3. Always as a Bridesmaid…

This weekend I’m heading to Florida for a few days for my cousin’s wedding. True, I haven’t actually talked to this cousin face-to-face or on the phone, well, in 15 years or so, but his mom is a loyal reader of this blog (Hi Aunt Sandy!) and one of my favorite people so off Darling and I go for a few days of family, fun and sun. A mini family reunion of sorts.

It’s also a rarity that I’m not somehow involved in this wedding in a way other than attending since I’m pretty much a perma-bridesmaid. Or if not a bridesmaid I tend to be the executive bride’s helper as was the case with the last few weddings Irish & I attended.

I thought that just for fun I’d take you through the last few weddings I’ve been in.

My college roommate’s wedding, circa 2005 (worst tan line known to man…):

My childhood friend’s wedding, circa 2007, in St. Thomas (most beautiful setting ever):

My (other) college roommate’s wedding, circa New Year’s Eve 2007 (complete with chipmunk cheeks):

My best friend from high school’s wedding, April 2008 (I’m on the far left, in case you couldn’t tell):

and most recently, my best college friend’s wedding in September 2008* (probably my favorite dress out of all of them and I have seven dresses total as we had two dresses for the one above!):

(I was in my cousin’s wedding in 2000 but that was pre-digital camera and I can’t readily find a photo to post so you’ll have to do without.)

If you know of anyone who needs a professional bridesmaid feel free to pass my name along. It’s been a whole year since I’ve been in a wedding and I’m actually itching to be in one which is rather shocking!

1. October 2009 Recap

Current Book(s):
Work in Progress: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, Haruki Murakami; 
Finished: Dead as a Doornail, Charlain Harris
(I’m in a bit of a reading slump still! I blame work.)

Current Music:
Bon Jovi
Journey
Pretty much anything from the 80s

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure:
Homemade chocolate chip & oatmeal cookies

Current Colors:
Purple

Current Obsessions:
Rediscovering my Domestic Diva
Raking leaves; odd, I know but the green of the grass is much prettier than the dead, brown leaves all over the lawn

Current Drink:
Water
Peppermint Tea

Current Songs:
I honestly can’t think of a single song right now that’s my favorie or that I’m listening to over and over again. Unusual for me!

Current Movie:
The Last Kiss
Casablanca

Current TV Show:
Color Splash, HGTV
Dawson’s Creek (I’m rewatching them because, well, I feel like it)

Current Wish-List:
Less pain and suffering amongst my friends; there’s been too much of it lately

Current Needs:
Clarity

Current Triumph(s):
Well it hasn’t happened yet but I’m taking a whole week off of work this month and will be disconnecting my work email from Blackberry. First time in three years I’ve done NO work on a vacation so if I can pull it off, it will be huge for me.

Current Bane(s) of my Existence:
I signed up for NaBloPoMo but no idea if I’ll make it
House Hunters on HGTV because the demographic of people on that show bothers me. First homes that cost $350,000? Seriously? And don’t get me started on House Hunters International; I wish I could have a second home in Italy!

Current Goal(s):
Three more pounds to go to reach my weight loss goal
Pull off NaBloPoMo this month so I can improve my writing

Current Indulgence:
Target shopping trips
Afternoon naps on the weekends

Current Blessing:
Each day is a blessing. I know, corny, but lately, it’s so very true.  

Current Slang or Saying:
I’ve been dropping the F-Bomb a lot as of late. Terrible, I know.

Current (Fav) Outfit:
Comfort is what I’m going for lately, at work, at home, at the gym

Current Excitement:
Trip to Florida this month for my cousin’s wedding
Thanksgiving & lots of family time

Current Mood:
Contemplative

What was the highlight of your October?

Ten on Thursday

It’s raining. It’s pouring. I wish I was snoring. This means I’m going to participate in Ten on Thursday which I found courtesy of the lovely Lisa D and evidently it was started by Chelsea.

1. What are you going to be for Halloween?

A girl from the TV Show Laugh-in, a la Goldie Hawn. Sort of and only because I already have the costume with pink go-go boots hanging in my closet.

2. Have you ever been on television?
I was in high school when I protested for Free Speech. I was in the Journalism program at my high school and one of our papers was published with some fairly controversial topics on the cover (forgive me but I can’t remember what it was). The principal pulled the paper immediately and so we all rallied outside the school with signs, posters and picketed our high school for infringing on our right to free speech. We were basically told that when we are on school grounds we didn’t have the right to free speech and that just added fuel to the fire. TV crews came out and so I was on the news as part of the protesting group.

