It's weird to be in the moment of an imperceptible shift and actually realize it. They happen all the time in relationships but we may not always realize it until it's passed and we're left asking ourselves what happened? So, this all begs the question: Do you ride and just let it go? Or do you try to reverse or stop it while it's happening? I don't want to be impetuous or cling to how things may have been but if you've got a good thing going wouldn't you want it not to change?
After a longer-than-I-would've-liked period of neglecting my home due to illness and what feels like chronic stress, I'm finally beginning to feel my productivity creep back in. And what I'm really looking forward to is spring and summer. I've got some great plans for our back deck and yard. What do we think of this precious bistro set for our back deck? We've got two wrought iron chairs that we've spray painted a happy shade of yellow. I think the contrast will work nicely.
I'm also dying to get an outdoor fire pit. Although we're still in February (remember, it should actually be cold during this month?), one of those on the deck would be perfection right about now. Glass of wine, fire going, twinkle lights a-twinkling. Yes, that may have to be purchased in the next week. I feel my blood pressure lowering just thinking about that scenario. Imagine what it could do in reality. We're also pre-planning to clear out an area in our side yard to do some summer garden planting. It's going to be a chore but lucky us, all the overgrown weed-trees have died in the cold but the weather is currently so nice that we can clean out the area without getting frostbite. I'm seeing tomatoes, zucchini and okra (the latter not being Italian in the least and for me, by request). The hubs wants to do a double dose of zucchini so that he can harvest the zucchini blossoms. Apparently most all American growers must toss these delicious delicacies, but in Italy they do all sorts of fun things with them. You can find them in pasta dishes or filled with soft cheese and fried. They're delicious!
Well, I've most definitely done it to myself while writing this but have I given you spring fever yet?
Can you really blame someone for doing something repeatedly that bothers you if you never let them know that it bothers you? Well, no. Do I do it anyway? Yes! I should probably stop, but I find the 'confrontation' so much more overwhelming than just dealing with it. I use the term 'confrontation' lightly as I know that I have a very skewed view of exactly what that means. To me it's just about anything that could qualify as a conversation with someone that could make me feel even slightly uncomfortable. And this is how it usually goes down (everything in parentheses is what I'm actually thinking):
Me: Hey. I need to talk to you about something (but I really don't want to). It's not really that big of a deal (yes it is, yes it is), but there's something that's been bothering me a little bit (a whole ton) and it's FILL IN THE BLANK (oh my gosh I can't believe I just got that out of my mouth *bracing for negative reaction*).
Party: Oh, well I'm so very sorry. I never mean anything by it and never even knew it bothered you. It won't be happening again. I promise. I'm so sorry, really.
Me: Oh, well it's not even that big of a deal. I swear. I shouldn't have even said anything. Honestly. Forget I even said it. Don't worry about it!
Yeah, not exactly what I would describe as direct or even an accurate reflection of how the question at hand is actually affecting me. This is also becoming quite the problem. I'm going to have to learn to get over myself and realize that as long as I'm presenting how I feel as honestly as I can and in a constructive manner that I am not responsible for how the other person acts. And also, I must realize that if nothing changes or if I never say anything, I really just have to adjust how I react to whatever it is that's bothering me because I can not change anyone. And I'm sorry, but that's just not fair! Am I right? Yes. I think we should be allowed to change people in these circumstances. But alas, such is life.
I saw the King's Speech this evening and yes, it has endeared Colin Firth to my heart even more greatly. I'm telling you, there's just something about him! His calm and cool demeanor and proper but not stuffy way of speaking, I find it to be just fantastic. I could watch him on screen all day every day. The film was awesome too. I've always had a fascination with monarchies, but then again, I think we all do to some point. I guess it starts as young children (probably mostly with girls) and being called princess and wanting to dress up as a princess and play princess. I personally think that the United States of America should seriously consider the possibility of instating a monarchy and I should be queen...
Ever heard someone say, "I just feel into this career"? Well, I'm beginning to understand exactly what that means. Construction and home energy efficiency is quite possibly the last thing I would have ever thought I would be learning about. But here I am anyway! Is this what I would consider my passion? No, not really. But I'm enjoying it and am kind of excited about learning something new. The way I figure it, I'm just along for the ride. God has a plan for me and in some way, this all works into the bigger, brighter plan. We'll see where this takes me and in the meantime, this is all making me feel, well... old. I'm sure it's the plague that I have combined with all the craziness this week has brought, but at 23 I feel officially old.
