Bad Holiday Blogger

yes yes yes, I've been a bad blogger.

I have been neglecting my blog as of late.

Here are some updates:

Christmas

I spent Christmas with

Bad Holiday Blogger

yes yes yes, I've been a bad blogger.
I have been neglecting my blog as of late.
Here are some updates:

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve I went to my friend Stephen's house. We had orphan Christmas with some other friends, he fired up the grill and we had steak, twice baked potatoes, and broccoli. It was all delicious.

From the Foodie in Me

Twice Baked Potatoes
Every man I know LOVES twice baked potatoes. I can understand, I like them myself. However, they are the most time intensive potato ever. They seriously take 2 hours to make, but, should you have 2 hours to kill, here is the recipe.

Baking Potatoes
Milk
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Sour Cream
Chives
Grated Cheddar Cheese

1. Rub potatoes with Butter and bake int he oven for an hour
2. remove potatoes from oven and spilt in half.
3. Scoop out the insides of each potato half, leaving only a small layer of potato and the potato skin.
3. Mash the potato scooping, add milk, butter, salt, and pepper. (Make mashed potatoes).
4. refill the potato halves with the mash potato mixture. Top with cheese and chives
5. put the potatoes back in the oven to bake for another 20 minutes
6.. Remove and top with sour cream.
Enjoy!

Christmas

I spent Christmas with my friends Henri and Miriam, and their friend. We all made a ton of food and ate till our little hearts content. This was the first year I didn't go home for Christmas, and it was nice to have friends to spend the holiday with. I was strange not opening gifts with my parents, or eating the traditional turkey and dressing, but I enjoyed myself.

House Flooding!!!

Those of you who live in DC know that we got about 20 inches of snow a few weeks back. Christmas day a good 10 inches was still left on the ground... then the rain came.
it POURED on Christmas Day and I came home to find my basement under 2 inches of dirty water. It wouldn't be such a big deal, except I live in the basement. So, I have been living in the living room for the past week. It's way less than ideal, especially as we have people staying in our house for New Years. Should be fun....sigh.

New Job!

I just realized that I hadn't blogged about the fact that I got a new job! I had been keeping it under wraps until I quit the old job and all the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed.
I will be working in the Department of Homeland Security.
Basically, I went on an interview on a Thursday, was offered the job an hour later, signed an offer letter on Friday, and was at the company Christmas dinner on Sunday.
I still haven't actually started and probably wont fr a few more weeks till all the paperwork is finalized. While I am not ready to go back to work full time, I am ready to be paid a full time salary!

Wii

I got a Wii for Christmas! It's my new favorite thing :) Feel free to send me any Wii games.

Grinds My Gears

People who read my blog but aren't followers! I sometimes assume no one is reading because I have so few followers, so here is my ploy to ask all of you to follow me!

Happy New Year Everyone! See you in 2010!

Playing Grown-up

When I graduated from college and got my first job I was amazed. I was actually out on my own. My first job was working for a Texas State Congressmen. I had some responsibility and was left to my own devices a lot. I was expected to get things done in a timely manner without follow up. I was a grown-up. I didn't feel like a grown up though. I couldn't believe anyone was trusting me with anything. I couldn't believe that piece of paper (my diploma) qualified me to do a job, any job.
I still felt that way when I moved to DC. I couldn't believe I picked up and moved here. I felt like I was just playing the part of an adult and at any point an time someone would figure out that I had no idea what I was doing. That moment never happened.

Now it is almost 5 years later. I don't feel like I am playing the part anymore.I really feel like an adult. I'm not sure when that transition happened. I'm not sure at what point people go from being in that college mentality versus the adult mentality. It's kind of scary knowing that you are on your own, but it's also freeing to know that you don't have to answer to anyone else on your life.
Just food for thought.

Finding the Perfect Dress

I am going to a cocktail party this Sunday. I need to wear cocktail attire. I have plenty of dresses to choose from, but I am torn as what to pick from my closet. I have a burgundy tea length dress, a black tea length dress, and a patterned tea length dress. Ladies

Movies/TV/Books

The Princess and the Frog
I'm totally seeing this, kid or no kid.

My To-Do List

Gosh, I am a busy bee this week. I'm trying to get in hours for work, craft, make for for job numero dos, and still have some "me" time. Here is what on my list for today:

Christmas Cards

I know I said that I was in Christmas card hell the other day, but those cards weren't for my family and friends. Those were my clients Christmas cards (which I'm still not finished with, btw). I would like to actually send Christmas cards myself. I have an idea of what I want to send/ make. Luckily I'm going to Michaels today, so I can get supplies.

Michael's Run

The reason I haven't finished my client's Christmas cards is that I ran out of snowflake embellishments. I need to run to Michaels. Hoping that this doesnt turn into me scouring the city for snowflakes. While there I am going to pick up supplies for my own cards. Super excited about that!

Paperwork

I absolutely MUST send in some Medical forms today. I am signing up for Cobra coverage and that paperwork is due! Eep!

Food Delivery

I think I mentioned that I'm making a few meals a week for a couple out in Cleveland Park. I deliver food twice a week. I need to go this morning before noon to drop off food. Also, if you or anyone you know is interested in having me cook a few meals a week for you please inquire!

Craft

I WILL finish at least one craft today. I haven't posted on my blog in awhile. I have all these half finished crafts, and I also have a few finished ones that I just need to take photos of and upload. Christmas is the BEST time for crafts.

Cleaning

I've actually been doing better at keeping my room clean. Right now it's messy, but not a mess. I have projects piled up around the room that I need to finish, but now I'd settle for having some floor space back.

Meeting Prep

I have a very important meeting tomorrow. I don't want to say what it is, cause I don't want to jinx it. I will say it's in an office, which means I need to make sure my suit is clean and pressed. I'm a big believer in suits. I know in this day and age a lot of people opt for business casual when in big meetings, this just isn't my style. even when I worked at Korn/ Ferry I would wear suits on days the clients came to visit. I just think it lets the people you are meeting with know that you cared enough about the meeting to put forth an effort.

Work

Oh, yeah. I need to go to work today! Luckily my work these days is very craft centered. I'm finishing Christmas cards, which includes printing of labels and other necessary embellishments/ accoutrement's. This is a pain because I HATE hooking up my printer to my computer. In reality I need to do this anyway to print off the paperwork I mentioned earlier. it just means I need to leave the comfy bed and move to the desk.

Rearrange my room

I actually already moved the furniture around. I did it sometime last week at 3am. However, in an attempt to not piss off my roommates I decided not to hammer or drill. So, I still have everything on the walls in the places they were in before I moved the furniture. I'd like to hang things in their new proper spots.

Sleep and Eat

Yes, I have to add sleeping and eating to my to-do list, otherwise I won't get them done. On an exciting front, I slept for six hours yesterday, AT NIGHT. I went to sleep around11:30pm and work up at 5:30am. I only woke up twice during the night, and only for about 5 minutes each time. This is HUGE for me. It could mean I am returning to a normal sleep schedule of sorts. I'm always going to have insomnia, but if I can at least get 5 hours in between 10pm and 9am I should be golden.

That's all I can remember for now, though I'm sure there are more things (like going to the bank to deposit a check, picking up my paycheck, getting gas) but I need to get started I have a lot to do today!

I Should be Working

Yes, it's 11:30pm, but I should be working. Instead I'm taking abreak to make a much needed blog post. This post is all about the things I SHOULD be doing.

Christmas Card Hell

I'm making hand made Christmas cards and NYE Party invitations for one of my clients. I love crafting, but after the 100th card it starts to get tiring. Ive gotten thru about 1/3 of them. My goal is finishing tonight.

Cooking

Yesterday I had a tamale party. Sarah had wanted to make tamales with me ever since she met me. I have never made them by myself. In my family we make tamales once a year, every NYE. I always make them with my mom, meaning I always play her soux chef. Also in Texas there are lots of Spanish shops with the dough pre made. It's a nice little shortcut. Here in Arlington that isnt the case. I had to make everything from scratch. Sarah and I cooked for 2 days. It was exhausting, but totally worth it. Our goal was 1 million tamales. We fell just short of it making about 100. This brings me to what I should be doing now. I should be cooking. I got a gig making 4 meals a week for this couple. It's about 2 hours of work and I make decent cash from it. BUT after cooking all day yesterday I have no desire to stand in front of a stove. I am supposed to deliver 2 meals to her tomorrow. Sigh.

