~Radiohead ("bodysnatchers"...NOTE: the new album is AMAZING!)
As if this day needed more stress or negativity...
i returned home from a rough work week to open an envelope detailing my first quarter investment returns, since i just started my first 401K in October. i know, i know....i'm an adult now! Apparently one who is totally screwed when it comes to investment....
i saw $(6.55) on my returns, and for some reason thought that because i didn't see a negative sign, i was in the clear. Oh, innocence. Okay, losing 6 bucks isn't too bad, but because each and every one of my directives cost me money except for my 30% in interest, this was a good incentive to get online and take a look at what i'm doing with my large chunk of change i'm setting aside each month for retirement.
Then, the shit hit the veritable fan. Apparently, for those of you who follow the stock market as little as i do, the market is a complete disaster right now. According to my dad, whom (i have to admit) i called immediately, our country is heading towards this little thing some call a "recession." i thought $6.55 was bad? Try $90.96 in the hole now. Blast. That means i've lost almost $85 in TWO FREAKING WEEKS.
What a way to start 2008. i ended up changing everything, in a move my dad defined as "chasing gains." Hopefully this quarter, i won't be seeing the evil parentheses. If i do, at least i know where i keep my beer.
1.08.2008
it's a bad day...it's a snow day
~Lisa Loeb ("Snow Day")
Every 2 weeks, my roommate and i switch off in the garage. As lack of luck would have it, this is my week to be outside and i'm pretty sure little red isn't too stoaked about it:
If you can't see it in the photo, let me paint a picture for you: two foot plus snow drifts, crazy wind, at least a foot of powder on the sidewalks and no plowers anywhere in sight. According to the newspaper, they plow neighborhoods if we have 2 or more inches....hmmm. This is the closest to a blizzard i've ever experienced: three days of almost continual snow and wind. "Luckily" i got a little sick last night, so staying home wasn't hard to justify. i'm pretty sure this winter storm will cure me of dreaming for a white Christmas ever again. Weirdly, i don't even feel like going outside and making a snowman!
i guess this is what you get when you live at almost 4000 feet...
i guess this is what you get when you live at almost 4000 feet...
1.06.2008
You see, I just gotta have a tostada, carne asada, that's right I want the whole enchilada
~Old School Weird Al (so awesome)
Good cooking runs deep in my family, and well before my brother started rivaling Emeril every night, i enjoyed playing hostess in college while trying new recipes or making my own. i love cooking for other people, but, like most people, not so much for myself so these last two years have seen less inventive cooking...until this weekend!
i hosted youth group leadership meeting at my place and instead of getting takeout for 14 people, i decided to do a little mexican fiesta (replacing churros with snickerdoodles, which were an INSANE hit)! so, i thought i'd share the recipe that i adapted from a few others i found on allrecipes...it was very tasty!
Chicken Enchiladas
(serves 10-15 people, depending on side dishes and appetites!)
saute 3 medium onions, one green and one red bell pepper, several cloves of garlic, parsely, oregano, and black pepper (i did it in a wok to hold the huge volume) until veggies are cooked and slightly blackened. add 6 cooked (boiling works well) and shredded chicken breasts to the veggies. in a seperate bowl, mix several cups of salsa (i prefer chunky) with a large can (28 oz)of enchilada sauce...go as hot as you dare. to the meat/veggies, add 4-6 cups of sauce mix and stir until everything is mixed well. keep on medium heat and slowly stir in shredded cheese (the mexican 4 cheese blend is phenomenal) until the mixture is thick and cheese is melted. i found i needed to add some water because there was so much chicken, and i probably used 4-5 cups of cheese, which admittedly was a bit much (although it tasted wonderful)...so, add as much cheese as you want. this sauce can be made the night before and refrigerated.
preheat oven to 375 and spray the bottom of a large casserole dish with non-stick spray. add 2-3 large spoonfuls of the meat/sauce/veggie mix into a 10 inch flour or corn tortilla (i prefer flour, and they're easier to roll up) and place seam down in dish. i fit 9 enchiladas in one 9X13 casserole dish, and made 24 total with this much chicken mixture. when all enchiladas are rolled and ready, top with the leftover sauce mixture and the rest of the cheese. cook about 30 or so minutes uncovered. cheese will brown and the enchiladas will be perfectly crispy on top after cooling. serve with pico, sour cream, lettuce, chips, whatever you want. they turned out awesome for me and were a huge hit, although a bit too wimpy (yet still very flavorful) for me since there is not HOT enchilada sauce in oregon...