Enough about self-pity, self-searching, etc. What about Lindsay Lohan? Here's the tie-in. I think she's starting to look old and a little rough. I've never been a fan because I've always thought that she brings a bad name to redheads (which I am, by the way) and anything that brings a bad name to redheads is not okay with me. I've always thought she was a pretty terrible actress, too. I adore Mean Girls, but I just don't think she's that great. But now we've got yet another classic, American family drama unfolding before our eyes again. It looks like you have your fame-seeking dad, your crazy mother and a little dog somewhere in the mix? That's what I've gathered from Glee anyway. I do feel bad for her considering she's been in the business since she was young. But there comes a time for everyone when you have to reject the things that you believe may have made you who you are today and start taking responsibility for you. Yes, your past does dictate who you are in the present - to a point. But in becoming older and more informed, you usually begin to learn that certain things aren't okay, all on your own. Stealing for one. Not good! I think that anyone in their twenties knows this. What's worse is that she has enough money to buy herself just about anything! Logic. Not present. Oh well!
I'm sorry if posts will be few and far between. But, see my first paragraph. I've missed writing and getting my mind off things every day. I'll do my best to keep writing often.
I have never felt more un-fabulous that I do in this moment. I have the influenza. Yes, that's right, the flu. Not only that, but there has never been a time that I could absolutely not not be at work more than in this and the coming weeks. We have important visitors this week that I have to be there for. I have a shift to cover at the upcoming home show for which I am also somehow supposed to find 'comp time' during this week. Oh, and let's not forget my training trip to Memphis next week. May I just sum all of this loveliness up by saying that I am grateful for having a job.
My absolute, all-time favorite comedienne Gilda Radner had the best ongoing gig on Weekend Update on SNL. Her character Rosanne Rosannadanna would 'answer' viewers' letters, which mostly consisted of her picking out these completely obscure instances in her own life and rambling. Eventually one of the anchors would reel her back in and she'd always sum things up just like this: "It just goes to show you. If it's not one thing, it's another. Either you... or you..." Just watch and enjoy.
So, that's pretty much my life right now. It's always something. If it's not being stressed out and tired, it's having the flu and being tired.
I personally do not have the fever... the Bieber fever. He's got some catchy songs and the boy can clearly sing, and yes, I sometimes catch myself actually wanting to go see Never Say Never. But, I'm not twelve years old, so I don't have the fever.
On my way to work this morning, I caught a brief story about a recent interview he did for Rolling Stone where the interviewer covered topics such as abortion, politics, healthcare, etc. And he's how old? Yes, a whopping 16 years old. Plus he was born in 1994, which, I'm sorry, I have trouble believing that people born in the '90s actually exist. It's like a mental block. But I take issue with several things about the first sentence of this paragraph. In hindsight, Mr. Interviewer, was it actually something you believed to be appropriate to ask a sixteen year-old about abortion? And politics (considering he's still not quite old enough to vote? Oh, yes, and let's not forget the fact that he is not an American citizen. So, now we're putting a very impressionable group of young ladies in the position to develop their opinions on such matters from a 16 year-old non-American. Fabulous. All we need is another generation of young people who are either misinformed or uninformed. Yes, please reference my previous post about my political involvement and call me hypocritical, but when you're getting answers like those I'm about to list from a young man that adolescent girls adore it can't be good.
When asked about which political party he would join should he have the opportunity he basically said, "I'm not sure, but whatever they have in Korea, that's bad." Awesome. Solid answer, Biebs. And then he's asked about the healthcare situation. Yikes. If I have to explain this one more time, I'll scream. Your so-called "free" healthcare IS NOT FREE. Why don't you check your paystub the next time and see just exactly how much taxes they're taking out and tell me if you still think it's "free". Yowza. Anyway, I really don't have anything against Bieber, but Interviewer, shame on you for asking. And Bieber handlers, shame on you for not stepping in and stopping the madness - he's too young and way too under-prepared to answer such questions.