Sleeping

Yep, sleeping is on my to-do list. I've started taking more of a nap like schedule versus a sleep schedule. I'm sure that's unhealthy, but it is what it is. I'm hoping to get 5 hours in sometime this evening.

Sending in Paperwork

I have all kinds of paperwork I need to send in various places. I need to print out this paperwork on my printer. which means I have to hook up my printer to my computer... sounds like a lot of work. Blah.

Crafting

I have about 3 different crafts started right now. I want to finish them all and finally have some time to post to my crafts blog. I dont think that's happening tonight.

All in all I have a lot on my plate, but I love it. It's my personality to have lots to do and to spread myself out over a lot of projects. I can't help it. If I'm not busy, I'm miserable.
Okay, I'm off to tackle more Christmas cards!

Night is Day

Ive completely messed up my sleep schedule. All it took was a few nights of endless insomnia, and bam! I am now falling asleep at 5am. It's awful. I really need to fix it, but the insomnia just wont stop. Sigh.

Computer Virus

I somehow infected my computer with a virus, which sucked. I tried running the virus scan, but the virus kept shutting down every program I opened. It wouldn't let me open task manager, or add/remove files either. It was so infuriating. FINALLY, I searched on my blackberry, and realized that if I started the computer in safe mode I would be able to open programs and download the necessary antivirus software. My computer is all good now, but it's not something I want to do again.

Black Friday

WHY would anyone subject themselves to this is beyond me. I just don't believe you can save enough money to make it worthwhile. I've been following the commercials. Old Navy has everyone beat. They are opening at 3am. That's right THREE AM! That is insane! It means you would have to be up at 2am to get there on time. At that point there is no reason to even fall asleep. I just think that time off with our families is so precious that you really don't want to spend it in all mall fighting off soccer moms for a $15 toaster.

Holidays

Speaking of the holidays, it looks like I'll be in DC for them this year. After weighing my options I realize that there is no reason to fly to Dallas and spend an insane amount of money on 4 days. I'd end up spending about a grand, which would basically cover my flights to Vegas and Spain. It just doesn't seem worth it to me. I'm sad that I won't be with my family, but I have to look at it logically. This will be my first Christmas without them, but I'll go to mass, and maybe volunteer somewhere. I'll make sure to fill my day.

Feeling Very College-y

I should note that I LOVED college.
With my new job I have been in my car a TON. I have been running around like crazy and I love it. My main client lives in Mclean, so I drive there, usually 4 times a week. I have also been to another client in crystal city a few times a week. I have been running errands for both clients, the people in the container store know me by name. I have spent over a grand there in 2 weeks, so it's no surprise. Client one also has 2 storage units in crystal city that I have get to frequent to make drop offs. In college I lived in my car. Not literally. I had a great apartment off campus, it was really really nice, cause in NOLA good apartments came cheap. It was about a mile from school (and Brunos), still I was never home. During the school year I had all my classes in the morning. I would go to class from 8am-12pm. At noon I would get lunch on campus and hang out in smokers alley for awhile. I would them go to work study (or to bourbon street to bartend my senior year). I finished work around 5pm at which point I would go back to campus for a sorority event or to the library to study for a bit. About 7pm I would head over to brunos. I usually stayed at Brunos till about 2am, at which point I would go home and go to sleep to do it all over again the next day. As you can see, there wasnt a whole lot of time for "hanging out at home". This meant that I lived in my car. I had a change of clothes for every occasion. Literally, I had a cocktail dress, chapter attire (ie Sunday best), going out clothes, everyday clothes, and workout clothes. I also kept everything I needed for Sorority goings ons. I held a position every year so there were either bins filled with ritual items, butcher paper to make banners, art supplies, new member books, manuals, etc etc etc. I also always kept a sleeve of red solo cups in my car... cause you never know.
Today the front seat of my car has a monogrammed tote bag filled with my gym clothes, two sweatshirts, a digital camera, 3 pairs of shoes, one change of clothes (work attire) and my company handbook. My backseat has 3 huge tubs headed over to a storage unit in crystal city, and a bolt of fabric. My trunk has my luggage that I still have yet to unpack from my trip to Rhode Island, and a 12pack of coors original (this belongs to the webbs).
I have also been eating love I'm in college. I have been so busy running errands, and working that a lot of my meals lately have been fast food. This was basically my diet in college.

So to sum it up, I've been feeling very college-y lately.

Hahaha 11:50pm

But I'm posting!
I have 10 minutes to write this post and still make the deadline!

From the Foodie in Me

Quick Glaze

Throughout all my adventures in cooking i have learned how to make a quick glaze for cookies.
I take one egg white (it makes it shiny, but not necessary for the recipe) and mix it with 2 cups confectioners sugar. I add one tablespoon melted butter and one tsp of vanilla.
Whisk together and you have one delicious cookie glaze. Enjoy!

7 minutes...

Around Town

C-Grill
I realize I never tell about my awesome experiences at c-grill. C-grill is short for Clarendon Grill, located int he heart of Clarendon, VA. It's a great little bar where I watch football every Sunday. I love it because it NEVER gets full. Across the street at Mr Days, the bar is packed with people. You cant get a seat in there unless you arrive insanely early. C-grill never has a seating shortage for me and I have gone there so often I know the bartenders by name. It feels like my "Cheers". Also, on Sundays, they have a bloody mary and mimosa special. $3 till 1pm!
You cant beat that. So if you live in VA come join me on Sundays at C-grill!

Football

I'm really a little frightened for the rest of the Cowboys season. we have a month of easy games coming up, then we face NYG, Philly, and NOLA. Those are gonna be three clutch December games. Considering out December win-loss ratio, I am terrified that we will fall apart.
Follow me on twitter for me freak out live Cowboys moments.

It's 11:58.

Wooo!!

Rain, Rain Go Away...

Come again another day.

I'm cold, and I have no desire to go out in the rain today. Blah.

TV/Movies/Books

The Princess and the Frog

I hope all of you have heard that Disney is now coming out with a new animated film. The premiere date is December 11th. I cannot begin to explain how excited I am for this. I totally grew up on Disney princess movies. I think I own all of them. I am so happy they decided to go back to the 2-D hand drawn animation. Also the characters themselves will be singing the songs, instead of an over score sung by Phil Collins. I know I can't be alone as a child who sung "A Whole New World" and "Apart of Their World" so many times that their parents ended up hating the movies, or better yet, you broke the tape because you rewound it so much.
I don't care if I am the only adult there without a child, I'm seeing this movie in the theaters.

I really have nothing else to say today, but let it be noted, I did post.
:)

McLean, VA

It's not that far from Arlington. Did you know that?
My biggest, busiest client's home is in McLean. It takes me the same amount of time to get there as it does to get to Alexandria. Just some food for thought.

From the Foodie in Me

This is so NOT foodie, but it deals with food, so this is the section it goes in.
Today I had to grab a quick bite for lunch. I decided on the convenience of a drive thru.
I was in McLean, so my choices were limited... then I saw it, the Golden Arches...except, it wasn't. It was just one arch. One yellow arch, standing all alone. No "M" created, more of an upside down U. I was desperate though, and I decided to drive thru anyways. I pulled into the driveway, and drove around back... and then around front... and then around back again. That's right. THERE WAS NO DRIVE THRU!!! (Yes, that called for three exclamation points.) I had to literally get out of my car and walk inside to place my order.
So here is what I'm calling for, the government should forget health care, instead they should mandate the franchising of McDonalds. All McDonald's should have TWO arches, and a drive through, otherwise be fined. That's just my opinion.

Around Town

This isn't a usual "around town" segment. Rather, I just wanted to share an experience I had. Every once in awhile I question my decision to live in DC. I like it here fine, but my parents, and siblings live 1500 miles away, in Texas. I miss them a lot and I miss my state.
Tonight as I was driving through the city I passed the US Capitol Building. I was driving on the house side of the capitol, and there it stood in all its glory. Our capitol makes me smile. It makes me remember why I moved here. I wanted to be where it all happened, the center of what ran the greatest country on this planet. Seeing the capitol building all lit up at night just reminds me of not only why I moved here, but why I stay

TV/Books/Movies

Thursday Night Football
I love football. I really do. I love rooting for the players, and saying things like "WE" won, when I had nothing to do with the win. I even love being heartbroken when my team loses, because it makes me remember I'm in it for the long haul. However, I hate Thursday night football. I understand the NFL is trying to provide us with as much football viewing as possible... but if they REALLY wanted to do that, then the games would be shown on a network that is accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford the NFL network. Most of us (not me, but most of us) have work on Friday. We can't go out to some bar and stay up till all hours of the night watching football. It's just not fair, and I don't like it one bit.

