Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Brittany, Austin

Coming soon!!!!!

Maybe.

But I AM moving to Austin. I can't deny my roots any longer.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Pioneer WOMAN!!!

Okay, I must have exhausted every social network resource I can think of, but in case you didn't know, my photo is on Pioneer Woman's website today!!!! I feel so happy. Be sure to check out comment number 11. I didn't hire her. I don't even KNOW her! (But I do know comment number 69...thanks Alison!)

The call was to upload your favorite portrait. I uploaded a few, thinking I had no chance as there were already close to 6,000 uploaded. But I am a dreamer of dreams!! And it paid off!



This is Nzingo. She is one of four children of the host family that I lived with for the last two months. Grayson, my awesome roommate, brought ring pops and Nzingo never stopped licking that thing, I swear. In fact, morning day I stepped on a sticky ring and I thought I'd put it in the trash so was very confused when I saw Nzingo sucking on it a little while later. That's when I freaked out and ACTUALLY threw it in the trash. But she sure did love it.

Two of my favorite things colliding...Africa and Pioneer Woman. Oh, what a beautiful day!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Do you have some free time?

Here it is. Every single picture I took while I was in Nairobi on one website PLUS bonus video! If you are bored and looking to pass the time, this is the way to go.

August in Nairobi

Have fun!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Number 64 SO HELP ME!

One day, a long time ago, I fell in love with a band. I don't remember how it happened, but it was instant. Everyone in my family knew, but only a few close friends new. I felt a little ashamed. Oh boy, am I about to dish some secrets.



I have a large imagination and when I was younger I was in a completely different world most of the time. I felt like if I invited certain friends over and they saw the Hanson and Babysitters Club posters on my wall, they'd somehow be transported into the world that I imagined everyday and then I'd be a complete outcast from society.

Sooo...that's about the time the Internet was becoming accessible to me. I remember I used to run home from school before my parents get home, log on, and hit up all my favorite Hanson websites. Then I'd talk to the three friends I met in a Hanson fan Yahoo group (Amy, who I met eventually at a concert but lost touch with, Kelly, who was also a huge Jane Austen fan, who I also lost touch with, and Amber, who's real name turned out to be Mikkele, who is my facebook friend - hi Mikkele). Finally, ugh, I'm cringing...finally...finally....I would print off as many pictures as I could before I heard my parents come home. I used up so much ink and paper. I felt convicted of it often. Such a bad person. Such a terrible thing to hide. But I kept doing it. And I have proof. Two large bins of my...collection...are in the attic of our house.

Mom, please don't throw them away?



But aside from my crazy, this band had some good impacts on me. Thankfully, they were influenced by some great legendary artists that I found myself researching out of curiosity. Jackson 5, James Taylor, Chuck Berry, and so on. And then I started writing music. And I started writing stories, and drawing pictures. And over the years I realized that music was where my life was headed. It was the one thing I never grew tired of. So now, twelve years later, I'm still a Hanson fan. And I really think their music helped put me on a path that has lead to me being here in New York, working in the music business.

So imagine how I felt when I got a call on a Friday afternoon - that I almost didn't even answer because we were about to close up - from Hanson's lawyer, saying that Hanson was going to come in for a meeting with my boss the following week.

Well I spent the next few days hyperventilating a little bit, just to get it out. Celebrities really don't make me nervous anymore but COME ON!!!!!!! I had to do my best to suppress every little thought that went through my head between the ages of twelve and twenty three sixteen years old. I had to keep my composure. I had to not throw up, which was definitely what I felt like I was going to do.

They came in and my boss told me to go out and greet them. So I did. I shook their hands and introduced myself, like a good executive assistant, and then I lost it. I started crying. Whimpering, even. I grabbed the closest brother to me and held on for dear life because for goodness sake THIS WAS MY CHANCE!!!!

Good story, right?

Alright, I lied. All I said was, "It's so nice to meet you, I'm a huge fan." And then it was like I mattered, and they looked interested and genuinely thankful and Isaac laughed and said, "Well you have terrible taste in music, but thanks!" And then he asked where the bathroom was. I make such an impression.

And then I shook hand with their dad. And then Taylor went directly to the piano and got in a zone and started playing. And then I just kind of stood around and watched and tried to be normal, then realized I was looking like a freak, so I went back to my desk. Then they followed me and went into my boss's office and I tried to pay attention to what was going on with my emails. Then they moved around the corner and played some new music that they brought in and I was dying to go in there and swipe it away, it was so good.

