I want.

These adorable Japanese homemade dolls are called kokeshi. I collect dolls, so I am instantly drawn to them.... They are almost like Russian nesting dolls with the wooden/painted aspects. Adorable. They make me all girly/happy inside. I'm going to either try to make them or I will have to go on a quest for them!

I did it.

Sometimes in life there are those moments

"time grabs you by the wrists / directs you where to go"

You have to make the changes needed. You have to seriously evaluate the unhappy factors.

"go confidently in the direction of your dreams"

sooooooooooooooooooo

.
.
.

I quit my job today. February 29th is my last day ("leap" day. get it? yeah? too barfy? k. noted). I have no other job lined up. I will have March / April / May for myself (with some adventures in the works) and then LIFE will really be stirred up. I worked 305 hours of overtime in 2007 and I do not like the person who worked 305 hours of overtime in 2007. I would cry on the commute home, write awful sad blogs, and not want to talk to ANYONE else but bubs most days. This is me we're talking about. Me not wanting to talk to people is indicative of some serious issues.

But now? Now I'm REALLY excited about this all.

Stay tuned...

The trendz. I notize.

1) We dine out frequently
2) I watch Food network ALL the time
3) I watch Top Chef on Bravo (and every Top Chef off-season specials. w00t!)

Given the above three, I've started noticing certain food trends. I'm amused so I will share here.

CAVATAPPI pasta.

Seriously this pasta must have people who know people who pay people to off people and BOOM cavatappi all up in this joint. There is nothing wrong with this pasta (take note above mentioned "people"). In fact, tonight I did enjoy a delicious bowl of seafood alfredo on cavatappi (here) It's just amazing how it is EVERYWHERE so suddenly. Where the crap was this pasta before? Did people suddenly take delight in learning Cavatappi means "corkscrews" in Italian? *shakes head in bewilderment* For now, you do not search for Cavatappi, Cavatappi will find you. It's got people.


WHITE TRUFFLE. (I should have posted what they really look like!) This shit is the crack fairy dust of happiness to every meal apparently (and your hair??!?!?) White truffle oil, shavings, sprinkles, etc make an appearance in almost every competition and snootyish food establishment. You wouldn't think it would impress after awhile. How good can white truffle taste paired with something like a water chestnut. Chefs just gotta draw the line somewhere.... (hmmm... wondering what white truffle PB & J sandwiches would taste like? ) My only question is, "why's it always gotta be 'bout color"?


CILANTRO
I feel like cilantro is the trend-herb of the moment. mmmmmm... I really enjoy cilantro. Some people think it tastes like tin, but they clearly are 2 margaritas shy of where I'm at. Cilantro can make the worst hole in the city all fresh-faced and glorious with one sprig.





_

*** Seriously sidetrack with me for a moment (wait, you don't have a choice. HAHA). There is a hole of an establishment just up the street from my work. This place is awful. I don't think they could even steal the cilantro from the rats to serve it. The food is on paper plates, the nasiest salsa is from greasy squeeze bottles, sour cream is served in packets ((WTF!)), the meat has small children in it, and the chips are clearly stolen from some homeless shanty world. One meal. 2 bites. No thank you. Finally, there are the stuffed bunnies / stuffed bunny heads nail gunned to the wall. Frightening. They must have been dragged from the sewers of Tijuana.

The ONLY saving grace is, of course, the margaritas. Served in pitchers. *get excited with me* NO ICE. no ice! hellz yeah. Ice must be too 'spensive but the tequila FREEEEEEEE FLOWING. wheeeee.

ANYWAY, without fail, if I mention to someone the street where I work, they'll start getting all excited and go ON AND ON about this awful place. People from all over this forsaken country. without fail. *shakes head*

I'll paste a review here: "I love the chopped steak tacos, tostadas, margaritas, refried beans, rice, etc.... Sure the atmosphere may not be the greatest, but you can't eat atmosphere can you? Who cares if you eat off of paper plates? That is part of the charm of this establishment. I have been there several times and have never had a bad meal yet. You definitely need to try this place out for yourself, rather than rely on the negative reviews of others."

What did he experience?! I wanna know. I wanna know what all these ravers ate to get them all into girlish tizzies.

Ugh. Please rely on my negative review. Stick to the pitchers of margaritas. Ignore the creepy bunnies nailed to the wall if they start talking you. Mumble something about no ice. They'll go away.

end sidetrack

Finally, only because:
1) It's funny
2) I have more trends, but now I'm kinda tired out from my sidetrack blog

I give you ....