In your face Annie, another day, another post.

Founders Day

So this is a special post for all my sisters out there who read my blog.
You all know that today is a very special day. On November 11th, 1874 four women came together at Syracuse university in Syracuse, NY and found Gamma Phi Beta.

The four women attended college at a time where is was not common for women get receive an undergraduate education. However, Frances E Haven's father was the chancellor of Syracuse at the time, and would not deny his daughter an education.
Frances, along with Helen M. Dodge, E. Adeline Curtis and Mary A. Bingham decided that a society was needed, a society for women, to foster a nurturing place where they could come and discuss their thoughts. Rather than joining the already establish Alpha Phi, the girls decided to found their own group, with their own ideals. A higher type of womanhood is what they longed for, and the saying would soon become our motto and part of our mission statement.
The ladies would meet weekly in the study of one of their professors, Dr. Brown. Because of his generosity they adopted brown and mode as the official colors of the sorority (though pink is often used today, as the official flower is the pink carnation).
The ladies were different, they were special. So for them, Dr. Frank Smalley coined a new word. All other woman's organizations before Gamma Phi Beta were woman's fraternities. Frater is a latin word meaning brother, or brotherhood. Although fraternity ties were strong, the ladies of Gamma Phi knew that what they had was something different. The word sorority was made just for them. They were a sisterhood, with bonds special and different from all others.

On this day, Gamma Phi's everywhere give thanks to Helen M. Dodge, Frances E. Haven, E. Adeline Curtis and Mary A. Bingham for founding an organization that we have all become sisters in. We are sisters ever true...

You Thought I Was Going to Forget.

But I didn't.
Continuous day 3 of blog posting...

TV/Movies/Books

Glee
I know I've already talked about it, but I can't help it. I LOVE this show. It's totally my new favorite show on television. This week's episode was all new. There was only one musical number, which I kinda saw coming. Apparently the budget for each episode is really high because of all the musical rights that need to be acquired. They say defying gravity, which is on the CD they just put out. God, I love this show.

Personal Best

So my new thing, aside from being healthy, is letting my nails grow. I am a chronic nail biter. I can't help myself, except now I can. I have decided that I WILL have nails. It's the ladylike thing to do. They are actually growing quite nicely. In order to help myself keep fro m biting them I have started to paint them, something I haven't done since middle school. Somewhere around the age of 14 I figured painted nails were too much effort to keep up with, so I with the all natural route. The paint on the nails helps because instead of biting my nails, I chip away at the paint. Also, along this same route, for the first time in my life tonight I had something under my fingernails. I have to say, I didn't like the feeling. Anyone have any other tips on keeping up with my nails?

Thanksgiving

For the first time in years I don't have Thanksgiving plans. It's kinda sad. I'm not really in a place to go home, financially speaking (plus I'll be there for Christmas soon enough) and I'm not dating anyone. Is anyone in the DC metro area over the holidays? We can party at the Webbs...

;)

It's 2:30am...but it's Tuesday

I told you i would post every day this week.
HA! to Annie.

Why am I up? You ask?
Well, I'm a horrible insomniac, so here I lay awake at 2:30am.

From the Foodie In Me

So this is perhaps the least foodie thing ever... but, if you haven't tried the microwaveable steamed veggies, you need to. They are AMAZING. Seriously, they are a great addition of veggies to any meal, and they are done in 5 minutes in the microwave. You literally stick the whole bag in there and presto, done! Go out and buy a few bags, I guarantee you'll be a fan.

TV/Books/Movies

MAD MEN SPOILER ALERT

So, If you haven't been following Mad men this season, you're missing out. There are a few episodes that I get frustrated at, but Sunday night was the season finale of the show.
It was AMAZING. Betty left Don! I can't believe it! I am sure that isn't the last we see of her, but it's weird because I am angry with her for leaving... but HE is the one that cheats on her constantly. You have all these wonderfully flawed characters. The show is just so interesting.
Please start watching if you don't already.

Personal Goals

So I mentioned few weeks back that I was trying to lose weight. I started posting about my daily food intake. While I fell behind on my daily postings I luckily didn't fall off the exercises/ eating right wagon. I managed to lose... weight (get the pun) for it... 21 pounds!
I was amazed myself. Though, I can't take all the credit for this. A lot of it had to do with my surgery and my all soup diet. Now that I have lost the weight I am really working on keeping it off, and losing more. My goal is 12 more pounds by Christmas. Also, as a personal feat, I tried on my smaller size jeans today and they fit! I was really excited about this. I still have an even smaller size in my dresser drawer to aspire to, but for the time being, I am happy to be out of my "fat jeans". Yay healthy living!

Grinds My Gears

Tolls

Seriously, it cost me $33.80 in tolls to go from DC to RI this past weekend. I was flabbergasted. It cost me almost the same amount in gas as it did in tolls. That's just not right.
Two thumbs down to the NJ Turnpike.

Annie Say's I'm not Committed to My Blog

So I'm gonna commit. I'm gonna committ the hell out of it.
I'm posting every day this week. That's right EVERY SINGLE DAY.
The guantlet is thrown.

Weekend Recap

I drove to RI this weekend. This is the third time this year I have made the trek up I-95.
It's a long f-ing drive. Not really, but driving back hungover is not fun... and all three times I've driven back hungover. You'd think I would have learned my lesson by now, but nope. I haven't.

It was lovely wedding. The bride and groom looked marvelous. I didn't take tons of pictures, but I'll post a few in the coming days.

From the Foodie in Me

Pioneer Woman cookbook
Annie turned me on the pioneer woman's blog. She's a city girl transplanted to a cattle ranch in Oklahoma. While I enjoy the blog on occasion (www.thepioneerwoman.com), I really enjoy her cookbook. For the novice chef there are tons of pictures. I think a major fault of a lot of cookbooks are the fact that they don't include illustrated descriptions. It's sometimes hard to follow directions when you don't know what your dish should look like. I highly recommend you check out her site, and if you can, buy her book. Thanks to Annie for the find on this one.

Work

I'm getting paid to sew! That's right, right now I'm doing a lot of party planning type stuff, but as there are no current parties in the work for my client I am cataloging her supplies. This also means that I am creating some parties supplies from scratch. Right now I am sewing tablecloths to go with the next tea party. I LOVE doing this type of thing. It allows me to be creative AND get paid. Also, it's work I take home. I can literally watch TV or tune into music while I create. This job really is perfect for me.

Unemployment

is the best.
No seriously, it really is.
I thought I would be blogging everyday since I am no longer a 9-5er. Instead I've been living it up. I get errands accomplished, I can cook meals. I get things organized. I've gone back to the gym. I really love being unemployed.

Of course, this can't last forever. I have started my part time job at Chaos solutions. I love it too though. Basically I work when I can. The pay is decent (less than I was making before, but still enough to keep me in cheesy poofs). I really don't think I can go back to working a 9-5. For the first time in a long time I am truly happy.

Trip to RI

I'm headed off to RI this weekend. My friends Dave and Rachel are getting married! I'm really excited for them. I made Rachel's veil, just like I made Annie's veil when she got married.
I'll post pictures of it soon on my crafts blog. i'll also have lots of wedding pics to post here for your viewing entertainment.

From the Foodie in Me

Super Taco
That's right. I'm reviewing a place called Super Taco. It's this hole in the wall taco place in Adams Morgan. I LOVE it. I dont get out to AM very much, so it's definitely a special thing for me to go there. Their food is great, real Mexican cooking, not El Salvadorian, like much of DC/VA. It's right off calvert street. Also the owners speak perfect English, so if your Spanish isn't up to par there is nothing to worry about, you can still convey your order. 4 stars.

TV/Books/Movies

Glee.
I LOVE Glee. It's totally become my new favorite show. I bought their first CD, which came out 2 days ago. It's on sale at Target right now for $10! Go buy Glee!

What a Weekend

Wow!
I can't remember a more chaotic, scary, packed, insert 100 other crazy adjectives here, weekend!

We shall start on Thursday night.

Thursday I went to El Ranchero with a few girlfriends. We had some $1 tacos then headed to my place to watch Grey's Anatomy. I had a slight tummyache, but I just chalked it up to stomach cramps. I took some ibuprofen and felt better. All in all it was a pleasant time.

