This has been the talk of the little town where I reside this week. A lot of local folk find this video offensive, although I'm not quite sure why. I think its just a few local college kids having fun. Its not crass, not lewd, and doesn't contain swear words. They're not singing about drugs, sex or crime. Its just a little rap parody. Everyone is too worried about offending people. After watching this you'll probably wake up one morning singing "I like them price hill girls. where they at? on glenway..."
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
current addictions
I have a personality that is such that when I like something, I REALLY like it, and have a tendency to overdose on it. As a part of my healthier living resolution for 2008, I have recently purchased several items that are sure to play a big part in my every day life.
Item A is a bosu balance trainer, better known a giant blue dome of pain. I had used one quite a bit when I was working out with a personal trainer. Winter makes me lazy so I thought I'd be more likely to work out if I could do it at my house, and also whip Santa's Little Helper into shape at the same time. It hasn't worked out quite as planned. I joined a gym this week....and Santa's Little Helper detests the blue dome of pain. We made a deal on NYE that we'd both do 20 situps for every drink he had that night. Little did he know he'd cripple both of us. He was out of commission for at least a week. I recovered faster, but hey, us wanna be bond girls have to be tough. I swear we are going to have bikini ready abs by summer.....but it sure is hard to make myself use that thing when I'm already running 3 days a week, plus spinning 2. Watch out Ursula Andress, I'm going to give you a run for your money. FYI, It is excellent to do the plank on as well.
Item B is something that started out as my need for Strawberry C-Monster when I am sick, and ended up with us having 5 bottles of Bolthouse Farms juice in my fridge. I think I created a monster with Santa's Little Helper. At first he said something like "who needs juice that is $3 per serving", and the next thing you know he's bringing home GreenGoodness for us to have a taste test. I don't know what is more suprising: that a guy who used to live on frozen pizza is bringing me organic juices, or that I might actually drink wheat grass/blue-green algae juice tomorrow with my whole wheat pancakes? All I know is we have spent a lot of cash on juice in the last two weeks, having taste tests of things we'd never thought we'd drink. (mushroom juice anyone? and what is a prickly pear anyway? Thank God I own the Field Guide to Produce. We're still trying to figure out what a camu camu fruit is. Apparently its so nice they named it twice.) In case you're wondering, Strawberry Banana Smoothie and BlueGoodness rank highest with Santa's Little Helper, while Vanilla Chai Protein, and Passion Fruit are my personal favorites, but the taste test if far from over. If you know more weird organic things we should try as a part of our new healthier us for 2008, let me know. When we do something, we definitely do it all the way. :)
p.s. I DID create a monster. Santa's Little Helper suggested we make cream of broccoli soup tomorrow, as a good together project, and a healthy lunch. Who would have thought the guy who thought all soup came in cans would even think of that....and a healthy soup at that!
Item A is a bosu balance trainer, better known a giant blue dome of pain. I had used one quite a bit when I was working out with a personal trainer. Winter makes me lazy so I thought I'd be more likely to work out if I could do it at my house, and also whip Santa's Little Helper into shape at the same time. It hasn't worked out quite as planned. I joined a gym this week....and Santa's Little Helper detests the blue dome of pain. We made a deal on NYE that we'd both do 20 situps for every drink he had that night. Little did he know he'd cripple both of us. He was out of commission for at least a week. I recovered faster, but hey, us wanna be bond girls have to be tough. I swear we are going to have bikini ready abs by summer.....but it sure is hard to make myself use that thing when I'm already running 3 days a week, plus spinning 2. Watch out Ursula Andress, I'm going to give you a run for your money. FYI, It is excellent to do the plank on as well.
Item B is something that started out as my need for Strawberry C-Monster when I am sick, and ended up with us having 5 bottles of Bolthouse Farms juice in my fridge. I think I created a monster with Santa's Little Helper. At first he said something like "who needs juice that is $3 per serving", and the next thing you know he's bringing home GreenGoodness for us to have a taste test. I don't know what is more suprising: that a guy who used to live on frozen pizza is bringing me organic juices, or that I might actually drink wheat grass/blue-green algae juice tomorrow with my whole wheat pancakes? All I know is we have spent a lot of cash on juice in the last two weeks, having taste tests of things we'd never thought we'd drink. (mushroom juice anyone? and what is a prickly pear anyway? Thank God I own the Field Guide to Produce. We're still trying to figure out what a camu camu fruit is. Apparently its so nice they named it twice.) In case you're wondering, Strawberry Banana Smoothie and BlueGoodness rank highest with Santa's Little Helper, while Vanilla Chai Protein, and Passion Fruit are my personal favorites, but the taste test if far from over. If you know more weird organic things we should try as a part of our new healthier us for 2008, let me know. When we do something, we definitely do it all the way. :)
p.s. I DID create a monster. Santa's Little Helper suggested we make cream of broccoli soup tomorrow, as a good together project, and a healthy lunch. Who would have thought the guy who thought all soup came in cans would even think of that....and a healthy soup at that!