Enjoy!
Good cooking runs deep in my family, and well before my brother started rivaling Emeril every night, i enjoyed playing hostess in college while trying new recipes or making my own. i love cooking for other people, but, like most people, not so much for myself so these last two years have seen less inventive cooking...until this weekend!
i hosted youth group leadership meeting at my place and instead of getting takeout for 14 people, i decided to do a little mexican fiesta (replacing churros with snickerdoodles, which were an INSANE hit)! so, i thought i'd share the recipe that i adapted from a few others i found on allrecipes...it was very tasty!
Chicken Enchiladas
(serves 10-15 people, depending on side dishes and appetites!)
saute 3 medium onions, one green and one red bell pepper, several cloves of garlic, parsely, oregano, and black pepper (i did it in a wok to hold the huge volume) until veggies are cooked and slightly blackened. add 6 cooked (boiling works well) and shredded chicken breasts to the veggies. in a seperate bowl, mix several cups of salsa (i prefer chunky) with a large can (28 oz)of enchilada sauce...go as hot as you dare. to the meat/veggies, add 4-6 cups of sauce mix and stir until everything is mixed well. keep on medium heat and slowly stir in shredded cheese (the mexican 4 cheese blend is phenomenal) until the mixture is thick and cheese is melted. i found i needed to add some water because there was so much chicken, and i probably used 4-5 cups of cheese, which admittedly was a bit much (although it tasted wonderful)...so, add as much cheese as you want. this sauce can be made the night before and refrigerated.
preheat oven to 375 and spray the bottom of a large casserole dish with non-stick spray. add 2-3 large spoonfuls of the meat/sauce/veggie mix into a 10 inch flour or corn tortilla (i prefer flour, and they're easier to roll up) and place seam down in dish. i fit 9 enchiladas in one 9X13 casserole dish, and made 24 total with this much chicken mixture. when all enchiladas are rolled and ready, top with the leftover sauce mixture and the rest of the cheese. cook about 30 or so minutes uncovered. cheese will brown and the enchiladas will be perfectly crispy on top after cooling. serve with pico, sour cream, lettuce, chips, whatever you want. they turned out awesome for me and were a huge hit, although a bit too wimpy (yet still very flavorful) for me since there is not HOT enchilada sauce in oregon...
Enjoy!
1.05.2008
Happy Birthday Sweet 16
~Neil Sedaka ("happy birthday sweet 16")
On a whim last night (yeah, you could say i was a little bored), i took the RealAge test for fun. i was on pins and needles (but not really) all night to find out if i was "older" or "younger" than my chronological age due to health, hygiene, life risks and family history. i was surprised to see this evening when i checked my email that my age was indeed younger. How much younger, you ask?
15.9
Wow. At the ripe old age of 23.5 (yes, i still celebrate my half birthday every New Years Day, shut up!), being 7.6 years younger than i really am is hardly something i can get pumped about! All my friends who are nearing 30 keep telling me to enjoy being so young, but every birthday, i can't help but wonder what it will be like to be one year older - i'm always looking forward, i guess you could say. Maybe it's because i've always felt that i have to wait until things really take off in my life. i'm beginning to see that's silly...
Anyhow, i found this amusing and thought i would share. Some things keeping me young (according to the test)? Vechicle size, no ovarian cancer in family, flexibility training, education level, and medication use (in that I use absolutely none). Things making me older? Social network and stress, driving speeds, flossing habits (hey! i floss now!), and low unsaturated fat. One thing that was refreshing to see on the lists of positives was "Ideal BMI." Even though we all know that BMI is a bunch of hogwash, since it seems i'm continually striving to be more healthy and thin, it's good to know i'm pretty healthy even now...