Friday Early Morning

I woke up at 2:30am Friday morning with major stomach cramps. I knew that these were out of the normal. I was still hesitant to go to the ER. I hate people who go to the ER for every little thing, that's what a primary doctor is for. I was up for about an hour and a half playing the "I'm going to the ER/ no, I'm not going to the ER" game in my head. I finally decided at 4am, that I was in enough pain to warrant an ER visit. i figured even if it was something as simple as a tummy ache, they would be able to prescribe me some mondo pain relievers and get some drugs into my system immediately. I, however, didn't want to wake anyone up in the middle of the night to drive me to the hospital. I decided to drive myself. I live about a mile from Virginia Hospital Center, so I figured I would be okay. I checked myself in and the ER was empty. I was in my own room in about 15 minutes. I couldn't really get comfortable to nap or rest. The night doctor was really nice, he came by and talked to me about Mexican food for 15 minutes (which is huge considering how valuable an ER doctor's time is. He made me seem really important. He told me I was going to be getting a CT scan so they could rule out appendicitis. I finally went to my CT scan about 7am. Before I went they made me drink 2 huge cups of cranberry juice mixed with iodine. It was disgusting. I drank it in big gulps. At this point I was still hopeful that I could make it to work by 9 or 10am. I had emailed my bosses to let them know what was going on, but I was still thinking I was overreacting and it was a tummy ache.
I came back from my CT scan about 8am. At 8:30 the doctor came in to tell me that it was indeed appendicitis. I was shocked. I really didn't think it was serious.
At that point I called people to let them know the news.
Annie came right over.
They said I would be going into emergency surgery soon, but they didn't have a time yet.
Sometime around 2pm Fernando came to see how I was doing.
Sometime around 3pm I went into a lot more pain and spiked a fever. They gave me mondo meds.
Around 4pm Fernando left to go back to work and I went to surgery.
Around 5pm, I actually made it into the surgery room. I remember trying to get a good look at my surroundings, but I was so loopy that I don't remember much.
Apparently I'm very witty when I'm drugged.
I woke up about 7pm in the recovery room.
About 8pm they wheeled me to my own private room.
Tamsin and Annie came in minutes later to greet me.
Frank and Fernando came by shortly after that.
Eileen, Bill and Lydia came by about 10pm with gifts and snacks.

Saturday Morning

The next morning I woke up at 5am, 7:30am, 11am, and 1pm. I fell asleep between all these wakings. I was extremely drugged.
Annie came back to the hospital to pick me up and take me home.

Thoughts about the entire ordeal.

1. I realize I am stubbornly independent to a fault. I have been chastised by everyone for not calling them to drive me to the hospital. I didn't want to bother anyone, but in hindsight, I really should have.
2. I am SO lucky to have made so many good friends. Annie took control of my blackberry and kept everyone updated.
3. I really want to thank everyone who brought gifts, sent well wishes, and especially to those who came to the hospital. It meant the world to me.
4. The world of social media is a lot more useful than finding out the latest gossip. Annie kept everyone updated thru gchat and twitter. Twitter was especially useful as she was able to make a single post to update everyone about my status. I really encourage people to join twitter. I know it seems silly, but being connected is part of our generation. I can't imagine people would have been anywhere near as informed about my condition without twitter. Even if Annie would have called everyone, it would have taken much longer. Thank God for technology.

As for me, I'm doing well. I'm still recovering. I can't drive while on my meds, as they make me really sleepy. I am hoping to be back to near 100% by Wednesday/Thursday. Mostly I'm uncomfortable. I am walking/sitting/standing like a pregnant lady. My belly button hurts, but I'll take that over the pain of a ruptured appendix.

Oh, finally, Annie and I now have matching belly button scars... Buy us a beer.

So People Actually Read This Thing

And they get very upset when I take so long to update!



So in the life of Tina we last left off when I was quitting my job.
Since then I have actually been on a few interviews, both in person and over the phone.
I have actually been presented with a few job offers.
I have decided on one. I will be working with Chaos Solutions.
Chaos is a company that places personal assistants. Basically clients come to them and need help with a particular task, then they contract out to me.
I'm meeting with a client tomorrow during lunch. Basically I'll be planning her events. She is a lobbyist and tends to throw lots of parties, big and small and needs someone's help to coordinate.
This isn't a full time gig, but it could be the beginning of something big.
I will also be teaching cooking classes both at the Arlington adult education center, and to a few clients that I've gotten so far. I'm really excited about this as well. I think it will be a lot of fun, and it's a way for me to use my skills to make money.
Finally, I'm working on my website to create and sell hand made goods. This might coincide with my other blog http://www.craftsbytina.blogspot.com/ . Right now I am making a demo for a t-shirt quilt. I also have pillowcases, and coasters, and my next project is clutch purses. I really love making things, and if I can make a living out of it, that's really what is going to make me happy.
I know that this is a risky endeavor, but I am young. I don't have a family to support, or a husband counting on my for income. This is the time to take chances. I'm really excited to get the ball rolling on all these projects. I'm even more excited because it means that I will never have to sit in front of a computer 9-5 ever again. I couldn't be more thrilled.


Also, if you're interested in any of my services, please let me know. I do it all!


From the Foodie in Me

Some days ago I promised a look into the class I'm teaching on basic Mexican food.

I think Rice and Beans are a must for almost any dish. Growing up they were the staple side item at every meal. I will also teach how to make tacos/enchiladas and the second class will focus on a more advanced meal: guisos. Guiso is a Mexican stew. It's very yummy and very spicy.

I'll try to include a recipe on here later, but it's definitely a task for the more experienced cook.



Movies/TV/ Books



Whip It!


I'm going to warn this is not only a spoiler alert but a trip into girlyness.


I LOVED LOVED LOVED this movie. First of all I heart Ellen Page. She seems so genuine and like being a movie star isn't a big deal to her because she's the same person.
Secondly I have the HUGEST girl crush on Drew Barrymore. If I could be friends with anyone in all of Hollywood, I'd choose Drew. She was married/dated Tom Green! You know she cant get any more down to earth than that. I love all her movies too. I was really excited for her directorial debut, and I have to say, she hit it out of the park.
In this movie the main character, Bliss (Page) plays a high schooler from Bowdeen, Texas. Bowdeen is a tiny tiny town about an hour outside of Austin. One day she and a friend go to a roller derby match. She ends up trying out for the team and makes it. Her parents wouldn't approve so she hides it from them. In the end, they let her do it. The reason this movie is so different from other movies is that while she disagrees with her parents, they aren't the normal dimwitted parents of most movies. In fact she is given the advice that she is being too hard on them, and that she really is just a kid, and she can't have the perspective that they have. I love that family was stressed in the movie. I think far too often in chick flicks it's all about getting the guy. This movie was really about finding something you love, knowing that sometimes you don't get the guy, and that family really is important.
End of girlyness.

Just Gave My 2 Weeks

Thought I would post the story on here so that when people ask I can direct them to my blog.

The office manager just asked me to switch to another sector (I now work in education and healthcare) to support new people. I said no to the move and the manager said it's wasn't really up for debate. So I gave my 2 weeks. The reason they wanted me to switch was because they just hired new partners and out of the three sectors I already am a part of 2 of my bosses are "consultants". Which means they technically are part time. The other guy is retiring in May. The plan was they were going make other coordinators join the healthcare and education teams and give me two young full time people.
I was already planning on quitting in May. The partners in my office are so cut throat high maintenance, the idea of dealing with 2 completely new personalities was about the least appealing thing in the world to me. I just couldn't see myself doing this.

I still like my bosses. I think personally they are great guys. I was just tired of the atmosphere of it all. One year ago there were more people in my position than there are today. Today there are more partners to support. They stretch everyone thin to the point where no one likes what's going on.

Okay, that's all for today, back to regular posts tomorrow.

And it Was Still Hot

From the Foodie in Me

Cooking Class!
So I mentioned last week that I was going to interview for a position to teach a cooking class.
Well the interview went really well! I got the job with some homework stipulations. I need to write up a class summary and an outline for my classes. I'll be teaching 2 classes:
Southern Comfort Foods and Basic Mexican

My Southern Comfort Foods will focus on Chicken fried steak, some veggies, scalloped potatoes. I'm still working on which veggies I want to incorporate. The director and I sat down for a long time. He suggested greens. I hate greens. ick. I'm open to other ideas if you have them.
Tomorrow I'll let you know what's in store for my Mexican Cooking Class.

Around Town

Comedy Showcase at the DC Improv
My friend Anna is quite the character. She is taking a comedy class and the class is premiering their showcase this Thursday at the DC improv. Tickets are $10.
Come see future stars in the making!