BOBBY FLAY BLUE CORN
Blue corn would like to give a shout out to The Flay for extending the contract, the illicit love affair, the long and legendary career it now has, smoking in the boys room, and the pet llama. Bobby "I really do suck at the throwdowns" Flay would like to thank blue corn for, well, providing the world with a sprinkle of amusement. Bobby Flay tries to make blue corn a foodie trend, but fails. Try the homeless shanty technique Flay, it might make the world more excited about you...


Yeah, I'm tired. Stay tuned for more foodie trend goodness. I hope I don't get sidetracked

Family // Football // MLK

Family

I went home this weekend without bubs (but in the bub's vehicle! SCORE!). I had a night of quesadillas with the girls AND the most adorablest nephew Jonah (thats his bubble bath pic on my blog under "things that make me happy.") Jonah is the most joyable little bugger. He wanted me to play with him, but I hadn't finished eating. So he goes really quiet, stares at me while I'm eating, and started singing the cutest little "ho-hum-hum" tune. Alissa laughs and tells him to wait in the other room. Tactics change. He launches into a fit about how I am sitting on HIS STOOL. OH THE HORROR. Even when he is "pitching" a toddler fit, it is still adorable. (Only Jonah can pull this off) Quesadillas were put down and I played a long time with him. We read a ton of very long Sesame Street books. Pretty soon they were shortened into 4 words per page. He's put to bed after we all assure him that there are NO GHOSTS THERE. NOTHING SCARY THERE. THERE IS NOTHING IN THAT SPOT IN THAT PART OF THE ROOM. NOTHING MOVING HERE.
Then Sheepshead was played (hello northern Wisconsin!). A night well spent.


(ooh plus Andrea reserved the coolest earrings for me from her HOMEMADE jewelry collection. I LOVE THEM)






_______________________________

Onward to football

From a friend's blog:
"It is hard to imagine a football team having a major effect on the attitudes of so many of your students and co-workers. However, living in Wisconsin, that just comes with the territory. As the green and gold do, so does your Monday morning attitude..."

I did sit up this morning and really wonder if the whole amazing season really ended.... It did. Say it aint's so. I still think the Packers had an awesome season. So heart-warming. It just wasn't in the stars. Send the Giants up to the Patriot slaughterhouse. Let Eli get some friggin commercial deals instead of fancy-pants Peyton (Payton?).


__________________________________________________

Finally, MLK.

HOPE AND CHANGE are very big themes right now (did you hear it is 2008? Election year? The Official George W. Bush "Days Left In Office" Countdown: 363 DAYS 23 Hrs 45 Min 15.5 Sec ? Consider yourself informed). I think the best modern example we have of a person who brought hope and change to very big issues is MLK. It makes me emotional thinking about the hope and change he brought in a tumultuous era. It makes me wonder how I can mix in hope and sprinkle change in my life. It makes me sad that there ever were these issues. It makes me dream the big dreams and know how important it is to dream. It makes me spiritual and enlightened to hear his words.

How do we ever pay proper honor to this person on this day? Bring hope and "be the change you wish to see in the world..."

fantabulous chillaxin....

A cute evening:

Me: Lemondroptini
Him: Blue Kamikaze

Silly conversation ensues

Me: Frenchtini
Him: Appletini

Even sillier conversation ensues

Home. Playin computer games. Crushing on my boy.


Sleep.

Hmpf. I thought I called it again.

OK. For the 2nd week in a row I just had this "KNOWINGLY" feeling that Rickey was a goner on PR. I was preparing for the weepiness, the sad regret I would feel about how he BLAH BLAH BLAH something, etc. Alas, I was wrong. Poor Kit. Is it weird that I loved her exit? So gracefully sweet. The real story here though: DANG, Rami. quit friggin draping on drapes on every thing that moves in this world. I'm SO over it. Your draping weird dress last week was ugly and your "avant garde" piece this week was drapingly-boring. drap-I-mean-yawn. I secretly was hoping for Rami to be DRAPED and outta there, but I swear that Rickey is to be auffed soon... He just doesn't really sew too well if you haven't noticed. I bet he makes really awesome lingerie, but sister can't sew an even waist.

Anyway, PR is the only good thing about today. It was a fun show. So I blogged about it. Now I wish to drape myself in sheets and get some sleep. How avantay-garday of moi.

AUF WIEDERSEHEN!

Monkey on my back

I did not like today at all.

I will revisit life tomorrow and give a full-on report then.

Thank you very much.