti with salmon and veggies in a cream sauce, chicken over couscous with fresh squash and zucchini medley, fried eggplant over pasta and home mac n cheese with cauliflower, zucchini, celery and onions (kind of a mac n cheese casserole.) It's a lot of what I'm used to cooking, just put together differently. I have intentions of making apple chips and sweet potato (and maybe regular potato) chips with my new mandolin. I've also come across a recipe for goat cheese and caramelized onion tartlettes which look absolutely delish, so I think I'll try making those (though, they'll probably be more like mini-pizzas, since i'll probably use pre-made pizza dough, and not make tart dough ;) My favorite things I want to try, though, are: stuffed acorn squash (this looks really easy,) spaghetti squash (more labor-intensive than spaghetti, but still looks relatively simple,) and using quinoa, instead of grains, for dishes. Yay for cooking!
3. Eat better. We bought a steamer and a bunch of veggies: fresh cauliflower, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, celery, onion, cucumber, eggplant, (frozen) brussel sprouts and (frozen) corn. So we've been sauteeing and steaming lots of veggies, either as a main part of dishes or to add to things like pre-made pasta sauce for a little extra oomph. Honestly, I'm feeling so much better. I'm a little tired this week, but I'm chalking that up to not going to sleep early enough and my body adjusting to less carbs and more veggie! I got paid today, so I'm looking forward to going to the market and buying some new veggies to experiment with!
4. Equal amounts computer and real life. I've not been doing this as much as I've wanted, but Nate and I have been playing Wii and trying to sit and talk about our day while we're eating, instead of staring mindlessly at the TV. I'm hoping the weather will permit me to go outside this weekend. At least long enough to go buy some sweaters that are on super-sale at Express ;)
5. Don't give into temptation. CAITLINANDNATEFAIL.COM My sweet tooth took over the other night and we made sugar cookies with icing. They turned out...ok. And thankfully we didn't make that many (ie: we didn't double the recipe, like Nate suggested.) They tasted kind of like shortbread. Which just makes me want to make shortbread. One of the things I miss about hanging out with Ian's family...his Mom's shortbread. Mmmm... On the otherhand, I haven't been buying sodas at work. But Brian did get Beth's order wrong at Starbucks yesterday, so I had a Tall Mocha Chip Frappe with an extra shot of Mocha. It was horrible. And by horrible I mean absolutely DELICIOUS and probably ridiculously calorie-laden.
6. Keep in touch with friends/family. Please see earlier statements. I'm excited about this! Also, I made plans to have dinner with my best friend (for the longest of times, since elementary school,) Jess, who just moved to Seattle, sometime next week. I'm very excited about this!
7. Let go. TBD. I haven't quite figured out how to make this one happen yet. I'm sure an opporunity will present itself.

So all in all, I think I'm doing rather well. I think, also, that it will be good to check up like this every so often (not weekly, but maybe monthly,) to keep myself on track.

In other news: Nate's PB&J Cake Pan arrived yesterday, so we'll probably be making cake this weekend (see response to pact #5 for reference,) and the film for my Instax Camera arrived yesterday, so I'm hoping the weathering is nice this weekend and I can take some mini-polaroids of Seattle and/or Nate and myself with it. I just love the look and feel of polaroid pictures. It reminds me of being a little kid.

I discovered this awesome pictures website, Pixadaus.com, that I keep on my Google Reader. I'm pretty sure I'm using one of the pictures from it as my desktop background right now. Some of the shots are just incredible, and really awe-inspiring.

Also, if you don't follow my Tumblr/Twitter/Facebook page very often, check out this post. It made me cry, sitting at my desk at work. It is incredible. (disclaimer: I know the pic looks weird at first, but read the story, and you'll understand.)

-C

an aside

it is more money to go to YMCA every month than it is to go to a private, downtown "health club" (aka gym.)

WHATISHAPPENINGTOTHEWORLD?

but me and you were meant to last forever

I'm looking for a pool in Seattle, because I hate working out, but I LOVE swimming and I love how quickly it made me look and feel fit only swimming for about 45 minutes two days a week for the last couple semesters of college. Problem is -- it's cold here and gyms are expensive. And I am afraid of people.