Weird Personal Fact of the Day

I don't wear makeup. Have I said this one already? I can't remember. But I don't wear makeup, which is weird for a girl my age. In the morning I would rather sleep an extra 10 minutes than put on makeup. Plus, I don't like the way it feels on my face. After about 2 hours I feel like I'm wearing a thin layer of goop. Not a fan.

Diet in the Life of Tina
No breakfast
1/2 a can of Progresso fat free for lunch (120 calories)
Dinner: tbd

Books/TV/Movies

Ive been super slacking in the reading area lately. I moved and all Ive really read are chick lit books and reread the classics that I love.
In the mean time here is a list of my top 5 favorite books when I was a child.
The list is in no particular order as they are favorites from different ages.

1. The Gingerbread Man- when I was little (age 3) my parents didn't have a lot of money for things like books so I had a very limited selection. Still my mom read to me every night. Apparently I was very enamored with The Ginegerbread Man, my mom however grew to hate the book. So finally she went out and bought me a bunch of children's books. I was delighted. every night I choose a new book for her to read to me... right before she read me The Gingerbread Man.

2. Where the Wild Things Are - I think I liked this book when I was about 4. My favorite part was that I figured out at the end that it wasn't real. I remember being really proud of myself for knowing that Max just imagined the place where the wild things are. How did I know it was imaginary? When he came home his dinner was still hot.

3. Nora's Castle - Age 5. In this book a little girl, Nora, explores a castle on a hillside. I remember so wishing that I lived near a castle I could explore. This book is very short, and hardly any narration, but it lets the reader imagine themselves in a castle.

4. Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs - Age 5/6. I remember thinking this book was so sad. It introduces the idea of death. It's definitely a book for a kid who can handle mature topics, but it's an excellent way to explain things.

5. Beverly Cleary Books - Age 8. I cant pick just one. I loved all of them as a child. The Ramona books, especially. I can't imagine not having this series as a kid.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...

The Cindi Lauper song is completely true. I had a lot of fun this weekend, old school style.FridayFrank was gone for the weekend. He was bachelor party-ing it up in Montreal so I went over to Annie's after work and basically stayed the whole weekend. We made apple pie:



On Saturday we did a little shopping. I needed a dress to wear to the Crosby/Dziok wedding. I found a KICKASS dress at Marshall's for $20! I think it will also be my dress for Christmas parties. I am poor right now so I have to abstain from buying new shoes, but nonetheless I'm really excited as I haven't had a new dress in forever.

After that Annie and I took a long walk with Hamilton and and when we got back I started preparing a dish for Sarah's pumpkin potluck. I'm in no way a pumpkin enthusiast. I don't even like pumpkin pie. I went in feeling a little trepidation, however, I ended up LOVING a lot of the stuff there. My favorite dish of the evening was Sarah's pumpkin soup. It was amazing. Super savory with tons of spices. Two thumbs up

When I got back to Annie's after the potluck we began a girls sleepover, middle school style...plus booze. We drank, watched TV and played games. It was a lot of fun. Annie also had the brilliant idea that we all clean out our closets and have a clothing swap! We made her office a store and had a blast. All the remaining clothing we donated to Goodwill. This is a great thing to do with your friends. It forces you to clean out your closet, you make a tax deductible donation and you walk away with a few new items of clothing that you didn't have to pay for!
Pics of our store that I lifted from Annie's blog:

On Sunday we made a trip to Dunkin donuts for breakfast. After that Annie and I headed to C-grill to watch football.

All in all a great weekend!

Weird Personal Fact of the Day

Annie thinks I have too many weird quirks. I think her face has too many weird quirks.

Also, I hate when people don't pull their socks up all the way and there is extra sock material at their toes, then they put on their shoes... ** shudder** seriously, hate it.

From the Foodie in Me

My friend Sarah had a pumpkin themed potluck party on Saturday night. I think the best dish of the night, by far, was her pumpkin soup. (And I'm not just saying that cause she reads my blog, I'm the kind of friend who is brutally honest.)

She lifted the recipe from Food Network. In all it's glory, plus her added tips!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/pumpkin-soup-with-sage-and-sweet-italian-sausage-recipe/index.html

notes:i roasted pumpkin first, just cut in half. took lid off to make halfing easier) cut side down in cookiesheet with some water. scoop out seeds for roasting or trashing. i did three of the pie sized pumpkins for the double recipe as it was a vague measurement. i think 350 for 2 hours. but many places give times.. and some cooking will happen on stove.. really just makes scooping flesh easier.
also, i would pull out bay leaves and maybe twiggy herbs (but leave leaves from twigs) before immersian blending. (you can blend soup in a reg blender-- but from my experience only a little at a time, and leave air hole open.. lest you want soup on your walls.)
i obv used the high end of meat 2 lb and wine (gives a range) and did half mild sausage and half sweet chicken sausage.
and black pepper worked fine.

Tweeting and Football

I am a huge twitter fan, but during the week I just don't have the time to send out many updates. I make up for this during the weekend watching football. I tweet like a madwoman, it's like being in the same room with me (according to a few friends).

This was from 2 weeks ago all mostly tweeted in the last 2 minutes of the game. Dallas, needless to say, lost to Denver. :

1. Home for the second half. We've always been a second half team. Go Dallas!

2. First down! Love the turnovers when they aren't made by Romo.

3. F-ing A. I jinxed it.

4. Son of a bitch.

5. F-ing... son of a... shit.

6. That's your fault romo. That should have made 10, not 17. Try not to throw picks and we won't have this problem.

7. Heart attack city.

8. Losing my shit

9. They are trying to kill me

10. Fuck

11. Pissed.

12. FWebb @tinacordova you practically simulate the live "watching-a-cowboys-loss-with-Tina" experience over Twitter. Nice.

13. CIRAME like I was there RT @FWebb: @tinacordova U practically simulate the live "watching-a-cowboys-loss-with-Tina" experience ovr twttr. Nice.

14. hollyjackson So true! RT @FWebb: @tinacordova you practically simulate the live "watching-a-cowboys-loss-with-Tina" experience over Twitter. Nice.

This was from yesterday. Dallas was losing and it was tied, ended up going into overtime with both teams having posession of the ball twice. Dallas ended up winning, but my phone actually died in the first quarter, otherwise there would have been many more tweets.

1. Watching the game live from c-grill. Come join me!

2. Enjoying the state of Texas on KC helmets. They used to be thr Dallas Texans. Woo throwback jerseys.

3. You've got to be fucking kidding me. Fumbling a punt? Be prepared for foul mouthed tina. She comes out when the cowboys are sucking.

4. Dallas is trying to kill me. they're succeeding.

5. Flozell I'd twisting the knife.

6. Kansas city isn't winning cause theryre good. Kc is winning cause dallas special teams can't get their shit together.

7.Sacks and defense. That's what I'm talking about.

8.Go for it!!!! Gaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!

9. On the board. Missing TO

10.FWebb @tinacordova classic! Love me some angry-cowboys-losing Tina Tweets. KC isn't good, but word is getting out: Dallas isn't either.

11.@FWebb your face isn't good

12. my phone died after my last tweet which is why the cowboys commentary stopped. Probably for the best as I was about to have a heart attack.

Basically what I'm saying is I really love my football. The Texan in me always makes me a bit nuts during football season. I blame my parents who are both more diehard than I am.

I'm also saying you should follow me on twitter!

@tinacordova !!!

Quest to Loose 10 Pounds

So in no way do I want to make this a weight loss blog, but let's just say I can stand to loose a few pounds. My immediate goal is 10 pounds by a November 6th wedding.

However if you are interested in a a weight loss blog you should read: www.losingweightinthecity.com

It's my friend Theo's quest to shed her weight. It's super inspiring and entertaining.

Today: banana breakfast, progresso lunch, grilled chicken dinner. Running after work.

Landlord Hell

I'm in landlord hell. I moved into a great house in Ballston about 2 months ago. It's a cute place, and I have great roommates. It's a bit of an older house, which I like. After living in New Orleans for 4 years I have come to realize that I like houses with a little more character than your standard mcmansion. This however is the first time I've ever had problems with a landlord. I consider myself extremely lucky. Right now our air conditioning/heating system has been broken for over a month. It desperately needs to be replaced but the owners aren't letting the management company replace it. I've been pestering them for the last month (especially after the 2 freezing cold days we had) to fix it. They still haven't. Next I threaten legal action.

