What is this???

    One day this shiny vessel just appeared in the entryway at work.  My first inclination was that it was a massive coffee urn.  Then I pictured my Janis Joplin mug underneath it getting blasted to smithereens by the tight valves.

      All sorts of weird things pop up at Angie's List.  Remember the diner that  currently just sits and takes up parking spaces while it waits for permits?  The day East Market Street opened backed up after a long construction period, our CEO called for a parade with his classic cars, beer, and a band...at 10:00 AM on a Thursday.  My manager is just as perplexed by this stainless steel surprises and guesses that maybe it is used to home brew beer.  I'd buy that, but for real...what is this thing???

***MOOSE UPDATE*** He and Lilli enjoyed braided, vanilla chewies from Three Dog Bakery last night and now his stomach is all jacked up again.  90-beefy-lbs of sensitive is what Moose is.  Erin found a blanket/wrap for anxious dogs and suggested Moose wear one.  I told her that Lilli is fat.

Sisters

    I adore A White Christmas mostly because of the scene with Betty and Judy singing Sisters.  "Sisters.  Sisters.  There were never such devoted sisters." You'll have to pardon me for being a bit sappy, but I am feeling sappy, so sappy it is.

Aunt Nancy and Mom (Karen)

   My sister and I fought horribly growing up.  We had rules like "No kicking in the back.  The back is off limits."  My mother promised that someday we'd be best friends.  She said that she and my Aunt Nancy did and said nasty things to each other when they were younger but one day they just became friends.  Now they call each other pretty much everyday, multiple times a day.  I know whatever I tell my mother usually falls on Aunt Nancy's ears.  Recently, I was getting ready to drop a bomb on my mom and ran it by Aunt Nancy first because I knew she'd be able to guide me for minimal impact.  They know each other inside and out; they don't agree on everything and are actually very different in many ways.  They just compliment each other so well.  I have always admired their relationship.

Me and Boo

     Today, I treasure my sister and never want her to hurt...and promise never to kick her in her back or scratch the crap out of her arms or say anything with venom.  Today, I promise to love my sister, my strong, ridiculously brilliant sister, Beth, Bether, Boo, who will never not be my big sister.  I think I have pretty much taken for granted that she'll be there - no matter what.  Lord knows I have tested her...and she is still always there.  We've become a little more balanced in our relationship - sometimes I get to give guidance and advice, but the best days are when we just ride out life along side one another.  Thank you, sister, for being my rock!!!





***MOOSE UPDATE*** GOOD BOY.  I was gone all weekend so Erin had to suffer through his stanky gas as he got over his stomach issues.  Erin says I made it worse by giving him scrambled eggs.  Moose is well now.  Just a note, when someone says please don't feed my dog table scraps, PLEASE DON'T FEED THEM TABLE SCRAPS!

Recent Gastro Delights

Baked Fish over Pasta and Red Sauce

Followed by heaven's answer to my barely satiable urges for my recently ordered boxes of Do-Si-Dos and Tagalongs that just can't get here fast enough.

Sorry for the lamest post ever, but I am exhausted beyond exhausted.  MOOSE got up four times last night with an upset stomach.  Poor fella.  Tired mama!  He enjoyed a nice rice, scrambled egg, and cottage cheese dinner.

The Art of Balancing Kitchen Glass

Google Maps, Thanks!

This is another title I have been carrying around for years - 11 years to be exact.  I mastered the art of balancing kitchen glass while living in San Diego with my dear friend, Jenn.  Jenn and I grew up together - junior high, high school, and were roommates senior year at Indiana University.  We planned to conquer San Diego together, too.  Our landlords said they were hesitant about renting to us because in their years of experience things didn't usually work out well for Midwestern transplants straight out of college claiming to have an unshakable friendship (come to think of it, my landlord in Seattle said something similar about my boyfriend at the time and I moving in together.  Is there landlord school to say this crap - that all became foreshadowing?!). 
     Jenn and I convinced them that we were rock solid.  Well, after a few months of cramming all the gin and vodka we could in our freezer and in our sun-baked bodies, things got a little rough around our little beach apartment.  There would be a stalemate visible in our kitchen sink (similar to the photo below which is actually just a result of me cleaning out my car last week.)  The coffee pot would wobble on the top, but I refused to bring it to safety because I had done it the last time!  One of us would finally cave in a put all the cocktail glasses and the two plates and bowls we owned back into the cabinet.  It was all so very fragile in that little apartment.  

Finally cleaned out my car...was out of coffee cups.