Anyways, i'm so excited for my sweet 16 party - it's going to be super neato! Maybe my parents will have Justin Timberlake come sing Happy Birthday to me! Or, even better, SexyBack.
On a whim last night (yeah, you could say i was a little bored), i took the RealAge test for fun. i was on pins and needles (but not really) all night to find out if i was "older" or "younger" than my chronological age due to health, hygiene, life risks and family history. i was surprised to see this evening when i checked my email that my age was indeed younger. How much younger, you ask?
15.9
Wow. At the ripe old age of 23.5 (yes, i still celebrate my half birthday every New Years Day, shut up!), being 7.6 years younger than i really am is hardly something i can get pumped about! All my friends who are nearing 30 keep telling me to enjoy being so young, but every birthday, i can't help but wonder what it will be like to be one year older - i'm always looking forward, i guess you could say. Maybe it's because i've always felt that i have to wait until things really take off in my life. i'm beginning to see that's silly...
Anyhow, i found this amusing and thought i would share. Some things keeping me young (according to the test)? Vechicle size, no ovarian cancer in family, flexibility training, education level, and medication use (in that I use absolutely none). Things making me older? Social network and stress, driving speeds, flossing habits (hey! i floss now!), and low unsaturated fat. One thing that was refreshing to see on the lists of positives was "Ideal BMI." Even though we all know that BMI is a bunch of hogwash, since it seems i'm continually striving to be more healthy and thin, it's good to know i'm pretty healthy even now...
Anyways, i'm so excited for my sweet 16 party - it's going to be super neato! Maybe my parents will have Justin Timberlake come sing Happy Birthday to me! Or, even better, SexyBack.
1.02.2008
let's get it started in here!
~Black-Eyed Peas (i know, it makes me cringe too)
Well, here we are in 2008. i may have to do my typical "year in review" blog at a later date. But, for now, suffice to say 2008 has already been quite surprising to me!
With all the busyness the last four months, i had given up on the possibility of applying to a Masters in Teaching program in time to start this year. But, some family members helped light a fire under my ass and yesterday at work (yeah, I had to come in for a bit on New Year's Day...whoopie) i spent about four hours checking out the specifics of applying to Seattle University's MIT program and figuring out how i can accomplish references, transcripts, essays, applications and other paperwork in less than a month, and then as quickly as possible take all the teacher tests in March. Whoa.
So, it's all but official: i'm applying to SU and hope to be in Seattle by the beginning of the summer! i need to make stuff happen this year or i'll go crazy! The only sad part is thinking about leaving my awesome church and new friends, but i've realized that contentment isn't enough and it's time to do this teacher thing. i also started applying to be a horse camp counselor for the summer at the church camp i went to my whole childhood...why not, right?
There you have it. Change is on the horizon and while nothing is certain, i'm pretty excited! Except the whole being back in school thing. Hopefully that'll grow on me.
I leave you with a hysterical paragraph from SU's online info about their application process:
"Both the autobiograhpical statement and the writing sample are evalluated on the basis of conent and prooper use of grammatical conventions. Here is a handout outlining some common MIT student writing errors."
Please tell me that was a joke.
Well, here we are in 2008. i may have to do my typical "year in review" blog at a later date. But, for now, suffice to say 2008 has already been quite surprising to me!
With all the busyness the last four months, i had given up on the possibility of applying to a Masters in Teaching program in time to start this year. But, some family members helped light a fire under my ass and yesterday at work (yeah, I had to come in for a bit on New Year's Day...whoopie) i spent about four hours checking out the specifics of applying to Seattle University's MIT program and figuring out how i can accomplish references, transcripts, essays, applications and other paperwork in less than a month, and then as quickly as possible take all the teacher tests in March. Whoa.
So, it's all but official: i'm applying to SU and hope to be in Seattle by the beginning of the summer! i need to make stuff happen this year or i'll go crazy! The only sad part is thinking about leaving my awesome church and new friends, but i've realized that contentment isn't enough and it's time to do this teacher thing. i also started applying to be a horse camp counselor for the summer at the church camp i went to my whole childhood...why not, right?
There you have it. Change is on the horizon and while nothing is certain, i'm pretty excited! Except the whole being back in school thing. Hopefully that'll grow on me.