I have issues with anxiety. Most of the time they are nothing I can't handle, but when it comes to going places (especially for the first time) by myself and imposing myself on other peoples' time/energy/space, it is somewhat crippling. So the thought of going to a public, indoor pool is terrifying. Y'all gotta understand, it's hard for me to go shopping by myself, and it makes me uncomfortable to have someone helping me in a clothing store. Going to a class in college for the first time, especially if I didn't know where it was? Bad. Being 15+ minutes late to class? Worse. I usually just wouldn't go. Anywho...I digress.

In any case, I was looking up gyms in Seattle, because it frightens me slightly less than a city pool, mainly because there are usually less people there and I wouldn't have to steel myself to share a lane with someone and possibly be in the way. I found some nice looking gyms, and there was even one that said it had a "young professionals" monthly discount, for people between 18 and 29 who are either in college or just starting their careers, because they're on a budget. Do you know what that price was? $65 a month. With a, like, $200 initiation fee. Sixty-five dollars a month?! I considered $40 a month too much to spend in Boston. Then again I was making less in Boston than I am in Seattle, and Boston is more expensive than Seattle...but still.

Now, I suppose it isn't really that much, if I think about what I make compared to what we pay for the apartment...but there are two of us living off of my salary, and me spending $65 a month to go to the pool would make me a horrible, selfish person.

When in my life do I start thinking $65 a month is acceptable for a non-essential service?

you hear my rhythm on the radio

Let me just let you in on a little secret: find a man who does the opposite of what you do in the kitchen.

Specially, I mean that if you cook, find a man who bakes. If you bake, find a man who cooks. If you run screaming from the kitchen, find a guy who's at home there. It saves you hassle and, if you're like me, you get treats out of the deal.

I love cooking. I love to make food, I love to try new things. I don't like baking. I mean...I don't mind baking. But honestly, there's too much to think about. A lot can go wrong really quickly while baking. That being said, I do loved baked goods. Bring on the cookies, the brownies, the cakes and pastries. My booboo bakes. Mostly we try to keep it to things like Banana Bread (which we bought a loaf pan specifically to make -- cause we're cool like that,) in order to keep it (sounding) vaguely healthy. However, yesterday, he made Banana Bread with Walnuts and a Brown Sugar/Butter Topping. Uhm...YEAH. It's delicious. I had to beg and plead to get nuts put into the bread, because Nate doesn't like nuts in things. He likes nuts, just not...in...things. It's weird. It is my favorite and makes me happy. And my boy makes me happy. Thus? Happiness. Yay.

This weekend was very low key. I know I said we were going to a Masquerade Party, but we wound up just buying booze and staying at the house. We watched movies and the Ball Drop and had Salmon with Peas, Onions and Mushrooms in a Cream Sauce over Pasta (Delish! I took pictures, but I didn't have anything to toss the cream sauce in with everything, which made it looks kind of weird, so you'll just have to imagine my fantastic New Year's dish in your head.)

Sunday was lazy, also, which is good, because this morning neither of my two alarms went off and I didn't wake up until 7:45, so I had to run to work. No Dunkin Donuts coffee (sad face,) but thankfully I had cousous, chicken and steamed zucchini/yellow squash medley from dinner last night already packed away for lunch. Nate popped some Banana Bread and a Little Debbie Christmas Tree Snack (the last of them, I think,) into my lunch bag, and I was out the door. I have on no makeup, and my hair is kind of a mess. I have new bangs, which really means I can't leave the house without either showering or taking the straightener to them and still have them look decent. I did manage to get my contacts in, however, and I'm wearing an all new outfit from Express which consists of: wide waistband Editor pants, magenta v-neck sweater and black half-sleeved cotton cardigan thingy. My shoes aren't as new, but I did get them recently at Target, so it kind of counts.

Trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight. The only meat we have left is ground pork, but I might just do fried eggplant and try using my mandoline again (or let Nate try use my mandoline, since he wants to anyway, and I'm a little gun-shy since I still bleed everywhere if I hit my thumb the wrong way. I've gone through lot of band-aids.)

Alright, time for coffee. Or tea. Something with caffeine.

Happy New Year!

-C