From the Foodie in Me

A few months ago I applied for a teaching job as a cook at the Arlington Learning Center. No one ever called me back, so I figured nothing ever came of it. Yesterday I got a call and they want me to come in and interview tomorrow for a position. I'm really excited about this. First of all the extra cash would be nice, second of all I think teaching cooking would be a lot of fun. The classes I suggested are "Mexican Cooking" (duh) and "Southern Comfort Foods".
I think I'll take a few suggestions with me on some recipes I'd teach. Any suggestions from those of you who have tasted my food before? Please let me know!

Learning Code

I went to a crazy awesome high school. It was a private prep school. I swear I learned more useful skills there than I did in college. One of the classes I took was "Webmastering". I learned how to make my own website and write HTML. Unfortunately I didn't keep up with those skills in college and 10 years have passed since I took that class. As many of you know I'm not exactly thrilled with my current job so I'm always looking for ways for my resume to stand out in this tough job market. I think writing code is a great thing to put on there so I started taking this online DIY tutorial for writing code. I'm on like lesson 10 of 100 or something, but I'm still really excited. Not only can I add this to my resume but I'm also building a website where I can sell the items I've formerly been putting on ETSY. Stay tuned in for more about that later.

From the Foodie in Me, Again

I went apple picking with Bill and Lydia this weekend. I have a bag full of apples, aside from your basic pie, I'm looking for apple recipes. Let me know if you have a good one!

5 Day Workweeks Suck

They just do. I have come to the realization that people were not meant to work five day workweeks. Think about the amount of work you do each week. Not the hours you spend at work, but the actual amount of work you do. How many of you could accomplish that work in 2-3 days work time? I know I could. Sure there are weeks when you're insanely busy, but then there are weeks when you sit around watching hulu all day long.
Yesterday a girl in my office and I were chatting about her lawyer friend. This friend puts in 100 hours a week at her law firm. She banks about 120K a year. If you divide this out hourly, this girl makes about $23 an hour. For a normal 40 hour work week $23 an hour comes to about 50K a year. Kinda makes you think.
I don't want anyone to say that I'm disparaging lawyers. I have my own lawyer friend who works insane hours, but I also have lawyer friends who don't have jobs. In this economy if you have a job you need to work the extra hours to prove you belong there, versus the other unemployed people who would love to have your job. However, I've come more and more to the conclusion that I don't want to work at something that I hate doing.
While I don't exactly hate my job (at least not the way I hated LI) I still don't think it's the job for me. I'm not the kind of person who can sit behind a desk for 8 hours a day. It's starting to make me very unhappy. I'm taking drastic steps to make my life exactly what I want it to be. I'm helping to plan more events here and there, and I'm looking into part time gigs where I can build a portfolio and make contacts. Okay, enough of my rambling for now.

Microsoft

How many of you know Microsoft suite? Like not just know how to open it and do the basic things, but how to really use it? Can you create formulas in Excel? Can you add media effects to a PowerPoint? Can you create a database in Access?
I can do all of these things. I never thought much of it till I went to college and others had no idea how to do these things. Then when I started work here I found people always calling my desk to ask me questions, Excel questions in particular. I learned these things in high school. I remember them being drilled into my head, we took a computer class entirely devoted to Microsoft. I never realized how cutting edge the high school was until I got out in the "real world". I just find it interesting.

Wheels

Sarah dropped off my car last night. I am super excited to have wheels again. I think I wanna name my new car. Any suggestions?

Movies/TV/Books

Anyone wanna see Whip It this weekend?

If You Could be Friends With Anyone Famous...

Who would you pick?
I'd pick Drew Barrymore. She just seems so f-ing cool. She's down to earth, and has an "I don't give a fuck" attitude. I love that. I feel like I could hang out with her at Jay's and she'd be totally down with that.

Weird Personal Fact of the Day

I don't wear makeup. I hate it. It feels like there is goop all over my face. I'm secretly terrified of the day I have to start wearing makeup. Boo old age.

The DMV

I know that everyone has heard people rant about the DMV. I know it isnt news to hear how awful they are. But this is my blog, I'll rant if I like.
The DMV sucks.
I recently moved. I went online to change my address. In order to change my address online I need to request a PIN number. They send this pin number to you at your old address... wtf? How does that make any sense at all. It's the 21st century people. Use email! Saves everyone time and money.

Crafting

I know I haven't been keeping my craft blog up to date, but expect all new crafts starting next week. On the agenda are 1. a mask for a masquerade ball. 2. How to make a purse out of a place mat. 3. Decoupaged tables. Get excited.

Bitches is Crazy

Every once in awhile a guy will remark on how crazy girls are, or on the crazy things we do.
We are indeed crazy. We know this. We try and hide it as much as we can, but sometimes the cup of crazy runneth over, and this is what you get to see.

I can't count the number of times I have flown off the handle for no reason. Should I apologize to my significant other? Yes. Do I apologize? Almost never.
For all you men out there. Just accept the crazy, don't try to understand it, or rationalize it. Reason and logic don't belong in girl world.

Football

Dallas Cowboys won last night. I think everyone should know.

Weird Personal Fact of the Day

I don't like scented lotion. It's too much. I don't want to walk around all day smelling like green tea, vanilla, ginger, apple, cinnamon....

Weekend Shenanigans

I'm babysitting this weekend at a hotel. Sounds sketchy right? The people I normally babysit for have friends in town for a high school reunion. They are staying in VA, and have asked me to babysit for their kids. This will be interesting for a few reasons. First, there is the hotel aspect. Luckily the hotel has a pool, so the kids should be occupied for a good amount of time with that. I have no idea what I'll do when it's bed time though. Also, the kids are older. I normally babysit for kids who are 4 or younger. I think this is easier. You are an authority figure, so they have to listen to you. These kids are 9 and 7. It'll be fun, I'm sure, but completely different than what I'm used to.

Also going to Annapolis this weekend with the Popa. Should be fun.

Adoption

I babysit for a family who is adopting their second child this December. They are so excited for the opportunity to welcome another child into their home (they already have one little girl who is adopted). I couldn't be happier for them. I think adoption is one of the hardest best things you could ever do.
I can't even begin to pretend I know the heartache that comes with giving a child away. I can't imagine being faced with a harder decision. But I have witnessed first hand the joy and happiness that comes with bringing a child into your home. I know lots of people that are adopted, or have adopted children, their lives are completed by this process. They are given a family.

Okay, that's the end of my schpiel.

Random Weekend Antics

I drove into the city twice this weekend. I participated in a bridal shower and a bachelorette party. I had a lot of fun, and although I didnt drink a lot I did have one cigarette, and made it home about 3am. Reminds me of college.

From the Foodie in Me

Cafe Odeon
This place is in Dupont. It lots of Italian food. The food was decent and the prices were very reasonable but our service sucked. I am a huge service person, I feel that bad service will really impact your meal. While I realize that everyone sometimes gets "in the weeds" (service talk for "really busy"), I have no tolerance for lots of people standing around doing nothing. That's what I saw a lot of. With all the great places to eat, I don't know that I'd go back to this place.

Around Town

I think I mentioned that Lebowski Fest is in town. Tonight at the 9:30 Club.
The dude abides.

Can't Shake This Cold

I WROTE THIS POST LAST WEEK AND NEVER POSTED IT.

I've had it for a week now. Today I'm coughing, stuffed up and a bit queasy. I am however back at work.

I'm going to put this out there for all: I am actively looking for a new job. If you know of anything you think I might be a fit for, please let me know.



TV/Books/Movies



Mad Men (First Season Spoilers)

I know a lot of you out there must watch this show. I just finished the first season. I am such a huge fan. It's weird because the main charachter has so many flaws, but you can't help but like Don Draper. I will say that my least favorite charachter is Peggy. I have no idea why. I just don't like her. I figured out she was pregnant about three episodes before the season finale, so I kind of saw that coming. It helps when you watch all the shows in a row. I think my favorite charachter is Rachel Meinken. I love that she isn't willing to indulge Don. I'm excited to start on Season 2!



Planes, Trains and Automobiles



Actually just automobiles in this instance. I might (looking like a very high liklihood) have a car! My friend Sarah is selling her car to me. I'm taking it for a test drive on Thursday, but barring the steering wheel falling off in my hand, I'm pretty sure I'm taking it. I'm very excited to have a car again. When I lived in New Orleans I did all the driving. My friends either didn't have cars or just didn't drive much. I was always the one picking people up and taking them places. I was always the go-to for a wal-mart run. Or the girl calling you to come hang out for the afternoon (at Brunos) saying "Meet me in the turnaround". I'm really excited about driving again!