I did go in there, though, at my boss's request. I went to offer them water bottles. And this is where I really did feel like a FREAK as I stood in the middle of the room and offered water to a bunch of confused looking faces, which I didn't understand, until I saw that everyone was already holding water bottles. And then I did the Linus walk back to my desk.

They left two hours later. I was happy. And I crossed something huge off my list. There are a lot more details, but I'll spare you. I have a lot more insight into what this means, but I'll spare you that, also.

They look like this now. Don't say I didn't tell you so:


And they are all married. The oldest has two kids, the youngest has one kid, and the middle:


By the way, want to know why I'm still such a huge fan? Because of their passion for Africa. What they are doing to raise awareness inspires me. And it makes me wonder what I can do to share with the world the impact that Africa has had on my life.

But more about that later.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Check, check!

Sometimes I think about my list and I feel a little discouraged. Mostly because I know I've already failed on a few things liiiiike send Lauren and Rachel a post card every month. And a few other monthly/daily things that I definitely am uh, not doing.

But I decided to go ahead and give that list another gander today BECAUSE...one of the things that I thought would most definitely not happen, or at least be really hard to accomplish...happened. Last Friday.

And so I started scrolling down that list and you know what? I forgot about a lot of things. And I DID a lot of those things. I guess it's all apart of my adventurous spirit that I subconsciously...remembered? Yep, that's it.

So let's catch up, shall we?



Number 12
Bring baked goods to work at least once every three months
One of the first things I made from that list down there was Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls. I cut the recipe in half and still had three pans, so I gave one away and brought one to work.



Number 18
Become a member of City Church
Did it! When Lauren was visiting in July, actually. I'm so blessed to be a part of City Church.





Number 34
Cook a meal for a family in my church
Well, I think this counts. I pretty much eat and cook at least once a week with the Gillens. This particular picture is from when Lauren was here and we made pizza. I really love eating and cooking with the Gillens!





Number 38
Eat and/or drink on the roof
Yep. Did that a lot this summer.





Number 41
Go apple picking
I did this! Two days ago! And I just made some Pioneer Woman apple cake with 'em.



Number 44
Go on a road trip
That came with the apple picking. We went to Poughkeepsie. I took lots of pictures!





Number 45
Go to a beach other than the one on Coney Island
In July Lauren, Claire and I went to Long Beach where we got more than we bargained for. Topless beaches? In New York? Did anyone know that? Did we participate? Did I take pictures? Am I still talking?





Number 46
Go to a concert in the park
Philharmonic in Prospect Park. Check!


Number 48
Go to a spa
Okay, uh, sorta did this. In Kenya. Went in for a massage and a manicure and I don't know...pretty sure I don't like massages from strangers. Just wanted to giggle the whole time. And also, we went to the wrong spa. It was about as big as my living room. Anyway, don't think I need to do it again.





Number 49
Go to a vineyard
There was a small winery at the orchard this weekend! I tried Macintosh, Blueberry, Peach, Blackberry, and some amazing tasting fall flavored wine. I'd like to go back. Really would.





Number 50
Go to Africa
Yeah. I will hopefully be sharing more about this soon, but click on the photo up there on the right (the one of me with a baby I stole met) for a quick run through!


Number 59
Host a BBC party (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre)
This is not for the faint of heart.






Number 68
Picnic in the park
This has happened many glorious times so far.



Number 69
Plant an herb garden
This might be toeing the line, but I'm going to count it. A few months ago I bought a little basil plant from Ikea. All I had to do was spread the seeds, add water, and place on my window sill. I did that and my little basil plant grew beautifully! We even used some to put on that previously mentioned homemade pizza. I forgot, however, to ask my roommates to water it while I was in Africa for a month. I thought they might do it anyway. And even if they didn't, basil doesn't require a lot of water. Well, they didn't. It's okay, I don't blame them. I blame myself. Basil killer! Basil killer!

Might try that one again.

Number 72
Pray with a stranger
Thank you, Africa, for this. I prayed with many new brothers and sisters. Strangers no more.