I leave you with a hysterical paragraph from SU's online info about their application process:
"Both the autobiograhpical statement and the writing sample are evalluated on the basis of conent and prooper use of grammatical conventions. Here is a handout outlining some common MIT student writing errors."
Please tell me that was a joke.
12.17.2007
Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year
~Charlie Brown (“Christmastime is here”)...i’m listening to The New Frontiers, who do a great cover of it, too!
i’m not feeling it this year.
i can’t put my finger on it, but i have no “Christmas spirit” and it makes me sad. It also necessitates reflection.
It could be that October, November and December have been the three busiest consecutive months of my life and i haven’t had time to even stop and think about the holidays, or more importantly, the “reason for the season” as some like to title it. But, many people use that excuse, and that’s not ample enough for me. It also could be the fact that this is the first time in my life i will only be home for a week surrounding Christmas. The five years i was in college, i was lucky enough to be home for the vast majority of December, so this is a new experience for me. Sure, i threw a white-elephant Christmas party on Friday (it didn’t disappoint with a couple of inappropriate t-shirts, a metal bird sculpture and plastic beaded santa figurines), listen to Christmas music every chance i get (i’m loving Sufjan Stevens’ Christmas albums this year), have made two batches of traditional Klug cookies, and hell, we even have a tree and decorations at our house, thanks to my roommate. But yet it doesn’t feel right. i remember things felt a little off last year, too.
i certainly am disgusted by materialism, and this undoubtedly is a big reason for my lack of yuletide joy. i did my only “day” of shopping on Saturday and couldn’t handle it after about 1.5 hours. i’m pretty sure it’s a good thing to realize that presents don’t matter, just as getting your Christmas cards sent off punctually, having a spotless and perfectly decorated home, throwing the best party and making the tastiest cookies don’t.
Perhaps i’m being too hard on Christmas. After all, what did it ever do to me but land me some (usually) sweet stuff and make me fat every year? i know some Christians who just treat “americanized christmas” as a totally separate entity from the real meaning and enjoy both for different reasons. i think i like that. There’s nothing wrong with giving gifts, having a reason to celebrate and catch up with friends and baking really great food. But, i keep wondering how Christmas ever turned into what it is today. The season of the most important birthday has turned into a stressful, obligatory, finance-stretching, month long period of one-upmanship and materialism. But, then again, folks appear to be happier during the season. In general, they are nicer to one another, and gift-giving is often a fun and positive gesture. That giving and slightly-less-selfish attitude is the “spirit” i’d like to see all year.
It may be obvious that my realism and skepticism is what’s ruining the holiday spirit for me, but possibly, it’ll turn out to be a good thing over time IF i actually take time to ponder advent and what this month truly means to my life and how it can change me. i think i’ve been contemplating these issues more this year because of my yearning to spend time abroad, which will probably land me in another country for some Christmases. i found myself writing a friend who will be spending the holidays in China and telling him i was actually jealous that he wasn’t surrounded with the American insanity that is christmas, because maybe it would be more real.
hopefully when i arrive home in Bellevue on Friday, my mindset will change. Either way, celebrating Christ’s birth is something i want to focus on more. now, if only i didn’t have a party every night this week...
12.11.2007
You run like a river runs to the sea
-U2 (“One Tree Hill”)
November 25, 2007. A day I'll never forget:
4:40 am – I awake (after getting about 2 hours of sleep) to find my alarm had not been set for 4:30am, but rather 6:30am
5:00 am – I finish my breakfast of toast and a banana
5:45am – Leah finally crawls out of bed
6:00am – I take my first ever shot of espresso...followed by 2 more
6:15am – The running clothes go on
6:20am – I start to get nervous
6:21am – I begin to pee out those two liters of water I have drunk in the last 1.5 hours
6:25 – and again
6:30 - and again
6:35 – and again
6:40 - and one last time
6:45 – the troops head off a little later than we had hoped for the Seattle Center
7:20 – Alan, Leah and I arrive at the starting line (I have to pee like a racehorse, but the lines are so incredibly long that I know I won’t make it, so I hold it)
7:25 – Leah realizes she has no safety pins for her race number
7:28 – a few last pictures
7:30 – the gun goes off
7:35 – We finally cross the START line (6,000 people take a long time to get through!)