On an unrelated note, I've been contacted by someone to do a giveaway on my blog. What do we think about that? Go-----
I fell like all I can do for the foreseeable future is just move from one place to another, continuing through my day until I start it all over again. Doesn't that qualify as being a zombie? To completely wrap my head around everything that will be happening this week, the next several weeks and months is too much to deal with all together. So, one day at a time. Plan ahead when I need to and don't stretch myself too thin. Oh, yeah. And it's okay to say no.
Speaking of zombies - The Walking Dead on AMC. My husband freaking loves the show. I'd rather watch Nascar than anything having to do with zombies, sci-fi, etc. We generally have the same tastes for just about everything - in the broad sense. But it's so interesting as years go by to see where we differ on the fringe of certain things. I admit, I don't have enough energy in this period of my life to keep up with anything music. I have my standard all pop, top 40 radio stations on in the car and set my Pandora at work (Currently on Pitbull. Don't judge, I have a thing for his voice). I like all sorts of music (minus country, kill-me metal, some indie). But when the hubs has been driving my car, I get in and it's on Rock 105 blasting. Ughhhhh. How can he listen to that? Same thing with movies. For TV, we're generally on the same page. But let's just say that I've been strategically hiding the Syfy channel. Italians have terrible television. And I do mean terrible. So, there's pretty much always something to keep him entertained on the TV here in the States. We enjoy watching the Food Network, Travel Channel and TLC (a man after my own heart). And then he drops a bomb on me that he just loves The Walking Dead and movies that come on TV sometimes like Hellboy. Yes, Hellboy. Yikes.
But at the end of the day, I truly believe a study that I once read that says this: While the theory of opposites attract may make for a hot and heavy romance short term, alikeness is actually the perfect start for the long term. Luckily, I interpret this as alikeness on the big stuff - on your foundation. Anything that gets piled on after that doesn't matter. It's what keeps things interesting. And you can take comfort in the fact that while it may be annoying, it's not destroying. Oh, wow. That's going to be patented one day. Ask yourself - is it annoying or is it destroying? I can see it now...
My biggest problem in life is that of striking the balance between being a pushover and being assertive (which in my mind is equated with being a bia---). This was witnessed perfectly by what just happened when I walked in the door from work - yes, at 7:20. My husband called me at work at around 6:00 and asked what I would like for dinner. I ended the decision-making process by saying pasta, something with pasta. And my ever-accommodating husband was at the very beginning stages of preparing what I'm sure would have been an incredible pasta dinner. Now, what I must tell you about my very talented husband is that when a simple, last-minute dish will do, he usually tends to end up going all out. Here begins the extreme internal struggle that almost reduced me to tears, as usual. After a very long day at work, do I keep my mouth shut, knowing that I won't be eating until well after 9:00? Or do I say something and sound like a completely ungrateful wife? Well, as usual, I went for my old classic. A whiney medium of a little bit of both. So, I threw the rock (stating that we won't be eating until after 9:00) and then withdrew my hand (but it's alright, just do what you need to do). But then I came back to the kitchen and said, almost in tears, that I just really didn't want to eat at 9:00. And now I feel terrible. What's a girl to do?
Oh well. For now I'm just going to eat the dinner that he did prepare and enjoy the Justin Beiber Glee episode.
P.S. - Hubs, I love you and appreciate your elaborate thought!
I realize that in a day and age where most communication takes place in formats where you have a set limit of characters in which to express yourself that certain adjustments must be made. Text messaging, twitter. I get it. But that's no excuse for completely ignoring grammatical rules when you do have the space to write properly. Facebook comes to mind. Mistakes happen. And I'm not blind to the fact that I have surely let some slip in my blog posts. Especially when I'm blogging with a glass of wine - like now. I've been tempted to set this as my status before but have refrained because I don't want anyone to get mad. Well, this ain't Facebook, so here's what's what:
You're = you are
Your = 'you' possessive
They're = they are
There = refers to location
Their = 'they' possessive
Congratulations - not congradulations
Also, when referring to something that's yours and mine - you can't say So-and-so and I's whatever. You just can't. The proper construction should be this - So-and-so's and my.
I don't pretend to speak properly all the time or even to write as I should all the time, but these are some basic rules. End of lesson.