Number 95
Take a homeless person to lunch and ask to pray for them
In the same vein as number 72. This is literally what we did one day in Africa. Brought them lunch, asked to pray for them. Most of them were high on glue and/or drunk. It was really hard, but it wasn't apart from God's reach. And can I just say that my little sister, Rachel, is super anointed? You should hear her pray. Ask her to pray for you someday. Please! You'll be blessed. Actually, thinking I need to take my own advice here. Rachel...?

There is one more that I didn't mention. The one that prompted this whole post in the first place. But seeing as it took me over two episodes of Glee to type this up, I'm going to wait on The Big One. The one that truly could not have happened outside of the Lord's intricate weaving. I mean, you're going to laugh when you find out what it is (if you haven't already narrowed it down), but I don't care. I'm over the moon, in fact!

But that story is for a later day. Until then, I'm off to comp-template how in the world I'm going to get Lauren to read a Harry Potter book.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

So busy.

Since I got back from Africa Saturday, I've been super busy. It's insane! I'm so freakin' busy!! Ahh!!

Just look at my TO DO list:

Cinnamon Rolls
Onion Strings (I have a new-found love for onions)
Baked Beans
Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits
Pumpkin Muffins
Apple Crisp
Pork Dumplings
Chicken Enchilada's

I have to make up for my First American Dinner of Velveeta Mac 'n Cheese and 7-11 brand peanut butter sandwich cookies. That meal needs to be completely erased from memory.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Jambo

Hey out there...

I'm wrapping things up at work. Training the temp, archiving e-mails, finishing off my jar of dark chocolate peanut butter (very important). I won't be back here until September 1.

Isn't it funny how time passes? Or maybe not. I've been obsessed with this thought of time recently. How much it is to me and how little it is to God. I wait around for it to pass - or I hope that it stretches. My life is so linear. So "if" and "then". Can I even imagine a God unbridled by time and space?

Anyway, enough time has indeed passed that The Weekend is finally here. Back to Africa for a month. And I'm already thinking about how quickly time will pass while I'm there. It's a messy situation I put myself in, I tell ya.

I don't know what else to say besides


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Ms. White



Yesterday I was carrying groceries home after work and when I turned down my street, I noticed a little guy walking beside me. A cute little squirrel-guy.

I watched him hop around beside me, jumping from porch to porch, dodging trash cans, squeezing through iron rod fences and skipping steps.

I figured he was pretty unaware that I was there, but he still stayed next to me the whole walk down 14th Street. Until he hit a road block. A wall of trash cans and bricks that looked pretty impossible to breach, even for a squirrelly squirrel.

It made me a little sad, as I had formed the idea that he actually was walking with me. But I persevered. I walked up my steps and put my bags down inside the doorway while I searched for my keys in my bag.

Then I turned around to pick my bags back up and glanced towards our porch and what do you know. There he is, the little guy. Sitting on my porch starring at me. I looked at him for awhile and wondered if I should offer him some lettuce and sing him a song but he scampered off before I could bribe him with food (and arias).

It might freak you out a little, but I'm okay with it. Reminds me of another rodent-magnet I know.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

SUGAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few short weeks ago I helped host a lingerie shower for my roommate, Alison. She's getting married and we needed to celebrate.


I decided to make some cupcakes. Then I got all these ideas. Then I looked at blogs and then I looked at pictures and then I combined other people's brilliant ideas and set off to create something marvelous for Alison.


I decided that fondant is not the devil.


It was fun, like Pioneer Woman told me it would be.


And everyone ate it! Because it tasted not only edible, but good-edible!


Here's the full set. This was fun.


I like baking more and more these days.


And for once in my life, I got paid for it. Mostly covered my expenses, but I got paid to make this cake with four friends from church who spent a long, long afternoon at my apartment then drove me to work with these four extremely heavy-probably-because-they-have-seven-total-pounds-of-butter cakes that thoroughly wore me out so much that I had to take the next day off work after they served their purpose at my co-worker's baby shower. Truly. was. exhausting. But...oh so pretty. I'm considering a little business on the side after that grueling weekend, because I actually really liked it. I've thought of calling it "The Red Apron" after the first apron I ever had which Rachel bought for me, or "Sweet Talk" after some cool graffiti I saw in Brooklyn. What do you think?


Those church friends also helped me create one last sweet thang. I will never EVER look at tootsie rolls the same way. But imagine the faces when this kitty litter cake showed up at the church pot luck.


Now. I'm off to contemplate the next creation...

Monday, April 20, 2009

In Progress

How many people have learned this lesson before me? And how many times did they have to learn it? And how many times do I have to learn it?

