My Food "To Do" List

Whole Roasted Suckling PigWhat can I say? I’m a meatatarian. They say the skin is super crispy and the meat super moist. I am there … with some roasted potatoes and carrots.

Roasted Leg of Lamb

I’ve never had lamb but I would really like to try it.

White Asparagus I love the green I might love the white more.

Bon Bo Hue A classic Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup with some unusual vegetation containing but not limited to lemongrass, dried chiles, mint leaves, bean sprouts, lime wedges, shredded banana blossoms and rau muong (a native aquatic tropical plant). Sounds interesting and delicious. Think Ramen but more classy.

Kobe Beef The best stuff on Earth from what I hear. Melts in your mouth … like all steak should only better.

Louche Absinthe“Traditionally, absinthe is poured into a glass over which a specially designed slotted spoon is placed. A sugar cube is then deposited in the bowl of the spoon. Ice-cold water is poured or dripped over the sugar until the drink is diluted to a ratio between 3:1 and 5:1. During this process, the components that are not soluble in water, mainly those from anise, fennel, and star anise, come out of solution and cloud the drink. The resulting milky opalescence is called the louche. The addition of water is important, causing the herbs to "blossom" and bringing out many of the flavors originally overpowered by the anise.” http://foodproof.com/blogs/view/post/100-things-you-should-eat-before-248

Caviar and BlinisI want the traditional with creme fraiche; the works.

Haggis

Gnarly lookin' fellow and the traditional Scottish delicacy. You gotta try it at least once.

Foie Gras

I’ll have to eat it on a non-diet day since it’s basically nothing but fat but I’ll counter act it by drinking some read whine and smoking a fine French cigarette. They say they are some of the healthiest people on Earth so why not?

Chrysanthemum Tea

Chhyrsanthemum is my birth flower so I feel that I must indulge my ego a bit. Plus, it's really pretty!

ODWA: List ten things you need and ten things you want.

This was a challenge. In a society dead set on materialistic things, it's hard to distinguish between what you need and what you want. This assignment really makes you ask what is selfish and what is not. A lesson my young cousin Ryan needs to figure out. I tried my best not to sound too selfish. Humilty and grace are hard concepts to accomplish in life.

1. A great attitude. I need to be happy and content with what I have. I also need have a more cheerful out look on life.
2. A better paying job. This one just isn’t going to cut it in 3 years time.
3. A bachelor’s degree. See number 2.
4. A hug. There has been a hug/snuggle deficit recently and we must get out of the red.
5. A newer car. I drive a 1998 Nissan Maxima and the thing is just about ca-put. I don’t need anything fancy; just a four door sedan with low travel mileage and great gas mileage.
6. A 30lb weight loss. According to all the BMI charts and all the world’s doctors, I’m “obese.” I don’t feel obese and I don’t even think I look that bad but regardless, for my future and my family’s future, I need to drop a few.
7. A good marriage. Marriage is work and I need to be the best possible partner that I can be.
8. A time-out. I’m stressed. I feel it. Yesterday, I was so worried about wedding planning that I could barely eat because my stomach was so upset. My thoughts are clouded and my body is sluggish because of the stress.
9. A fresher approach to work. I can’t focus on work because it bores me hence the blog posts.
10. A better connection with all of my friends. I’ve lost touch over the years. Everyone is busy with their own lives including myself but this is no excuse not to have meaningful relationships with those who love and support you. I need those connections because the years are progressing and I need to be grounded by my girls.

I want…
1. … to be finished with this wedding. Gah! Is this day EVER going to get here?!
2. … to eat as many indulgent foods WITHOUT gaining any weight.
3. … to enjoy my job but I just can’t.
4. … to travel to Europe especially Germany and Austria.
5. … to travel the U.S. as well.
6. … more vacation time to spend with Dave and my family.
7. … to not worry so much.
8. … to be a racecar driver.
9. … another puppy for Kaitie.
10. … a happy healthy family with Dave.
11. ... (I added one) a bigger house in Hot Springs.

Top 10 Annoyances

Today's ODWA was the top 20 things that annoy us but I could only think of 10 really good ones. They change on a daily basis so this is just today's list.


1. Disrespect. Complete and utter apathy towards your fellow man.
2. Migraines. Self explanatory.
3. People who don’t use their blinkers. The things have been around for over 50 years. Use them.
4. Someone asking for advice and then getting mad when it’s not what they wanted to hear. If you’re not making sense, I’m gonna tell ya.
5. Calories. They make me fat but all the nummy foods have a TON of them.
6. Swindlers. You know who you are.
7. Money. You can’t live with it; you can’t live without it.
8. Dishonesty. Do I have to explain?
9. Sunday drivers. The speed limit is 70 mph. They drive 62 mph … just to be safe. How the hell are you driving “safe” when everyone else is driving 70 – 85 mph?! You are in the way. Especially when you drive in the middle or left lane. Move! And don’t get me started on the bitches who do their hair and makeup in the car … IN THE FAST LANE. Speaking of bitches ...
10. Amy. LMAO!!

I Still Get Carded!!

You hear people say that they don’t feel their age. Well, what age do they feel? Older? Younger? I feel “on time.” I don’t feel old though I know I’m somewhat wise beyond my years. I don’t feel young, either. Just about every morning I wake up with some sort of ache or pain and then hear the crackle of my joints as I walk down the hallway. I do yard work and I’m stiff the next morning. So I know I’m not young.

I’ve had many experiences in my life that have aged my mind. Maybe it’s not so much my mind but my conceptions of the world. I’ve grown up fast because of those experiences, too. You have to because you’re forced to. At the tender ages of adolescence, a child who is immature of the mind cannot begin to grasp or reason why the world, and the ones they trust, can be so cruel. It’s not fair and thus the lesson.

I don’t fear age. Yes, I have several grey hairs sprouting out of my head right at my natural part that I’m not fond of but I am by no means vain about my appearance. I threaten to dye my hair but I know I won’t do it. It’s my sheer laziness that prohibits me from maintaining beautiful, dark auburn locks for the rest of my life though the color is quite appealing to me. I don’t wish to by young again. It was hard growing up. I was teased when I was in grade school. I was fat. I was loud. I had braces and bad, frizzy hair and worst of all I was smart and I knew it. You were that age. You know how it went.

I don’t want to go back to seventeen either unless I can have that body with it. That was equally frustrating. It was fun being somewhat naïve and carefree but looking back, I did some STUPID things that I wish I hadn’t. I know what they mean when they say “I would go back but only if I knew what I know now.” My early twenties are out of the question, too unless, as mentioned before, I can have the body with it.

Here I am cusping on the edge of 30 and I’m quite happy. There are ups and downs that I struggle through but knowing how proud my family is of me (and a “thank you” for the ones who voiced this to me) makes me feel better about the decisions I made. I can’t change the past. And I’ll ruin the present by thinking of the future, so why not just be content and happy that everything turned out “ok”?

I can’t help but be giddy about the next step in my journey.

My Favorite Childhood Story Book

The Pokey Little Puppy. It's an absolute classic!

It's a story about a puppy who pokes around and looses his family because he wanders off (good moral!) but he finds his way back to his mama and siblings. So sweet!

I loved the art work, too, and I think that the pictures were my inspiration to become an artist.