     "How could two girls be so angry living that close to the beach in the sunniest, most beautiful part of this country with the world as their oyster," you ask? Well, I can only speak for myself - I was naive about being out on my for the first time (2,500 miles from home) and fearful of failure yet felt invincible half the time.  I was drunk as a skunk a majority of the nights and weekends and felt I had better intuition than everyone around me and was sure to tell you that, too.  It took a couple of years for Jenn and I to bounce back from that shattered scene.  
    By God's good grace, Jenn and I just spent the day on this past Christmas Eve doing last minute shopping when she visited from Maine.  The fact that our friendship eventually endured the madness has made it a special gift that I won't ever put in such risky formations as those that used to appear in our kitchen sink.


***MOOSE UPDATE*** Snoring and running in his sleep.  I sure wish I knew what he was dreaming about when his paws go all wild.

Bride Sarah

   This is Sarah and Carrie, two of my dearest friends who happen to be cousins and who both happened to get engaged within a couple months of each other.  Both are getting married this year.  Sarah is going to have an Indianapolis wedding and Carrie is off to a warm destination wedding.  Much planning to do!  I have the honor of standing up in Sarah's wedding as a bridesmaid this summer and jumped at the chance to join these ladies and Sarah's mom (Carrie's Aunt Susan) to a recent bridal show. 

Let's just say none of us really had any clue how overwhelming this event would be.  Holy wedding cake sugar attack!  Sarah's eyes glassed over as she meandered from booth to booth.  I trailed behind a with a positive attitude filling out contest entry cards for Sarah (oh, and laser hair removal for me.)  Aunt/Mom Susie, Carrie, and I kept an upbeat attitude and listed the achievements of our day - we gathered a crap load of information, we now know we got to get cracking on the July wedding date, and we discovered some wonderful photographers who had pricing ready. All that sugar called for a real meal, so we headed to Creation Cafe on the canal.  

Here Sarah let us know just how overwhelmed she was.Not to worry, dear Sarah.  Your brides maids and mother are here to bring on the cheer!  We ended the day on a very good note by visiting the wedding location and taking in the vision Sarah has for her big day.  No matter what, Sarah will be stunning and people will gather to celebrate the love she so deserves and has finally found.  I am truly honored to be a part of it all.  

*I am assuming that I am invited to Carrie's destination wedding and will then tell you all about that once I know all about that.

***MOOSE UPDATE***

Nothing new or interesting but I LOVE HIM.  

My Client Calls

I have nothing to share with you folks tonight because my client needs me to rewrite some web content.  You like that?  See how natural that sounded? Well, my client is actually one of my best friends from college that is a designer that just needs a little help for an upcoming trade show where she will be featuring her fantastic line, Earthen.  I wrote a little blurb for her and can you believe she had the audacity to ask me to rework it?! I mean, she really is like a client.  For real though, she is super talented and I am honored that she thought of me to help. Check her out! (I did not write anything that is currently on her website)

Moose and His Ladies

***WARNING*** Adult Content...kind of...not really...but maybe sort of.

Moose gets around with the ladies.  I already told you he's been cheating by sleeping in Erin's bed.  Here's proof:

He's always more than willing to butter up our guests as you can see with Carrie and Carrie.  I didn't realize till just now that he has a thing for Carries...hmmm.

          

And of course, he gets lots of sugar from Aunt Beth.

But Lilli is his special lady and he really knows how to light up her eyes.

Now, there is more to this photo but my mother said I may not get hired at some job someday if I posted the rest.  Let's just say that Moose is in photo, too.

Soyummygooeygood Cheeseburger

   My dear friend, Joel, took me to lunch at Workingman's Friend (WF)
today.  This Indianapolis institution is a very special place - tucked away of the main streets, old, seedy, and the provider of the best cheeseburger I have ever had.  The photos may help you to better understand if you have never checked out this treasure spot.  
 It is located on the corner of shady and whathehell and is adorned with a few bullet holes.  Workingman's Friend let's you know right up to adjust your expectations if you have any walking in the door.
     WF is typically packed at lunch time, so we decided to go late.  It was in fact not packed, perhaps also due to the snow that fell all day on Naptown.  Good news was that we found a seat right away and were greeted by our kind server, Amy, in a timely fashion.  The only decision I needed to make was Double with or without the middle bun.  Amy suggested without the bun with a side of beer battered onion rings...and so it was.

 Yep. It tasted as good as it looks.  Move over Steak-n-Shake...move over! When I wasn't busy shoveling in this delight or wiping my face and hands with a napkin, there was time to enjoy a little Rod Stewart from the Jukebox, take in our surroundings, and admire the vintage fresh-air machine. Catching up with Joel was also of course a very nice part of this lunch.  He then told me that he is "addicted" to my blog.  Joel quickly topped the double cheeseburger that he so kindly bought for me.  

Pretty awesome lunch for Tuesday, 1.11.11.