This is why I like grace. Grace doesn't laugh at me when I mess up in the same way that I have messed up numerous times before.

I've noticed that I like to think about things that I can't control and then proceed to worry about them. I also like to use other words for worry like "ponder" or "think about things I can't control," because I know God tells us not to worry (Matthew 6:25 - "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life..." Matthew 6:27 - "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?")
but what I really mean by these semi-synonyms is "FREAKING OUT AND WORRYING". Did you like that sentence I just wrote? I'm worried it's very grammatically incorrect. AHHH!

I really have convinced myself that I'm not a worrier. But it hit me today on the subway that if I let these things control my thoughts, I am certainly a worrier. I try to plan, try to guess, and constantly wonder. But not in an imaginative way. In a FREAKING OUT way.

Anyway, I was reading about King David. His story is enough to hold my attention and wonder (in a good way) about who he was and how God used him. For about 12.5 seconds I got so immersed in King David that I forgot about my worried life and felt REALLY EXCITED ABOUT GOD. It was the best feeling of my day so far. I decided it was a really good feeling. And then I decided I wanted to just go ahead and keep feeling that way. Because it was so nice to let God have my worries for 12.5 seconds. But the worry crept up again, and that's when I entered the struggle between lies and truth. Oh boy.

The good news is God is stronger than me and God is Awesome when I am not. And...his strength is made perfect in my weakness! So I will rejoice in my weakness! So if I'm worried that I won't be able to stop worrying, that's okay, because I don't have to exhaust my own resources that will ultimately not even last a thirteenth of 12.5 seconds. I get to ask God for help, and because He is perfect and He loves me, He will help me. I love that about Him.

The best thing about not worrying this morning? I got to focus entirely on what was in front of me, without my thoughts wandering. And what was in front of me was a fresh cup of pumpkin spice coffee. And it was heavenly.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Disaster.

I decided I would make sugar cookies for Easter. I have an awesome recipe that requires time and skill, but really pays off in the end. The cookies keep their shape and the frosting is perfection, as documented in the photo of my boss's holiday gift:



So I thought I'd make some Easter egg shapes. I even bought some edible markers to decorate with.

I failed in the following ways:

Placed them too close together. They are now very misshapen eggs.
I stacked them overnight. They stuck together.
So I warmed them up a bit to loosen them. Now they are crumby on top.
I lost about 5 in the process.
I dropped the final batch on the floor.
I'm now down to 15 ugly cookies.
I'm eating the broken pieces.
I feel sick.

Now I'm trying to decide if I want to try to salvage them with icing. Normally, icing is when I fail the most, so I'm afraid if I try to ice these suckers, I'll end up a big sticky mess on the floor, bawling as I lick the spoon clean.

It doesn't help that I just watched the incredible season finale of Friday Night Lights, so I'm a little emotional at the moment.

So, sugar cookies? You win. I cannot dominate you. But I can devour you. So I win. TAKE THAT YOU CRUMBY DISASTERS!

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Pop Candy!

One of my favorite blogs has featured me as the Reader of the Day!! CHECK IT OUT!

Monday, April 06, 2009

Lauren.

I guess everyone knows my sisters and I like to pick on each other. Or I like to pick on them. Or Rachel and I like to pick on Lauren. To be specific.

Well. The thing is, it is one way that we love each other. I jump on Lauren in the morning and laugh at her while she rolls around groaning for 10 minutes until mom yells at me to leave her alone. It's fun (for me) and I honestly only remember one time where she really, truly got mad at us for picking on her and that was when Rachel and I poured water in her ear to wake her up while she fell asleep writing in her journal in Africa. Wups.

But on the other side, we really have no trouble expressing our love for each other. We can say "I love you" or "I miss you" or whatever else potentially-cliche phrase there is, and mean it every time. Never does it teeter towards the empty words that the world has shaped them to become.

You might not know that. And that is why I'm telling you. Not that it's important for you to hear it, it's just important to me to say it.

Lauren and Rachel are what I call built-in-best-friends. Above all other titles besides Daughter of Christ, Sister is the one I pride most. I cannot convey the gratitude I have to the Lord for creating me to be the Big Sister. I am so thankful that He has imparted in me even a tiny bit of the Love that He has for them. His tiny is my huge.