So, I'm stressed. My job is stressing me and I had to go in for three hours yesterday - yes, on a Sunday. What is my life coming to? Growing up, I would always look at all the crazy 8-5 Monday-Friday working people and think how crazy they were and that I'd never end up like that. Well, here I am. But, you know what? (And this is part of my whole un-fabulous life mentality) It is all good. For a while now, all I've wanted is stability. Not that anyone on the outside would have ever seen my life as unstable. But, I wanted stability - a home, a regular job, etc. And now I've got it. I'm stressed a bit because of it, but I really can't complain too much. If I didn't care, I wouldn't be stressed. And if I didn't stress, I wouldn't be striving to make things better. Yes, the un-fabulous life is alright with me.
Romance. It's on the brain. And of course, on the eve of Valentine's Day, why wouldn't it be? Am I interested in flowers? (Wink, wink, hubs) Y-E-S. Would I enjoy some chocolate? Sure, why not? But, really at this point in my life I'm more interested in what some might consider the boring stuff. Load the dishwasher, make the bed, clean the bathrooms and I'm yours. What can I say? Domestic work really does it for me. Wow. Reading back over that, how pathetic... Oh, well. It's still the truth.
So, Lady Gaga has released her first single off her new album. It's called "Born This Way". Oh, Lady Gaga, you are an enigma. Or at least I thought you were up until about an hour ago. As a Christian, I believe that I share some of the same struggles as other Christians surely do in the balance of the secular vs. the religious. Where is the happy medium? I once heard someone relate this to the salting (or think spicing, if that works better for you) of food. We are to live in the world but not be of it and I'm not too proud to admit that it's really hard. I'm sure you're probably wondering at this point, how on earth am I going to pull off tying this all together? Well, bear with me and if you get offended, I'm really sorry. But I'm not perfect and I don't pretend that my thought process always is either. I guess the question I am faced with, being a fan of someone like Lady Gaga, is this: Is there ever a time when a character like Gaga is relevant to the Christian life? Yep, here's where things get tricky. If I'm already making you uneasy you may want to just close out the window now. Otherwise, stay, enjoy and give me your opinion. I'm interested in what you think.
I just watched Lady Gaga's interview on 60 Minutes and if you have access to it online, it's worth watching. She is the absolute pop icon of our time. If you disagree with everything else I say, you cannot disagree with the fact that the woman is a master in marketing and performance artistry. And, yes. I just discovered she's only one year older than me. Kind of puts things in perspective (The Un-fabulous Life, anyone???). Does she wear raw meat and call it couture? Yes. But the difference between her antics and those of, say Britney Spears, is that when Gaga does something like that she actually has a reason, and a valid one at that (most of the time). The thing she preached the most during her interview with Anderson is that there is no "getting to know the real her" because she puts the real her out there always. Her fans will never be disappointed because she doesn't lie and they know all there is to know. Her message is that of reaching out to the "disenfranchised" and "outsiders" to let them know that they're not alone. "We are all born superstars." This is what she believes and she carries it over into her music, especially her newest single. Take a listen.
Notice the mention of H-I-M and God? How powerful is that? How powerful is God that even a pop icon, who most would think don't know Him at all, is mentioning Him in her latest single? It just goes to show you that God is everywhere. Especially where you'd least expect Him. And agree with everything else she says or not, God makes no mistakes. I'm going to stop now, at least while I think I'm ahead. Find her offensive, or find her amazing, Stefani Germanotta is a woman who battles her own insecurities (which she admits freely) while fighting for the underdogs. The End.
I got my shop on today for the first time in a long time. And, might I add, a good friend and I got some flipping awesome deals. Ulta - buy 2 get 2 free nail color! Yes, my nails are freshly painted and I was actually able to resist the temptation to do anything for about an hour at the risk of messing them up. The color is still intact and no flaws are present. On the other side of things, one particular big name retailer got me thinking how impractical some displays are. Take pants for example. They're long, in case no one noticed. Why would anyone ever not fold them and stack them all on top of each other in size order? You can rest assured that if someone has to get any size other than a 0 that your pretty little stack of pants is going to get messed up. It's just really dumb! Think about it. You know it is.