THE END

***MOOSE UPDATE***

Super sleepy GOOD BOY!  He went to daycare today and walked straight in the door and plopped on the couch.  He got up just to eat his dinner and do his business outside.  He is running in his sleep next to me right now.  Erin has shut her door to minimize distractions due to her new, super-early mornings and so my boy is back in bed with me.

All Write Already!

     Today I did a little research on graduate programs - MBA, M.A. in Journalism, and MFA in Creative Writing.  The rest of the day a little voice ran through my head, "MFA. MFA. MFA."  When I talked to Erin this evening, I told her about my new inspiration, and she said "And then do what?"  
     "Well, write," I said.  


     Could I become gainfully employed with such a degree?  Could I write a book that might get published?  Could I freelance? Would I be happy? Would I fail? Will they even accept me? Oh, crap, the last 20-page story I wrote was 11 years ago...I don't have digital copy...maybe Mom will type it up for me with her super fast typing skills...maybe...then I'd have to tell her why I want it (just did; didn't I?) Oh, geez, I need some direction.


     This is how my heads spins and then I freeze...do nothing and keep on doing the same ol', same ol'.  Some wise people told me that if I want something I have never had, then I have to do something I have never done.  Truth is, I don't even know if a MFA in Creative Writing is right for me but I am ready some changes up in here!

Declutter Update

After

Before

My dear friend, Nicole, came over last night and put a fire under my rear to organize my room.  It took less than an hour and I wasn't nearly as freaked out as I was the time my mother helped to organize my closet.  To others, my piles may seemed unorganized but I know where everything is...most of the time...some of the time.  This was a huge feat and I am grateful for the nudge.
     Nicole is an Interior Designer and has knack for hanging artwork, so she helped with that as well.  We tried to hang my favorite large, floral piece above my bed.  The wall is hard plaster and was taking kindly to the nails.  I was left with a big, blah of a white wall.  

  Then I remembered that I had this lovely original piece that my 5-year-old friend, Alex, created for my birthday.  This piece was drawn with Crayola Crayons on recycled paper.  It is large, colorful, and cheerful and is an excellent temporary stand-in until I either get a new piece (thinking of making something myself) or find a way through the hard plaster.  Let's take a closer look at Alex's work, shall we? 

Several "M's" appear in honor of...ME.  Hearts, flowers, suns, and smiles dance across the paper.

This next section I believe features a nose rainbow and a monogrammed, yellow skirt.  It's really a special piece.  Wouldn't you agree?  I mean, the SUN is too cool for school.

Alex's gift melted my heart and is a true treasure!  Nicole taking time to help me get my room (and life) together tops my list of gratitude for the day.  Good stuff!

***MOOSE UPDATE*** GOOD BOY

Help!

Dear me, I have been trying to post a stinking post for well over an hour now but I kept getting this loading symbol in my editor. I cleared my cache...that's the first time I have done that on my own without a prompt from the IT Department. Didn't work. But, what do you know, Blogger has a Help Forum?! Low and behold, several other bloggers are experiencing the same problem...and they had a solution. I love solutions. Now, it is well past my bedtime and I will have to save the post for tomorrow. Hasta manana.

***MOOSE UPDATE*** Sleeping with Erin and I don't like it. He went to camp today and got to snuggle with his buddy Jason while Erin and he watched "Salt." I can hear him snoring in her room.

Trend Watch - Clutter Control

The dollar bins at Tarjzay shed all the holiday chotskies this week and in came the organizers, calendars, and pens.  Folks have been buying storage bin after storage bin along with free weights, yoga mats, Pilates videos, Shake Weights (As Seen on TV), and exercise apparel.  It's nice to see all these people getting their lives together. 

Someone asked me today what resolutions I have made for 2011.  Is that the year? Heck, I am still singing Christmas carols (truth be told, I sing them in June as well.)  I feel totally detached from the turn of the New Year and have not set one single, clear goal.  Erin, on the other hand, has stripped Christmas from our home and de-cluttered our "common areas" in a serious way today.  The piles of clean and dirty laundry, Christmas gifts in their gift bags, an unused stereo, a storage bin of all my Spain memorabilia, and other misplaced items are caving in on me in my room.  I need a clean sweep intervention!  My mother always tells me that a messy house is a messy mind - so on point with that one - can't even talk about my car - okay, a toaster is in my car - a freaking toaster!  Perhaps, I could create some goals if I clear all this clutter.  Perhaps.

* I'd like to address my inconsistent blogging...I suck.  No excuses.  I suck.  Please don't give up on me!

***MOOSE UPDATE*** Quite the GOOD BOY!  He has been snuggly and sweet.  Erin took Moosilli (Moose+Lilli, like Brangelina, only with eight legs instead of two) to a park today.