Lauren is really going through a difficult season right now, and I don't think she'll mind me telling you. In fact, my main goal here is to ask you to pray for her, however you feel led. Anyway, I've been thinking lately not only of how much I love her, but why I love her. And I thought I'd share that with you visually.


Here we are at one of Rachel's volleyball games on Lauren's birthday. I made her wear this ridiculous shirt. And then...


I made her pose on the court. She's trying to make an awkward face...and she succeeds.
Lauren likes to have fun. She is fun incarnate. You can't not have fun with Lauren. To me, and awkward face in a homemade T-shirt on a volleyball court while everyone is starring at you...is fun. Thanks for having fun with me.


Lauren is so amazingly quirky. She scares really easy and she freaks out when you tickle her (I do too, but more on that later). This is one of her strangest quirks. She hates silverware. The sound it makes on the plates literally makes her cringe and shake a little bit. So she uses these plastic forks. She's unique. She's okay with it.


She's funny and she likes laughing. Lauren makes me feel like I am the funniest person on the planet. The only time I couldn't make her laugh was when Rachel and I poured water in her ear to wake her up...that was when I knew she was upset. But here she is being funny, mimicking mom while dad is driving. You don't have to see it to believe it - just look at Rachel's face. Lauren's funny.


She makes this face. I LOVE THIS FACE. This face says, "I probably shouldn't have done that..." (in this example, "that" is pretending to have a broken arm right after Rachel actually broke hers) "...but it's pretty funny anyway, right?" This face cracks me up and almost immediately makes me say, "Lauren!" in a "I'm slightly reprimanding you-but-am-still-happy-you-did-it" way.

Also this face. This is the tickling face. I know sometimes I shouldn't like this face, but I can't help it. How can you resist tickling when she makes this face?


And this face?



And okay. Sometimes I joke with her about her boy-like features as a child. Clearly, I am just jealous because look at her. Seriously, look at HER. She's adorable.

And this one.

Please take time to consider yourself incredibly blessed right now because you are looking at the most beautiful picture ever taken. This is it. THIS is pure beauty. I love this picture. And maybe that's because I love the person in it. But it's also this picture. She's something between exquisite and perfect.

That's not all, but I think it will do for now. Feel free to discuss Lauren in the comments because clearly, I have not said it all. Love you, sis.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Number 92:

"Successfully play a really awesome April Fool's day prank"

If you remember from the list, I let Lauren make up the last ten. Number 92 was her suggestion and now I need you to tell me if these pranks qualify as "really awesome".

I woke up yesterday with an idea to prank my co-worker:




And:



He loved it. The phone wouldn't pick up and the mouse wouldn't work. He spent a few minutes fumbling with the cords behind the computer before I told him to just turn the mouse over. We decided to play the same pranks on my boss...success. They tried to get me back by hiding my phone, but turns out I don't mind if my phone is gone because then I don't have to answer it.

But I wasn't quite satisfied. I really truly wanted to get Lauren, but figured it was useless and she would see it coming.

Until I remembered facebook.

And then I remembered her password.

Actually, I didn't, but I took a guess and got it right on the first try. It was a sign!!

I proceeded to change her picture and her status and laughed hysterically to myself for about 30 minutes before I felt kinda bad and texted her some clues:

B: Happy April Fool's day!!
L: You too! Are you going to do anything?
B: Yes. I already did. (I'm so ominous)
L: What did you do!
B: Check your mail.
L: Email or mail?
B: Email
L: I don't have an email from you on any 3 of my accounts. (3 accounts? Who does she think she is?)
B: Keep digging. The email isn't from me exactly...
L: Does it have anything to do with me needing to poop. You jerk.



So Lauren quickly changed her picture and status update.








But the thing is...











I knew that was coming....












So I took a screen shot for safe keeping...












Because I had to prove that this prank was "really awesome"...
















And now, here it is for the world to see. Feel free to click on it and enlarge for the best viewing:






And now all of you know that deep down inside, I am an 11-year-old boy who thinks immature jokes are REALLY AWESOME. Lauren has to poop HAHAHAHAHAHA!

So anyway. Lauren asked me if I hacked Rachel. I didn't see any point in hacking Rachel because I couldn't think of anything I could do to her that she wouldn't do herself, frankly.

Case in point:



BONUS: I fooled Monica and her fam. Nice!

