Here's some of the kitchen I work out of.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Uploaded
I had a bunch of pictures on my camera that needed uploaded. Here's a sample.
This was my attempt to take a picture of Marlow in his "Halloween costume" as a rabbit. That's a carrot in his mouth.
This was my attempt to take a picture of Marlow in his "Halloween costume" as a rabbit. That's a carrot in his mouth.
They like to snuggle when it's cold.
My neighbor and her new baby. He's almost one month old now.
Friday, November 14, 2008
TGIF
Yay for Fridays. I was off today, although I did spend a significant amount of time doing work-related stuff, but no cooking. Tomorrow I prep for a dinner gig on Sunday. Work has been kicking my butt lately. It's exhausting, I'll be honest. But I LOVE working for myself and can't wait to transition to the point where I'm full time with Taste and See Fine Dining (I still think it's a mouthful saying it all, but it's the underlying message that counts.) Until then though, I have to divide my time cooking for two companies. (Speaking though of Sunday, guess what I get to do this weekend???? SING!!! More on that in a second.)
We recently did our budget for Q1 of 2009 (I speak geek.) and our general rule is that the first step is to write down every thing that we want to do in that first 3-month block, holding nothing back. So from our list, basically all of it got "greyed out," which means, we aren't able to afford it now, but hopefully in the future sometime we will. It stinks keeping a budget, but it's a good discipline. I'd love for Chris to be able to buy a new bike. It would really make a difference when he does his triathalons (note: he rides a $30 rode bike) and he would just really love having one to work out with. I would love it if he could go camping every year with his best guy friends from Indiana. I'd love to be able to pay for Marlow to go to doggy daycare once a week or do agility classes. I think either of those would be great for his social skills and confidence. I would love to see my family more than once every 9 months and buy a big dining table that seats a lot of people. Those are just a few things that we choose not to do so that we can pay off our car, keep on keepin' on with the student loans, and put money in savings for emergencies, air conditioner, etc. Blah. Sorry about all that boring money talk. But onto what I was originally going to say regarding money.
Yes, folks, it looks as though my three and a half year season of not singing is coming to an end. And I can't tell you how happy I am about that. I've missed it so much and definitely feel that I am so out of shape. I've considered taking voice lessons many times, but the truth is, we just don't have the money for it. Instead, I do my vocal exercises in the comfort of my home without anyone around. :) Poor Marlow. But I am very happy to have the chance to sing for the first time in a long time this Sunday at church. I feel kind of weird doing it since I really don't know many people yet and we haven't even committed to this church since we started going 3 months ago, but I kind of like that. I like that you don't have to sign anything or be "in the club" to just use a gift.
Onto other matters.
I made Marlow some pumpkin dog treats yesterday. I figure that he's missing out on the yummy seasonal foods, so I baked out of pity for him. (and because we were out of treats and it's a way to save some money.) It's easy to throw together a glob of some sort that is edible for dogs. I personally like it because I get to use up things in my fridge (ya'll know how much I enjoy that!) that have been sitting there for awhile. Herbs are a great ingredient in dog treats because they naturally help cure bad breath. Especially parsley and mint. Never add salt or sugar or chocolate or raisins. You're not making it to taste good to a human's palate. Also, use whole wheat if you can. You're wanting it to be as healthy as possible. So, here's the glob that turned into little cookies for Marleypoo: whole wheat flour, oats, canned pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, plain yogurt. I recommend concocting something for your pooch sometime. It's essentially free if you use whatever you already have on hand. Bake until it is set and golden. They make a great gift for their playmates, too!
We recently did our budget for Q1 of 2009 (I speak geek.) and our general rule is that the first step is to write down every thing that we want to do in that first 3-month block, holding nothing back. So from our list, basically all of it got "greyed out," which means, we aren't able to afford it now, but hopefully in the future sometime we will. It stinks keeping a budget, but it's a good discipline. I'd love for Chris to be able to buy a new bike. It would really make a difference when he does his triathalons (note: he rides a $30 rode bike) and he would just really love having one to work out with. I would love it if he could go camping every year with his best guy friends from Indiana. I'd love to be able to pay for Marlow to go to doggy daycare once a week or do agility classes. I think either of those would be great for his social skills and confidence. I would love to see my family more than once every 9 months and buy a big dining table that seats a lot of people. Those are just a few things that we choose not to do so that we can pay off our car, keep on keepin' on with the student loans, and put money in savings for emergencies, air conditioner, etc. Blah. Sorry about all that boring money talk. But onto what I was originally going to say regarding money.
Yes, folks, it looks as though my three and a half year season of not singing is coming to an end. And I can't tell you how happy I am about that. I've missed it so much and definitely feel that I am so out of shape. I've considered taking voice lessons many times, but the truth is, we just don't have the money for it. Instead, I do my vocal exercises in the comfort of my home without anyone around. :) Poor Marlow. But I am very happy to have the chance to sing for the first time in a long time this Sunday at church. I feel kind of weird doing it since I really don't know many people yet and we haven't even committed to this church since we started going 3 months ago, but I kind of like that. I like that you don't have to sign anything or be "in the club" to just use a gift.
Onto other matters.
