Friday, February 27, 2009

Yum!

I had the most amazing sandwich at lunch today. I've been reading about R Bistro in different Indy blogs, and finally had the chance to try it out myself.

Just some background: I have an obsessive love of peanut butter. I eat it on everything and with everything! So, when I saw a Peanut Butter and Banana Panini on the menu, I swooned. This decadent little panini-that-could had crunchy peanut butter, an entire banana, watercress and thinly sliced apples nestled between two slices of soft bread. I don't even know what watercress is! But damn, it was good!

And there you have it, an ode to a peanut butter sandwich.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

pantyhose optional


I spent this morning ruffling through my nightgowns/sports bras/pantyhose drawer (yes - all three of those types of items are in one drawer. it's a big drawer) trying to find a pair of pantyhose that didn't have a run in them or make me look like a ghost from the thigh down.

Ohmigosh - I HATE pantyhose. I run the risk of tearing them every time I put them on. And, for some reason, I have not mastered the ladylike way of putting hose on - two legs at one time? How is this possible? (Thank goodness for thigh highs!!) And, by the time I get home at the end of the day, I guess I'm so delirious from having to wear pantyhose all day, that I don't even notice there is a run in them and they wind up back in my nightgowns/sports bras/pantyhose drawer.

I would like to add that tights are totally okay by me. Since they're thicker, they don't rip as easily, and therefore, are easier to put on.

With all that said, I was late to work today because I was fighting with pantyhose for a good part of my morning. Ugh. Then, because I was rushing, I just threw a coat on and walked out of my place. It wasn't until I was in the elevator (with mirrored interior doors) on my way up to my office that I realized my coat was longer than my dress. All you could see on me was my coat, my pantyhose and my tall boots. No big deal - or so I thought...

As I walked to lunch today, I caught people giving me double takes. Time after time, as I walked down Penn, people were giving me second looks. Yes - I understand that it may have looked like I was only wearing a coat, pantyhose and boots, but come on! What? Like I went to work naked with only hose and boots on? Yeah right!

And, as I walked to happy hour today, and continued to get second looks, all I could do was laugh.

I am SO looking forward to warmer weather where pantyhose (and a coat!) are optional.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Now THIS is church!

A neat, new service, camaraderie, pizza & beer (!) and Red Carpet on the tv? I think I am really starting to like this church! I'm glad I made the decision to start going back - I just didn't know I'd be welcomed so soon.

Frankfort, Indiana


Eight years after I wore a pink ballgown and white satin gloves at the 2001 Valparaiso's Junior Miss, I finally made it down to Frankfort, Indiana for the Indiana's Junior Miss competition. And, I'd like to say that things haven't changed much. The girls still do a fitness routine and smile at the judges as they do push ups on stage (so awkward!) and then sway back in forth during the poise and presence part at the end. I felt so fortunate to be invited. My dear friend Betsy was a judge at Saturday's competition. Her dad is president of the State Junior Miss Board. And, it's impressive how the entire town of Frankfort embraces Junior Miss. I loved it!

Post competition, all the folks who had a part in putting on Junior Miss met up at a lovely little bar called The Island. In all honesty, The Island is a double wide trailer converted into a small town bar - complete with holiday themed decorations in the entry way! The Island was followed by a trip to The Scoreboard - an equally dive-y bar with a dj and a dance floor. Watch out!

At four in the morning, I was back at Betsy's house, rolling around on the floor with the four little dachshunds (oh - I almost forgot to mention Frankfort's high school mascot is the Hot Dog!) and eating lukewarm pizza. An end to a GREAT night! Thanks Betsy!!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

And then he was gone...

And just like that, he was gone. There were no long goodbyes and no reminiscing of the fun times we shared. Just a phone call from the car that he bought a house and he was on his way down.

And the emotions I'm feeling are so bizarre. I'm sad, cause it is the end of our book. I'm happy - because I think this move was necessary. And, in a weird way, I'm jealous.

Monday, February 16, 2009

She said WHAT???

So there I am, at my annual doctor's appointment chitchatting with my doctor. My doctor is a nice lady who wants her patients to not only be healthy but also to have an active social life. So, as she and I are discussing me being single, she pointedly asks, "Well, have you tried online dating?" During. The. Exam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Feels Like Home to Me....



I would like to congratulate my mother's old crockpot for still producing some damn good beef stew after all these years. The dear crockpot may not have a lid, and it is struggle to clean, but it's cooked meals for over 25 years! Hooray!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Three Yogurt Parfaits in Two Days


Any respectable breakfast event has several key components: LOTS of coffee, coat racks, a good crowd of familiar faces, muffins and yogurt parfaits. I went to several breakfast events last week, and the yogurt parfaits were definitely the standouts. I was at one event for so long, I had a yogurt parfait for breakfast (along with some banana bread that can only be described as orgasmic) and another parfait for lunch.

Three cheers for parfaits!!!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Psyche!


It used to be that the first signal of spring for me was seeing my first robin of the season. Well, robins these days are totally psyching me out! Guess how many robins I saw this past Saturday, February (yes - february!) 7th? Three! I saw three robins, which should mean that Spring has sprung, right? WRONG! It's February, there's a thunderstorm taking place outside my window right now and temperatures are supposed to drop back to the 30s in a few days. I feel like I'm on some kind of weird seasonal roller coaster...

So, robins - go back to wherever you spend your winters and don't show yourselves until Spring really has sprung!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

"It's the end of the world as we know it!"




If I was given only two foods to eat for the rest of my life, this is what I would choose to eat. I would also be one big fatty. "Healthy Fat" my big fat ass....

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Oh. My. Hell.


Dear City of Indianapolis,

That white stuff that's been falling from the sky this past week? That's called snow. And, it's a pretty common occurrence this time of year in this part of the world. So, if it's so common, why are you and your 60 snowplows having trouble clearing the roads??

Seriously. I know there are a lot of roads to plow, but I would like to see a bit more effort. Driving on slippery slush does not mean the roads are clean. It just means everyone is going to slip that much more as they turn in an intersection.

Also, I finally realized something: your inefficiency to clear the roads has bred an entire city of stupid drivers. They either drive too fast and then can't stop or they drive so slow a tortoise could pass them on the left. Those Indy residents who learned to drive in Indy and have lived here their whole lives really lose all skill once the snow starts to fall.

And, because of the slush and the stupid drivers, commutes that normally take thirty minutes now take an hour and half. I HATE sitting in my car that long in the morning! In fact, I've taken to doing bizarre things as I sit in traffic and look at brake lights (writing to-do lists and exercising a certain "muscle" comes to mind...)

With that said, I'd like to take a moment to proudly proclaim that I am a Region Rat. This title means that I not only say all my vowels in my nose and know where the Perogi/Pork/Blueberry/Popcorn Festival takes place each year, but I also grew up experiencing lake effect snow that would inevitably dump inches upon inches of snow on Lake, Porter and LaPorte County. ALL. THE. TIME.

This also means that I learned how to drive during the cruel and nasty winters in the Region. I even mastered the fine art of sliding through a stoplight at just the right moment so that my car wouldn't spin out. That takes some mad skill! (Sidenote: my driving instructor father would not be proud of my running a light, but he is VERY proud of my snow driving abilities. And, he knows how crappy Indy is with snow removal, so he gifted me special snow tires this year! Thanks, Pops!)

So, as I look out my window at the slush covered streets and not-so-secretly dream of warm days and flip flops, I rest assured knowing that I can take those mean streets. It's everyone else that pisses me off.