Thing is, Rachel decided to keep the picture. She really does have an all star butt. Also, we talked on the phone for 20 minutes or so last night and this event never even came up. We're cool like that, me and Rach. She totally rolls with the punches.


That's why I pick on the middle child and not the youngest child. Rachel has some sort of older-sister-deflector-shield.


SO! You tell me. "Really awesome" or do I have to try again next year?

Monday, March 30, 2009

Number...?



In the first draft of my list, one of my goals was to see live music at least once a month. I don't remember deleting, but apparently I did. But I forgot! I've been working on fulfilling that goal even though its deleted. Oh well.

Point is, it's easy for me to see live music a lot because it is (or it should be) part of my job, and because I know some good musicians. Caleb Hawley is one of them. He's Samantha's husband and Samantha was my best friend at Belmont and I love her.

Here he is playing his HUGE HIT, "Selling Out" - I think you'll like it! I love the shout out to Texas.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Is this okay?

I saw a woman breastfeeding on the subway yesterday.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Lightbulb o' the Day

I certainly don't have a great idea as to why I'm here, but every once in awhile I gain a little illumination as to what I'm not here for. And folks, I'm here to tell you that I am NOT here to print and/or gather documents...put labels on them...put them in a folder...and put that folder in a filing cabinet.

Another successful day of knowing what my calling is not.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Number 26

I crossed the first thing off my list by purchasing and using these:


 
Posted by Picasa



I figured if I'm going to skate around New York City I should have something better than the last pair I bought at WalMart. Those wheels hardly even moved and I learned my lesson trying to maneuver the hills in Nashville on them.



So I went to Modell's during my lunch break last Wednesday. There was only one pair in my size but they seemed perfect. Only they were up on a shelf. I could reach them, but didn't want to risk knocking down the boxes resting on top of my pair.



I noticed a handy ladder nearby but figured that was an employees only thing. So I went in search of an employee. I found a lady who was incredibly focused on putting a pair of pants on a hanger. I asked her if someone could help me, assuming she'd call the appropriate person. She acknowledged the fact that I was there, finished her hanger duties, then walked over to the roller blade wall herself. Where she asked me what pair I wanted. So I pointed. So she reached up to grab them. Did I mention that she was significantly shorter than me? So I kind of stared on, a little perplexed, knowing full well what was about to happen.



And it did happen. She started pulling the box out. The boxes on top started to topple a little. And then they started to topple a lot. So she DROPPED the box of skates that she had originally intended to get, hoping to stop the topple...I don't know. Meanwhile, I figure that hanger lady doesn't deserve this, so I reach in because I am talented in height, and attempt to stop the boxes from falling, somehow gashing my knuckle open along the way.



I don't think she noticed that, but I could still tell she felt bad by the kind way she pointed me towards a bench that I could use to try them on.



Okay, fast forward. I bought them and decided to skate to care group that night. HAHAHAHAHAHA is what you might have been doing if you saw me. Sweet little me, assuming I could skate in the bike lane at 7PM on a week day down a busy two way street!

Well, I did it, mister. And it was fairly exhilarating. I even convinced myself for a few moments that I was a daredevil! Alas, I don't want to be a stupid daredevil (though really, most daredevils are infused with a little stupid), so I'm hoping to buy the safety set soon. Protect me bones and me head. Then I'm going to whiz through the awesome trails in Prospect Park and have leg muscles like you've never seen unless you've seen my sister, Lauren, while she was a gymnast or my sister, Rachel, while she was a volleyball star. Dem were some big muscles.

Seems I'm veering off into the place where I think in different accents every other sentence. I won't make you bear with me on that one. So I'm off to work on some music...and brainstorm which number to cross off next. I'm super excited for number 50.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I see dead ends.

I got a haircut last November at this cute little place that a friend of mine from church owns. It was a great haircut.

I think I need to go back.

Because this is what I do. I sit at work. On the train. On the couch. At church. Wherever. And I pull my split ends. I find an odd sense of exhilaration from it. I love it. I am addicted to it?

I get upset when people walk by my desk right when I've found a particularly good one, but I can't be found out. So I drop it. With all those strands of hair, you think I'll ever find it again? UGH!

I have realized how bad I am. So I decided to take a tip I read in Real Simple Magazine and trim off the ends. I didn't want to upset my long, luscious layers, so I just trimmed the bottom layer straight across. It helped...for a little bit. But now I'm searching through the layers for those precious little Easter eggs. It's a problem.