I made Marlow some pumpkin dog treats yesterday. I figure that he's missing out on the yummy seasonal foods, so I baked out of pity for him. (and because we were out of treats and it's a way to save some money.) It's easy to throw together a glob of some sort that is edible for dogs. I personally like it because I get to use up things in my fridge (ya'll know how much I enjoy that!) that have been sitting there for awhile. Herbs are a great ingredient in dog treats because they naturally help cure bad breath. Especially parsley and mint. Never add salt or sugar or chocolate or raisins. You're not making it to taste good to a human's palate. Also, use whole wheat if you can. You're wanting it to be as healthy as possible. So, here's the glob that turned into little cookies for Marleypoo: whole wheat flour, oats, canned pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, plain yogurt. I recommend concocting something for your pooch sometime. It's essentially free if you use whatever you already have on hand. Bake until it is set and golden. They make a great gift for their playmates, too!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Friday, November 07, 2008
Songs I Could Listen To Over and Over and Over
And this does bother whoever is riding in the car with me, but don't you ever find a song that you can't help playing again, turning up the volume a little (or a lot), and singing your heart out along with it? Here are a few I've been bonding with lately.
Free Fallin--John Mayer
Stay--Little Big Town
Rocking Song--Acapella
Forever and Ever Amen--Randy Travis
Keep It Loose Keep It Tight--Amos Lee
No One--Alicia Keys
Be The Change--Kat Edmonson
All I Need--Bethany Dillon
Sell Out--Axis
Free Fallin--John Mayer
Stay--Little Big Town
Rocking Song--Acapella
Forever and Ever Amen--Randy Travis
Keep It Loose Keep It Tight--Amos Lee
No One--Alicia Keys
Be The Change--Kat Edmonson
All I Need--Bethany Dillon
Sell Out--Axis
Sunday, November 02, 2008
November Already?
My body is exhausted from work. And the busy season is just beginning. I did a 12 hour day yesterday as I listened to the UTvTech game from the kitchen. It was a wedding reception/party for the couple who got married a month ago in Mexico. The bride was a Texas Tech graduate, the groom a Longhorn, and therefore a pretty interesting night. I have to admit that I only actually saw the last three minutes of the game, but that's all I needed to see. What an ending!
I worked on Halloween, but had the night off. I went and saw Carrie Underwood and enjoyed it very much. Chris is not a fan, to say the least, of country music, so I left him at home. I was proud of myself for not buying a single bag of Halloween candy this year.
I'm so tired and not looking forward to another busy week of work.
I worked on Halloween, but had the night off. I went and saw Carrie Underwood and enjoyed it very much. Chris is not a fan, to say the least, of country music, so I left him at home. I was proud of myself for not buying a single bag of Halloween candy this year.
I'm so tired and not looking forward to another busy week of work.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Agnes Irene Turns 100 Years Old Today!
Happy Birthday, Grandma. I love you.
One of my favorite pictures of her.
Singing hymns at a family reunion. No matter what she has forgotten, she remembers words from songs dear to her heart.
Sitting inside the one room school house where she attended as a child then later taught.
all photos courtesy of Andy Justison Photography
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A Week In the Life: Monday & Tuesday & Wednesday
I'm catching up and will be random because the last couple of days have been overwhelmingly busy. Marlow has a bug and was up all night, which kept me up all night. I think I got about two hours of sleep. I had an interview this morning and can't believe I stayed awake for it.
But besides work, here's more pictures from the last couple of days.
More walks with Marlow.
A silly picture of me getting ready for client visits.
"Deposit for business checking, please."
A visit to the podiatrist because I have ATHLETE'S FOOT!!! (Yes, I'm gross and it may be a little too much information, but that's why my subtitle says, "much more than you probably want to know.") You can't see it, but there's a dime-sized spot on the bottom of my foot. Gotta get that sucker.
Home for lunch.
Picking up the prescription.
Where I've spent many hours and will spend many more.My first corporate client!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A Week In the Life: Sunday
Went to church this morning. It meets in a middle school.
Chris and I shared some pizza and pasta for lunch.
The pumpkins and gourds outside were so colorful!
Bought groceries for the week--one of my favorite things to do.
Mmm. Skinny Cow.
Cereal for dinner.
Went to Lowe's and bought parts to fix a ceiling light and our bedroom lamp.
Making my weekly visit to Target.
The hobbit feet got some nail polish.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
A Week In the Life: Saturday
Not quite as exciting of a day. But it was Saturday and I didn't have to work, so it was a good day. We slept in, then I got up and went to brunch at my friend's apartment.
After lunch, my boys and I went to Zilker for the afternoon.What an absolutely beautiful day it was!
And we took Marls for a swim.
Watched the game when we got home (although it's close to impossible to see the score on our TV, let alone a football flying through the air.) and pretty much sat in front of the TV the rest of the day.
Our friend, Jen, took her Fundamentals of Engineering exam today and her husband threw her a surprise party. We ate burritos and played washers in their backyard.
Started a load of laundry.
Flipped through a magazine advertising holiday items and it made me want to use the coupon.
Cleaned the kitchen.
Took a quick inventory of the pantry.
Posted my climbing shoes on Craig's List to sell.
Friday, October 24, 2008
A Week In the Life: Friday
Good morning!
What do I do when home alone by myself all day, you ask? Why, listen to as much honky-tonk and twang as possible, of course!
...While I had a 5-hour date with these guys.
Baked our bread for next week. Two loaves of honey wheat.
Chris came to eat lunch, then worked from home the rest of the day. Needless to say, my music was vetoed.
I cleaned off the driveway.
And gave the plants a much needed drink.
Butternut Squash Soup with a bit of curry powder, coconut milk, and ginger. Alongside, warm out-of-the-oven bread with goat cheese.
After dinner, we attempted to spend a $25 dollar Simon Giftcard Chris got from work for teaching a class, but $25 isn't much for a guy at a mall, so we left empty-handed.
Back at home with mischievous Marley.
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