So, last night I did some karaoke. 4 times. Kesha, Alicia Keys, Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown and, let's not forget, Gaga. I'm fairly certain that I rocked it. But most importantly I had a blast with some new friends. It's something I hope to and plan to repeat soon. I was really tired yesterday but do you ever find yourself in a situation with what you think is a very unlikely mix of people all together? That was me last night. And from the moment the evening started I knew it would be an instance of everything coming together just right for a really good time. My fatigue didn't even matter anymore. So, for all of you who were there, thank you!
While out shopping today and out having fun last night, I had this awesome realization for about the billionth time since I ever became aware of things like this... The vast majority of people is completely inconsiderate and oblivious to the others around them. A good rule of thumb is to keep in mind that if you're in areas of traffic, say, in the mall, just pretend that you're driving. If you see something that catches your eye while you're driving, do you just stop in the middle of the road? No, you don't. So, if that were to happen while you're walking in the main walkways in the mall, don't do it either! It turns out that in the world today, most of us are so self-involved that the thought of how our actions could possibly affect other people doesn't even enter our minds. Who knows what might happen if we were all to pay a little more attention to how what we do impacts those around us?
On another note, did anyone else catch Sex and the City (movie #1) on USA today? Where did all those random scenes come from? I've seen that movie about a billion and a half times and have not once seen a scene where Carrie goes trick or treating with Charlotte, Harry and Lily... thoughts?
So, I know I'm not alone in this, but have you ever found something hilariously funny that everyone else was like, "Oh, haha, yeah, I guess that's funny"? Well, I feel that way probably more than I should. Take the commercial posted below for example. That thing cracks me up every single time.
I mean come on! It's a singing bunny!!! Don't get me wrong. I know it's stupid. I'm not totally blind to that, but I also know that I think it's really, really funny. I actually think that its obscurity is what I like the best about it. I only ever saw this commercial when I was in school in Italy back in '03-'04. But it has stayed with me ever since. What can I say? I just love it.
Other things that I find hilarious, which, come to think of it, a lot of other people probably do too. The scene from 40-Year Old Virgin where he's speed dating. He comes across a husky-voiced woman whose name tag reads Gina. Well, she says, "Actually it's pronounced 'Gina", you know, as in an abbreviated form of a certain part of a woman's anatomy. Once again, it gets me every time. And yes, I'm sitting here writing, laughing about that scene all by myself. Fo' real. Oh, and Bon Qui Qui. I love her too. Check this out.
So, yeah, it's the remix. For some inconceivable reason the original won't come up to load. But it does show the best of the best.
This whole post must seem like such a cop out, but after the day I've had I just wanted to laugh and hopefully make you laugh too.
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."
So I got mad today. I mean really, really, really mad. The kind of mad where you can't actually formulate a sentence and you can't see straight, and you say all sorts of awful things that you no longer feel you have control over saying. And believe me when I say I've never been there before. I've been angry before, but it's more of a 'being upset' feeling. I get the type of angry where I end up crying, you know, typical girl behavior. But today as I was walking away from my angering moment, I had my fist clenched so tight that I actually hurt my palm. I've never had a physical reaction to being angered like that. Fast forward about 15-20 minutes and I was spent. Totally exhausted and my head hurt like you wouldn't believe.
Luckily, because I don't react that way normally, I haven't wasted much time being really angry. I can witness firsthand now that being angry takes a lot out of you. Even if I don't get worked up like I did today, I can only imagine what some 'low-grade' anger on a daily basis or even semi-constantly would take out of you all the time. It kind of puts some things in perspective. Being mad isn't worth it. What is worth it is taking a step back and asking yourself if, in the grand scheme of things, getting mad is really going to solve anything. I dare say that 100% of the time the answer is NO. Anger is a wasted emotion. There is so much anger in our world today and look where it's gotten us. We live in a world today where people are always so angry about something and half the time they probably can't even tell you why. I bet if we all focused our energy on making a difference and being productive instead of being angry, a lot of things in this world would change.