So I figured I'd get a haircut! But naw...I decided to allocate that money towards crossing something off my list in a moment of spontaneity earlier today. But maybe, subconsciously, I'm trying to prolong the moment that me and my split ends...split.

Am I alone in this obsession?!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

BMS: Gorgonzola Basil Chicken Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries





I made this for my roommate, Kate, Saturday night. She said it was her favorite thing I've made and added the colorful grapes to our plate. While my contribution to the meal was a little bit more elaborate, don't you go assuming I spent lots of money and time on it. That's not my style. So let's start with the burgers.

1 lb ground chicken (these had a 50/50 chance of being turkey burgers, but the chicken was on sale - you could use red meat too, of course)
1 4oz. package crumbled gorgonzola cheese
bunch of fresh basil
minced garlic (1 tbsp or so?)

Easy. First I washed the basil and chopped it up. I used 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Then mix the basil into the chicken with the garlic, and whatever spices you like. I used some Lowery's, pepper, and a few sprinkles of Worcestershire Sauce.

Mix all that.

Then separate into 8 thin patties.

Then place 1 oz (or whatever you can fit) of the cheese on top of 4 of the patties.

Then place the remaining 4 patties on top of the cheese-topped ones. Pinch the sides together to keep the cheese in.

Now. I live in a teensy Brooklyn apartment and don't have a grill. But I do have...a George Foreman :) And it works nicely. I cooked two burgers at time until the cheese oozed out and they just started to char.

Bonus: the cheese turns crispy on the outside where it oozes. It. is. incredible.

Since we're trying to be healthy, here, I toasted one side of some sandwich thins and topped them with some extra cheese, a bit a barbecue sauce (I love barbecue sauce), and good old green leaf lettuce.

YES.

Now for the sweet potato fries.

I make these a lot. They are good. I've done quite a bit of experimenting to get them just right and believe I have found it. The perfect combination for the perfect baked sweet potato fries.

First, pre-heat the oven to 450.

Then scrub and slice the potatoes. I normally cut them in quarters and then go from there. I try to keep them about a quarter inch thick.

Then throw them in a bowl and toss with:

olive oil (a little goes a long way here - I used 1 tsp. for 1 large potato)
cumin powder
ground nutmeg

I sort of eye ball the spices. I'd say 1/2-1 tsp of each. 

Can you believe all those things taste good together? They DO!

Pop them in the oven and mix/flip over after 15 minutes. Depending on how many you're making, you may need another 15 minutes. In my case, I only left them in for 10 more. They were soft in the middle and crispy on the ends.

They taste good with barbecue sauce. I love barbecue sauce. 


Happy meals make happy roommates!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

File under: Next time I run out of underwear.

Yesterday between work and church I had a little time to kill.

I went to Target in Brooklyn and spotted a long dress that I thought might be a nice contender for my Africa wardrobe. Oh, hi. I'm going Africa in August! You can't show your knees there. Anyway, cute, long dress...let's try it on.

It looks pretty good on me...if I were pregnant.

No thanks, let me just put my jeans back...oh, what's this?

It's clothing tags that have been ripped off.

That's strange. I wonder what they were for...

Oh. Thongs.

Oh. Someone is walking around Target. Wearing two stolen thongs under their clothes.

Huh.

That is weird and gross and...



I kinda gotta give them credit?

Thong thief, you are pretty brill.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

BMS: Roasted Veggies and Chocolate Caramel Popcorn

I have an idea. I'm thinking of combining my blogs instead of trying to keep up with the two. I'd like to make BMS (and yes, I did just google "BMS" to make sure it didn't stand for anything embarrassing) more of a feature for now since I haven't had much time to cook interesting things lately. Here goes.



Roasted veggies!




I mixed these yummy things (broccoli, carrots, asparagus, garlic, onions) with some dry white wine, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and herbs. Put 'em in the oven for about 30 minutes at 450 and they turned into this:




I like asparagus. They are like green french fries. Uhh. The broccoli really soaked up the mixture nicely, maybe next time I will close up the foil to let the flavors get stronger. I just like that charred stuff that I hear is a cancer causing agent. Oh well. The vitamins in the vegetables will cancel it out!



And just for fun...




I made this caramel popcorn (took the advice of reviewers and cut butter from one stick to half a stick - believe me, you won't notice) with some chocolate drizzle a few weeks ago. DO IT!