8:30 – I nervously try a few Clif Bloc Shots and take my first feed successfully!
8:45 – I get a little sick of all the geriatric runners passing me like I’m standing still
9:00ish – oh the hills...(one glove lost in the process)...not too bad
9:10 – people on the streets start offering donuts and gummy bears to the runners...gross...one guy right next to me grabs a Krispy Kreme and shoves it in his face
9:30 – I know I’m close and I pick up the pace in a serious way
9:54ish – I cross the finish line in a sprint, feeling awesome (and lose my hat)!
So, there you have it, friends. I can finally call myself a runner! Even though my time of 2:19.16 certainly does not indicate I have found a sport I can excel at, I am very happy that Leah and I both made it, I felt amazing, made my time goal, and finished feeling like I could run further. Adrenaline and training at elevation are two amazing things.
For all the unbelievably stupid things I did leading up to the race (only ran less than 10 miles in the two weeks prior, gained a ton of weight “carbo loading” for about 3 weeks, etc), I did several things right: ate on the run (thanks to my wise bro and dad), wore the perfect clothes, paced myself at the beginning, handled the hills right, drank enough water and had a blast! The Clif Bloc Shots assuredly saved my life – I highly recommend them.
The weather was awesome, and I even got to see several SPU friends who were running or watching! A great day and a fitting end to a fun week at home over my favorite holiday. It’s amazing what a person can do when they have motivation and put their mind to it...a good life lesson.
Oh, and I ended up running the whole race with a full bladder.
November 25, 2007. A day I'll never forget:
4:40 am – I awake (after getting about 2 hours of sleep) to find my alarm had not been set for 4:30am, but rather 6:30am
5:00 am – I finish my breakfast of toast and a banana
5:45am – Leah finally crawls out of bed
6:00am – I take my first ever shot of espresso...followed by 2 more
6:15am – The running clothes go on
6:20am – I start to get nervous
6:21am – I begin to pee out those two liters of water I have drunk in the last 1.5 hours
6:25 – and again
6:30 - and again
6:35 – and again
6:40 - and one last time
6:45 – the troops head off a little later than we had hoped for the Seattle Center
7:20 – Alan, Leah and I arrive at the starting line (I have to pee like a racehorse, but the lines are so incredibly long that I know I won’t make it, so I hold it)
7:25 – Leah realizes she has no safety pins for her race number
7:28 – a few last pictures
7:30 – the gun goes off
7:35 – We finally cross the START line (6,000 people take a long time to get through!)
8:30 – I nervously try a few Clif Bloc Shots and take my first feed successfully!
8:45 – I get a little sick of all the geriatric runners passing me like I’m standing still
9:00ish – oh the hills...(one glove lost in the process)...not too bad
9:10 – people on the streets start offering donuts and gummy bears to the runners...gross...one guy right next to me grabs a Krispy Kreme and shoves it in his face
9:30 – I know I’m close and I pick up the pace in a serious way
9:54ish – I cross the finish line in a sprint, feeling awesome (and lose my hat)!
So, there you have it, friends. I can finally call myself a runner! Even though my time of 2:19.16 certainly does not indicate I have found a sport I can excel at, I am very happy that Leah and I both made it, I felt amazing, made my time goal, and finished feeling like I could run further. Adrenaline and training at elevation are two amazing things.
For all the unbelievably stupid things I did leading up to the race (only ran less than 10 miles in the two weeks prior, gained a ton of weight “carbo loading” for about 3 weeks, etc), I did several things right: ate on the run (thanks to my wise bro and dad), wore the perfect clothes, paced myself at the beginning, handled the hills right, drank enough water and had a blast! The Clif Bloc Shots assuredly saved my life – I highly recommend them.
The weather was awesome, and I even got to see several SPU friends who were running or watching! A great day and a fitting end to a fun week at home over my favorite holiday. It’s amazing what a person can do when they have motivation and put their mind to it...a good life lesson.
Oh, and I ended up running the whole race with a full bladder.
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