Triste is Italian for sad. So, yeah, tonight I saw some 'sad at the table' for sure. We went to Five Guys for dinner. Yes, we're on a junk kick. I'm foreseeing hopping back on the wagon of health around next week. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, there was a table behind me and a couple seemed to be holding pretty good conversation all through dinner. After a while though I noticed that silence had fallen at the table behind me. For a moment I even thought they had left, but upon our standing to leave I saw that they were still there. I also saw them with their heads lowered and what seemed to be their hands together on the table. It almost looked like they were praying and then I noticed the techno gadgets in their hands. Yes, they were having dinner 'together' while not even conversing. Much like those commercials for the Window phones... "Seriously?!" You know the one I'm talking about. Anyway, if I ever am caught doing that by anyone, I hope they shoot me.
So, I have a confession to make. Before I began this blog (which I have to admit, I'm enjoying a lot more than I ever thought I would), I was not really at all a part of the blogging world. Even now, I still don't read any other blogs. Which, the more I think about it, is pretty ridiculous. I enjoy seeing that people read my blog, shouldn't I return the favor? Restore the cosmic balance in the blogging universe? I read somewhere the other day that if you're blogging you have to assume that you're pretty self-centered, thinking that what you have to say could possibly be of interest to other people. Yeah, that stung a little. Reading that is enough to make you want to cancel your blog right then and there. But then I thought a little more about it. I started this blog, as the description under the header states, as a labor of love for MYSELF and MY life. I'm just putting this cornucopia of randomness out there. If someone chooses to read it and, miraculously, find it interesting or entertaining, great! I'm glad. I'm still writing and I hope you'll continue to like it.
On that note, can you suggest to me some blogs that I just can't miss? What are your favorites? I'm willing to change!
Yes, I know. Last night was the Super Bowl. Totally not my scene but none the less what I'll be commenting on today. A couple things...
1. The guy on the Packers is indeed not Thor. Enough with the Fabio hair. Cut it off. It surely must be hazard in your particular line of work.
2. While I didn't make it for kickoff or pre-game, I did take a look at Aguilera's rendition of our national anthem on the internets today. Blech. Keep in mind when I say what I'm about to say that I myself sing. Why, oh why do people continue to make the most fatal mistake of messing with America's most well-known song? That song will evoke emotion in just about any blue-blooded American all by itself. It's beautiful. Don't mess with it. Don't add your little diva runs and for heaven's sake - don't overdo it!!! Oh, yeah and don't do this:
Come on Christina. Have you taken the time to watch any of the hundreds of parodies of yourself and these very antics? Come on! I digress... back on track now.
3. Fergie... Fergie, Fergie, Fergie. You sounded awful. I'm sorry, but you did. We all know the girl can sing (just as Christina can. Believe me, I'm actually a fan of both of these extremely talented ladies), but she seems to be spending too much time trying to imitate Jack from Will & Grace imitating Cher on "Turn Back Time" while simultaneously trying to swallow her tongue.
And don't butcher one of the great Guns 'n Roses songs! Funny how people can sound so amazing when they get to sing in a studio and record and re-record as many times they want and then they can run it all through a computer and make it sound better. Singing live is the real test. And Fergie? You didn't pass.
4. The post-game show was entirely pointless. Don't tell people that a new episode of Glee will be coming on after the game and then keep us around for 30 minutes, for what? Some trophy ceremony? A commentary on the game that we all just watched with our own eyes? Yeah, not smart. I'm a dedicated Glee fan so I stuck around, but I was tired y'all!
5. Glee, although not actually part of the Super Bowl, was fantastic as always. Think of the pure genius of keeping a football theme going into the show, doing Michael Jackson's Thriller. It was all just beautiful. Although, I have to admit this. With as talented as all those kids are, and I do mean ALL, let them ALL sing! Lea Michele is completely and utterly talented, no denying it. But I quite frankly could listen to Santana sing all day long.
6. The football was good too, I guess. I watched it and it mostly kept my interest. So, kudos Packers and Steelers. You all are a bunch of classy guys. Well, except for you Roethlisberger (from what I hear anyway).
So, I just this very second determined that I need one of those Flip video cameras.
It literally just hit me. Now judging by the fact that I rarely will even take a picture (even at big or fun events), one might say that an investment in any type of video recording device would be a complete waste of money. Well, like I said, I've just decided that it would be a good investment. Follow me on this...
I'm seeing a second blog. A food blog. I'm seeing all things Italian and some homemade videos of my very talented husband cooking and teaching the masses of the culinary illiterate how to create amazingly simple, but authentic Italian cuisine. Yes, that's what I see and I think it could be beautiful.