26 1/2

It's been six months since my birthday. Today I am 26 1/2. Tomorrow I am officially closer to 27 than to 26. It's weird when you're younger and you you can't wait to be an adult. You want responsibility, and the freedom to make your own choices. Then as an adult, all you want is everything to be taken care of for you.
Did you mom ever tell you "Don't be in a rush to grow up?". Mine did. Mom's are so smart like that. I wonder if it's some sort of mom gene that kicks in as soon as you have a kid. My mom also told me something that I will never forget. "Things always change". I remember even as a kid I got that one right away. You move away, your best friends change, you change schools. As much as you want things to stay the same, they can't. The great part is, that because my mom prepared me as a child for change, I'm used to it. I can adapt with the best of them.
I moved to DC with a few suitcases and no place to live. I have a lot to show for myself now. But now not only to I cope with change. I embrace and welcome it. I'm the kind of person that can't sit still. I always like to be on the go, doing something. I can very rarely sit idle for long periods of time. That isn't to say I don't have an attention span. I do. I just always like to be engaged in a project, something worthwhile that fulfills my life. Just a little introspection on my half birthday.

_______________________________________________________

Happy Birthday Sharee

Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner

So sad, Patrick Swayze died yesterday. He made it a lot longer than anyone thought he would. I remember watching dirty dancing when I was really little. I loved it (because I loved the dancing parts). Some years later I watched it again and realized that I couldn't have possibly understood what was going on when I was little. That whole abortion thing was WAY over my head at age 8.
Anyways I love Patrick Swayze and I hope he's in a better place.

The Day From Hell

That would be yesterday. I got into work and all sorts of shit had hit the fan. I sent out something via courier on Friday and the courier never picked it up. My boss emailed me over the weekend, but I've stopped checking my work email on the weekends. So I come in Monday to him throwing a hissy fit that the book never got to him. Also, he's created his own book and has made edits to it. I basically was looking at about 4 hours worth of work. In addition to that I needed to create and send out 5 bound copies of a proposal. I also had to send out contract letters to 2 different clients. All this was in the healthcare sector. In the education sector I had a contract to get out, 3 meetings to schedule, and transportation and lodging reservations to make. In the international education sector I needed to create the first draft of a 500 page client research book. On top of all that expense reports were due and I needed to reconcile over seven thousand dollars worth of credit card charges. Needless to say, there was no way I could accomplish this in 8 hours. I ended up being at work till about 9:30pm.
Okay my rant is over.

Fanshion Faux Pas

Harem Pants. Like the MC Hammer type of pants that were in style in the 90's are coming back. I would like to take this opportunity to tell all my friends "If you wear harem pants, I will make fun of you, both to your face, and behind your back".
I managed to "covertly" snap some pictures of girls in harem pants. ***shudder***

This was actually the second pair I saw, which made me realize it might be a "fashionable" thing. The worst thing to happen to girls since uggs and leggings.

This was the first pair I saw. The picture is kind of blurry, which is what happens when you try to covertly take pictures of people. The saddest thing about this girl was that she was with a group of girls. They should know better and tell her she looked ridiculous. That's what real friends do.

One Thing to Do...

Are you ever at work on a Friday, and all you have to accomplish is one thing, and at 4:30pm, you still havent accomplished it?
That's me today.

I'm upset that my bosses are scattered all across the office (this is a new development). To vent, I've accomplished nothing today. So here are my random thoughts through todays workday...

Glee

Just saw the first 2 episodes on HULU. I am totes hooked. They sang Journey songs in the first episode! The best part is every song is a song you know. I can totally see myself singing into my hairbrush tonight...

JCrew

the best stop for bridesmaid dresses. My cousin is getting married. I'm the maid of honor. I choose tea rose colored dresses at jcrew. I win. I also bought the bridesmaid dress for Annie's wedding at jcrew. It's served me well with a total of 4 wears so far.

Sorority Life

The game on facebook. It's so addicting! I log on everytime my "energy" replenishes to organize more social events.

Daily Crosswords

I do them every day, pretty explanatory.

Twitter

must update at least twice a day. my public is dying to know what i had for lunch.

The Scoop

Gossipping with several girls in my office about what really went down while I was on furlough. Turns out my boss was a pain in everyone's behind. Four different people were called in to help. It makes grateful that other people see how bad they can be.

I think that's it. I know today's post is weird and short, but I still have to finish that one task...

I'm Procrastinating...

I have SO much work to do and no desire to do any of it.
Although my furlough was nice, it is so hard to get back into work mode after having time off.
Also, in general the office really picks up pace starting September 1st. I feel like DC especially operates on a school schedule. Lots of companies have summer hours, the hill is out of session. Everyone is having a great time. Also, you know if you read regularly that I am just ready to not work anymore. I really thought at some point I would be bored on furlough. I would get tired of daytime TV, and want to get back to business. Nope. Didn't happen. I turned on the TV twice during the day. I think I am a rare breed of person that doesn't need the TV playing in the background while they are doing something. I am perfectly happy in my own thoughts. As a matter of fact, I usually only have the TV when I'm going to bed.
I accomplished so much in my 2 weeks off. It is making me long for thanksgiving break (the next time I have days off). I was originally planning on going to Texas, but I think I might stay put after all, get more accomplished and save some cash.

Interesting Personal Fact of the Day:

My Insane Travel Schedule
Yes, it's insane travel time again. I know you're all dying to know so here we go:

November: Rhode Island (Dave and Rachel's Wedding)
December: Texas (Christmas)
January:Vegas baby! (Over MLK Weekend)
February: Barcelona (With Anna Pope)
March: New Orleans (for FF's bachelorette party)
April: New Orleans (for FF's wedding)
May: Dallas or Chicago (for Jackie's bachelorette) and OBX (Memorial Day Weekend)
June: Dallas (Jackie's Wedding)
July: Beach, don't know which one yet. (Gamma Phi Beach Retreat)

FOOTBALL!

OMG, I am SO excited that it's football season again!
Okay, calming down. Tonight is the first regular game of the season with The Titans facing the Steelers.
I HATE HATE HATE the Steelers. I actually hate all PA teams. Plus, I'm a sucker for Vince Young (yes, I know he's back-up) so I'm rooting for the Titans this weekend.

It always makes me sad that Summer comes to an end. I know I'm an adult now, and I dont even get summer break anymore, but I just love the warmer months. It's already starting to cool down in DC, and I have broken out a sweater or two. Football is the only redeeming factor during this time. I look forward to the games every Sunday, I curse bye weeks, I love our monstrosity of a new stadium, and I love that Jerry Jones wont raise the TV's. Ahhh, football!

From the Foodie in Me
(sorta)

Clarendon Grill, it isnt really about the food. Don't get me wrong, the food is decent, and they have fair prices. It's about the seating. I feel like all of us have gone to that really awesome restaurant, with the great tasting food, and havent been back because the service sucked?
This place is just the opposite. I dont really go there when it's not football season, but every Saturday without fail you can find me sitting at that bar stool. The manager, Chris, is also a Cowboys fan. The main bartender, Rob, is a diehard redskins fan, and he and I like to talk "smack" to each other. The waitresses (esp Robin) are very friendly and accommodating. These people have moved tables for us, given us special treatment, made food that wasnt on the menu. I have to say I absolutely love this place because of the service. If your looking for a place to watch football on a Sunday, this is it.

Bad Blogger

Is what I've been. I've been super busy traveling about, so I at least I have a reason.

Anne's Wedding

Le Sigh. Anne is one of my best friends. She got married last weekend. I'll post pics to my fb soon. She was such a beautiful bride. I was actually there the night she met her husband, Jim. We were at club Lir in Boston. The reason we were out was that I was visiting town. I like to think I played an important part in their meeting.

Dark Room

I've been getting really good sleep lately because my new room doesnt have windows. It's awesome. I've become a huge fan, even though I originally thought it would be depressing.
Today, however, is my first day back at work after my furlough and I am exhausted. I need to readjust my sleep schedule to normal sleeping times, as opposed to "whenever".

TV/Books/ Movies

Greek is back! I'm really excited about this. I love that the show is a fairly accurate description of college/ Greek life. Of course it's dramatized, but it's TV, it has to be that way. I don't think they portray the Greek system in a bad light. You get in fights with sisters, you get angry at frats, there is a "best house", etc etc etc. I recommend this show.
Team Cappie!