Friday, January 18, 2008
I've been MIA (and tomato soup!!!)
I've been MIA since before the holidays. This is not wholly intentional, but it is not wholly unintentional. I was busy with holiday stuff, like everyone else. Then I'd planned to write a thoughtful New Year oriented post, and it went downhill from there. The new year is a naturally introspective time where people take stock of the past year's accomplishments and failures, and usually resolve to do things both achievable and impossible as a part of the next year's plan. I'm constantly reassessing my life anyway, so new years just brings this into my normal focus for everyone else. I'm also experiencing job unhappiness, so thoughts turn to the "what if", and "how am I going to" as far as deciding what I'm going to do when I grow up. I have the job I always wanted, and now I want a new one. It isn't as easy to plan what the next job will be when I'm not even sure what I'm qualified to do besides send people to jail. All of this usual new year introspectiveness was coupled with the rapid decline and departure of one of my best friend's dad. It was shocking, it was sad, and it forced us all to examine our own mortality. I've had 3 friends lost a parent in the last 2 years. In my mind, our parents shouldn't be dying yet....but then again I still think I'm 23! More good people always die than bad people. I have more than enough bad people I could nominate to take good people's places....
All of this added to a mental state not quite ready to make a public new years resolution.....but if I don't do it soon, I'll be out of time!!!
I feel I should note that these are substantially similar to the resolutions made for 2007. Progress has been made in many areas, but there is always room for improvement.
New Years Resolution 2008
1. Get my marathon time down to a flat 4 hours. (I was pretty close at the Pig 2007/Nike Women's half 2007). To accomplish this goal, however, I will need cooperation from the weather, and perhaps a flatter course. If I'm ever going to qualify for Boston before having kids, the time is now to get faster.
2. Not only eat healthier, but eat more local foods. This is in part a reaction to reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle . See previous review. Eating locally in Cincinnati is not going to be as easy as I'd hoped, and as easy as it would be in my hometown, but I love fresh fruit so much that it is worth the effort. I am hoping I can convince Santa's Little Helper to head to Findlay Market and local farms with me.
3. Get fit enough for the test. Nuff said.
4. Worry less about things that cannot be changed. And things that do not matter that much. This should lead to other benefits, like sleeping better, angsting less about work, and Santa's Little Helper also being happier.
I'd like to say that save more money should be on here, but it is not a realistic goal for a girl who is in a wedding, has to throw a shower, wants to join a gym, needs to buy a more reliable car, and works in a profession that doesn't give raises resulting in perpetually smaller paychecks as health care costs (amongst others) go up.
All of this introspectiveness inspired a homey meal of tomato soup and grilled cheese. Not entirely sure why, but we always eat soup when people are sick or die. It seems to make people feel comforted at the very least. Props to Cooking Light for this recipe. It was easy enough to whip up on a cold Sunday morning, but fun enough that Santa's Little Helper wanted to help blend it all up. The soup received our seal of approval.
Ingredients
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
Cooking spray
3/4 cup half-and-half
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 500°.
Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.
Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Garnish with cracked black pepper, if desired.
Preheat oven to 500°.
Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.
Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Garnish with cracked black pepper, if desired.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Over the Rhine @ Cornerstone 2006 I Want You to be My Love
i want you to know me now.....break a promise...make a vow....i know you want me now....like i want you.....
this song has been in my head this week. not quite sure why. its such a beautiful song. been in a little of a weird mood....so weird that i apparently don't even want to make full sentences. i guess its the whole new year thing. i feel like i should be turning over a leaf or something, but nothing has come to mind yet, hence i have not posted my annual "resolution" list. any ideas?
at any rate, i wish i could sing half as good as Karin Berquist. props to hometown over the rhine. not sure why they have not achieved more commercial popularity since she sings like a throaty angel, but i'm fine keeping them just a little secret for those of us midwesterners in the know....
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