Being married to an Italian, I do secretly consider myself to be Italian sometimes. Don't tell. It's kind of embarassing. But it's also the truth. I mean I have lived there and can speak the language fluently but I also have my wonderful (and actual) Americanness to fall back on. It's kind of a fun 'acting' juggling act. And yes, admittedly, it's all about convenience. Having said all that, I have gained a deep passion and appreciation for some really good food. While at my parents' house today, I came across a magazine that my dad ordered from two poor traveling salesman (or something like that). It's called 'La Cucina Italiana' and it actually made me drool while thumbing through it.
Prosciutto di Parma, Grana Padano, beautiful olives of all colors and sizes.
Yeah, those things in and of themselves are enough to make any sane person become a complete Italian food addict. The plate depicted above is the classic antipasto italiano. It basically encompasses most everything that is sacred and holy in the realm of Italian food. It is a glorious thing to be hold. Prosciutto and other 'affettati' (sliced meats) in Italy can be offputting, especially for the unadventurous of palate. I was totally one of them the first bout I spent in Italy. I hardly had any prosciutto crudo (which is literally 'raw' or 'crude' hame) the first time I was there. I'm sorry, but when you're talking about meat and raw in the same product, I'm not chancing my health. Oh, how completely asinine I was! Prosciutto, speck, mortadella and a whole slew of other fascinating cured meats were introduced to me when I finally went to Italy to eat with an open mind. Olives. That's another thing that I wasn't too wild about at first. I know, right? Olives! How can you go to Italy and claim to love Italian food withoug being able to appreciate the succulent gorgeousness of a perfectly marinated olive. It is, in fact, beyond even myself why I wasn't too fond of these for too long.
Enough food talk. I'm thinking it's time for some food action. What do you all think about a second foodie paradise blog with instructional video? Buon appetito!!!
Has anyone else seen that obscenely disgusting diaper commercial on TV? I can't remember the brand, which also means that whoever came up with the concept didn't really do their job, but it doesn't really matter. You know, it's the cartoon one with the three babies on stage in a 'heavy dooty blowout' contest? Yeah, exactly. That one. And it's disgusting! You've got little animated babies turning around and seeing who can fill up their diaper the most. I realize that I don't have kids, but regardless. I don't want to see that - animated or not.
I have, in recent days, been deemed a TLC-addict by a close friend (you know who you are). While I won't argue with that or feel any shame about it, it's not actually the only channel I watch. I really can enjoy some Travel Channel too. Man v. Food, awesome. Bizarre foods, sometimes disgusting, but ultimately fascinating as it shows you a glimpse into the way of life in different countries. But what I'm getting at for this particular post is this. There's a commercial for a new season of Man v. Wild. I've never actually seen the show, but let me tell you. After seeing the preview, I know why I've never seen it and why I never will. The man, Bear Grylls (which, by the way, I find to be a humorous name for a nature enthusiast), is in some arctic climate and he stumbles upon the carcass of a dead seal. Not having seen the show or this episode, I can only assume that for some reason he has to get in the water. So, what does he do? He goes to work on the seal and the end product is a seal-skin skin-tight vest that he puts on and wears while going into the water. My goodness. I understand (kind of) the scope of this show to teach survival skills, but come on!!! Who does that? Who could possibly find themselves in that situation and have to wear a seal? Ugh, these people... Just check out the picture. I'm not usually squeamish but this just about does me in every time!