From the Foodie in Me

I have a lot of male friends who don't really know how to cook. I've featured a few recipes that are "guy friendly". Meaning they only require a few steps.
This is another shout out to the fellas (and the ladies who cant cook), easy tips and changeable recipes that allow you to eat well at home, without a lot of effort.

Pasta/ Chicken Change Up:

1 Cup Pasta Cooked
1 Chicken Breast, (salt and peppered) baked in over for 15 minutes at 350 degrees
1 bag frozen veggies, cooked (I like the kind you microwave for 30 minutes.

The key to bringing all these things together is a good sauce. A new and different sauce will change the meal every time.

Cheese sauce - Start with some heavy cream, or milk. Add grated Parmesan cheese on a low heat, stirring till combined. Throw in any other cheeses you have on hand. Basically any cheese can go in this sauce. Add a bit of salt and pepper and you can mix in the pasta/chicken/ and veggies for an instant meal.

Tomato sauce - Start with either tomato sauce or a spaghetti sauce from a jar. Add in every spice on your spice rack (garlic, basil, rosemary, salt, pepper). Also add half a cup of sugar and if you have a diced tomato or bell pepper on hand, throw it in. Simmer on a low heat till the sauce bubbles. Instant meal!

I'll update with sauces every so often for more cooking ideas.

Around Town

Free!

Taming of the Shrew

Thursday, August 27, 2009 - Saturday, September 12, 2009
Location: Sidney Harman Hall
The Taming of the Shrew
By William Shakespeare
The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare gives us the improbable courtship of the fiery-tongued Katherine by the arrogant Petruchio.But unlike Shakespeare’s other romantic comedies, the play does not stop with the wedding. Shakespeare considers the institution of marriage, the rifts between men and women, and the rough journey toward love.One of Shakespeare’s earliest and most popular comedies, The Taming of the Shrew bursts with disguise, deception and devilment.The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Free For All is a much-loved Washington tradition, offering free performances of a Shakespearean classic to the general public. This year the Free For All moves to STC's new state-of-the-art theatre Sidney Harman Hall.“Smashing … a chic, funny and marvelously acted modern-dress production.” - The Washington PostEvent Information Location: Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street, NWAdmission: Free Reservations: Not required Tickets can be obtained free of charge in-person the day of the performance at the Sidney Harman Hall Box Office. Staff will begin distributing tickets two hours prior to curtain (please note curtain times do vary). Each person in line is allowed two tickets. Tickets are subject to availability. Seating is reserved and will be at the discretion of House Management.

Just a quick little update...

I don't have a lot to report, but I did want to share with everyone that I now have an Etsy shop set up.
For those of you not familiar with Etsy, it's an online shop where you can sell your handmade goods.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7734433

Also you can visit my other blog at www.craftsbytina.blogspot.com .
All crafts listed can be ordered and custom made for your color preferences.
Tell your friends!

Send me an email for prices at cordova.tina@gmail.com.

Random Raves

I love having time off from work, I'm getting caught up on so much stuff that you don't normally have time to do.

Redbox

has anyone else tried these things? They are amazing! It's basically a blockbuster/netflix vending machine. They are at a lot of 7-11's. I hadn't tried one because I used to have comcast on demand, and netflix, and streaming netflix, but since those things are gone, i decided to give it a shot. Basically you can rent a movie from the vending machine fro $1 a night. If you don't have time to bring it back, it charges you another dollar. After a certain amount of days (i think a month) if you still haven't returned the movie, it's yours to keep and they stop charging you. So far I have seen 3 movies and loved the idea that they cost me a total of $3. If there is one near you, I highly recommend it.

Movie/TV/Books

17 Again

That's right, I am reviewing a movie starring Zac Efron. He is so dreamy..... not really he just looks so GD young! It's impossible for me to have a crush. All in all I enjoyed the movie. It was extremely predictable and exactly what you would a expect. It was every 17 year old girl's secret indulgence movie... or maybe every 26 year old girls...

From the Foodie in Me

Tonight I went to a girl's night at my friend Becky's apartment. It was lots of girls hanging out, talking and consuming some great wine. We got on the subject of restaurant week and we went over some steak house recommendations. Becky was going to Morton's... which I like, but I like Prime rib even more. I think it's a flashback to the 50's. When me where men. No casual clothes allowed... I love it. I also recommended BLT Steak. It's loud and posh, but a lot of fun. The food is really good, but a bit of a spin on your classic steak.

Furlough Day 3

Today I cleaned out the basement.


This is the before picture. Stuff stacked everywhere, laundry baskets anyplace you could put them, boxes upon boxes... ugh...

This is the after picture. Neatly stack boxes, baskets are neatly places, bags are hanging from the walls... places to store things. empty trash bin...

And this is my pride and joy. If you follow my blog you know that I have to have my towels folded a certain way. I'm a little bit OCD about my linens. I unfolded, then refolded all the sheets and towels on this shelf... loves it!

First Week of Freedom

Woo!

I'm thinking that my company totally could have just made everyone take a pay cut equal to the amount of our furlough time off, but they gave us the time off as well.
I'm enjoying my freedom from work by getting things accomplished.

Extreme Makeover: Bathroom

So, you all know that I have moved into a great new house. I'm really excited about having some things that I didnt have in the apartment. Namely, a backyard and a washer and dryer.
I defiantly want to make my new place feel like a home, versus just a place I sleep.
I started with my bathroom. I originally wanted to start with the living room but the bathroom is a smaller space to cover. I painted it from an off white to a yellow. I actually mixed 2 paint cans together to come up with this color. It was a lot of fun, and I accomplished all this in one day!

This is a shot of the entryway to the bathroom. It's a tiny area. I picked up the shower curtain at Walmart for about $10. I brought it with me from the old apartment I lived in. There is actually a glass door behind the shower curtain leading to the shower. I enjoy the personal detail a shower curtain brings though, not to mention glass doors aren't welcoming. funny story about this particular curtain. I bought it 2 years ago. I picked it out myself, brought it home and put it in. I took a step back to admire it and that's when it hit me. It is the EXACT same shower curtain my mom hung in her bathroom in Texas. I have officially become my mother.

So this is a temporary fix until I have more time to dedicate to the sink. Basically the wood cabinet under the sink is gross and peeling. it really needs to be ripped out and something new needs to go in. But since it's not likely that the management company will do that, I covered the bottom of the sink in fabric. I added some ribbon touches to match the ribbon in the shower curtain.

I love this shelf. I picked it up at Marshall's 3 years ago. It's a simple basic white shelf that has really lasted me. I added some candles on top for a decorate touch. Another simple way to make your bathroom have that finished look, is to have a nice matching hand towel set. Mine are purple, I got them at Macy's on sale for $10.

This mirror originally had a wood frame. I painted it. You want to make sure to tape off the inside of your mirror when you paint. You can also see the reflection of my picture framed postcards! (www.craftsbytina.com)

You can find these cubbies just about everywhere these days. I think I picked this one up at target. I also love the bins that go in them, perfect for hiding things you dont want showcased. Since I don't have a lot of room in my bathroom I opted to drill this to the wall rather than put it on the floor. It gives me storage without taking up room.

This is facing the door. I hung a postcard in a different type of frame. Shh! Don't tell Annie! (it's her postcard). I also added an over the door hook hanger.

Voila! Instant new bathroom!

Craft of the Day

I’ve recently been debating starting a second blog about crafts. I think I really have enough ideas to make this happen.
Today is the first entry in my crafts blog. You can read it here: www.craftsbytina.blogspot.com.

From the Foodie in Me

Today I was running around getting some errands done. I was super thirsty but on my way home. I decided to stop by Safeway to grab some soda. Once there I realized I wasn’t really in the mood for anything carbonated. I looked thru juice case and stumbled across Minute Maid’s Pomegranate lemonade. I am in love. Look out Vitamin water, you have competition.

Weird Personal Fact of the Day

I LOVE school supplies! I mean I really love them. My favorite are the great deals you can get on crayola merchandise during back to school time. I honestly believe every household should have at least a 24 count pack of crayons, a box of markers, a box of color pencils, a package of construction paper, a bottle of glue, a glue stick, and a really good pair of scissors.

Today, I got a new box of Crayola crayons for twenty five cents!

I also got a 2 pack of elmers glue sticks, also twenty five cents. A new box of Crayola Markers for $1, Crayola water paints for $1.70 and a 12 count box of color pencils for eighty eight cents. You really can't beat those prices. Not to mention Crayola is the top quality in back to school supplies. Parents shouldn't be cheap, dole out the extra few cents for Crayola brand products.