My husband and I have two amazing dogs. We have no children yet, so as most newly married couples do, we have dogs. Lyla was adopted in Italy. I love that dog so much that I had to bring her all the way back to America when I came. Luckily she's small enough to travel in the cabin instead of cargo. She's a little tiny thing, but I'm quick to clarify that she is not a yippy dog. She's got a big dog bark on her! She's only about 13.5 lbs and is just about the sweetest, most cuddly dog ever. She loves to get under the covers with you and snuggle up close. In the winter in Italy when our apartment was about 40 degrees Farenheit, she was the best form of heat available. In November of last year we added a new dog to the mix as well, Scout. Lyla loves people and really does love other dogs. However, she has to go at her own pace. We can never take her to a dog park. She totally freaks. Needless to say, it has taken quite some time for Lyla to come around, but she finally has. She and Scout will start tearing around in the basement, running at warp speed around and around and around the couch. Scout chasing Lyla. Lyla chasing Scout. It's crazy and so funny to watch. Especially when you take into account that Scout is about five times Lyla's size. Scout is a black lab-basset hound mix. He's got a big lab body and tail and is solid black, but he has big droopy basset hound ears and short little basset hound legs with some crazy paws. We were of course excited to have the new addition of Scout but it was so unfortunate that Lyla would growl and bare her teeth at him. Well, it turns out that all they needed was the chance to spend a little time together without us around. And low and behold, they worked it out! Now they're the best of buds. Lylita and Scoutino!!!
We also discovered that Scout has quite the talent for singing...
Sorry I can't get it turned around but you get the idea!!!
I don't typically comment at all on anything political. In my mind, if I'm not going to take the time to inform myself then I don't need say much. I'm most definitely the type of person who, if I'm going to talk about a specific subject, I want to know what I'm talking about. That having been said, if my ignorant rantings offend you, well, go read someone else's blog.
But the unrest in Egypt... Wow. I just flipped over to the Nightly News (something I do less than rarely) and there are quite literally men in turbans riding on horses and camels in the streets, throwing chunks of sidewalk at each other.
Christiane Amanpour was down in Cairo's main square where all the action is culminating. While attempting to maneuver through the masses, she was stopped by a group of men who noticed the camera. They very forcefully said, "We want you to leave! We hate you. We hate America." When asked why, all they can say is that we are bad people. I may venture momentarily into dangerous territory. Please bear with me if I do. I will speak in generalities because if I have to follow every sentence with 'generally speaking' it doesn't make for a good reading experience for you. See? I'm always thinking of you!
Anyway, there are still certain areas of the world where fear and hate of the U.S. and Americans is bred into and ingrained in its people's minds. Much the same way that you see how fear and hate is still taught within families (well, I see it on TV shows, but they mostly base those on real life now a days anyway, right?). So much hate in our world right now. It's sickening and saddening at the same time. Fear. What is it? It's mistrust and ignorance really. In the case of Egypt, we're now seeing that it's not only hatred towards Americans or outsiders, but a hatred, fear and mistrust among each other. If there's anything I've learned over the past few weeks and things that have been happening in my life it is this: we all need to know our facts, we all need to be a little more trusting and most importantly, we all need to make up our minds for ourselves and not always listen to what everyone else is saying. Passing judgement when you're not equipped with the facts or the truth (if it's available) is so dangerous. That in and of itself is what usually ends up causing fear and even hatred.
What does all this rambling mean?
1. Keep an open mind. People you may not like or even understand may not be nearly as bad as you think.
2. Be informed (believe me when I say that I am in desperate need of taking my own advice on this).
3. Love one another. Love can save the world if we'll only let it.
It's true. This is how I work. Criticism does nothing but fill me with an insatiable desire to prove you wrong. So, no. I don't get mad, I get productive. That is, when the criticism regarding me or my actions is not true. If it's true and I know it, I pout like a little baby. Ask my parents... they're experts on the latter.
I write this next part realizing full well that it may seem entirely self-involved and ridiculous. But please rest assured that I don't mean it that way. Have you ever had a bunch of people (bunch, read more than one) telling you that you're practically on the verge of something really big? But the whole time you're thinking, really? I don't see it, guys. That's where I am. Do I feel like I'm on the verge? The verge of a nervous breakdown maybe... I would never consider that I had a problem with self-confidence growing up. It's being an adult that's done me in. I know for a fact that I was much more sure of myself back when I was a teen - opposite of how things usually are, so I'm told. Now it would appear that my lack of confidence is creating some problems in my life. And when I say confidence, I'm not necessarily referring to feeling good about myself or personality. It's more of a lack of confidence that always keeps you second-guessing yourself, your thoughts, actions, etc., which obviously can create some problems. I tend now to over-think things a lot, which just leads to more stress in the end. When faced with a self issue, I do always want to turn inside and do a little searching. Is it really true? If so, where does it stem from? What happened in my life to make me do this or think this? I just don't know.