3. Do you have a toilet paper preference?
I don’t like the scratchy kind if that’s what you mean. But other than that, no, I don’t really care if it’s up, down or sideways so long as it’s there when I need it.

4. When you’re pregnant, will you find out the sex of the baby? (Or if you’ve already had babies, did you find out the sex?) Why or why not?
Hmmmm. I am inclined to say yes because I’m an over-planner so how could I have a baby and not know the sex of the baby? That gives me hives just thinking about it.

5. What are three items that every kitchen must have?

The fixings to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch, an Ove Glove and ample room to spread out and create.

6. Do you enjoy Christmas shopping?
Yes! It’s one of my favorite things to do. I’m already starting to plot and plan what I’m going to get for everyone. I love wrapping presents, I love giving presents and I love the joy that surrounds my house during the holidays.

7. What is your go-to recipe? (The thing you cook more than anything else because it’s easy and mindless.) Please share the recipe.
It’s what Irish calls spicy chicken & big rice. Basically I season a few chicken breasts with some spicy spices and bake until done. In the meantime, I make big rice (aka risotto) which is simply risotto, 3 cups of chicken/vegetable broth, parmesan cheese and parsley to taste. I always serve with a side of broccoli. It’s pretty delicious.

8. Do you sleep on your back, belly, or side?
I fall asleep on my side but wind up on my belly by the morning. I am a frantic sleeper in that I move A LOT, thrash and kick. I’m told it has something to do with when I was in the womb and managed to entangle myself with the darn umbilical cord around my neck & knee resulting in me nearly killing myself. Fun, huh?

9. How do you feel about Tom Cruise?
Ick. I used to have a crush on him when I was in middle school. Top Gun was the soundtrack to our sleepovers. And then it was Jerry Maguire. And Cocktail. But now? He kind of freaks me out.

10. What books are in your “books to read” stack?
How much time do you have? (Sorry I don’t have complete titles/authors. I’m not in front of my bookshelves.)
Sookie Stackhouse Book # 6
Two Jane Green Books (Dune Road & Second Chances)
Vampirates (go ahead, laugh)
Kingdom Keepers
Ellen Burstyn’s Memoirs
An Anita Shreve Book
My Japanese Challenge book, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
Persuasion, Jane Austen
The Bridges of Madison County
Catching Fire
…. and many, many more.

Your turn! Answer in the comments or post this on your own to all, some or none if you like.

The Horse Phobia

I’m not afraid of a lot of things. As a matter of fact the list includes: heights (namely in terms of flying in planes), roads with no sides (as in there is no guard rail), being alone when I’m old and horses, which I mentioned in yesterday’s post.

I’ve had three bad experiences with horses and as far as I’m concerned, that’s three bad experiences too many. It all started in sixth grade, at a friend’s birthday party which included a trail ride for all of us. Sounds fun, right? WRONG. I managed to get one of the only horses in the group that didn’t want to listen to the commands. So rather than enjoying a nice, relaxing trail ride with my friends, my horse took off into the woods after the one in front of us did. My best friend and I were stuck on these horses, screaming, limbs and leaves smacking our faces, terrified out of our minds. I don’t even remember how in the world we were rescued.

Fast forward about six years and this time I’m at Sixth Grade Camp as a Counselor a school district-wide week where we went to a local YMCA camp which is a pretty fun week except for the horseback riding event that all students and counselors must do. And guess what!? They give me the bad seed horse again. Doesn’t listen to commands. Doesn’t respond to the reins. Either stands there and doesn’t move or takes off into a run. So once again, I’m running wildly through the woods (though fortunately on the trail for a change) much to the enjoyment of my charges. This time I at least didn’t get any scrapes or cuts from the woods.

You’d think I’ve learned by now, but alas, not so much. I was a camp counselor twice because it really is a rewarding experience and so I had to ride the darn horses again. And would you believe they gave me the same horse the second time? Yup, they did. Same thing, only this time the horse was a tad more wild and decided to stand up only two legs while I’m on him and I really thought I’d fall off him and break my back.

So now you know the story of Nora & the horses. And why standing in a stall with a large horse (a Quarterhorse to be exact) was such a feat for me on Sunday. His name was Scott and he was quite interested in his hay + water combo he had going on so he paid little attention to me. That and I was very careful to move slowly, quietly and always stay within his eye sight. I confess, I even enjoyed it for a few moments. (Most of the stalls were empty as the horses were in pasture while we were there, but only females on Sundays it seems.)

I moved onto another stall where there’s a 25 year-old pony named Vera. The sign on her stall says she’s afraid of people and recovering from a bad broken leg of some sort so I approached her cautiously. Much to my surprise, she warmed up to me and even let me pet her. I instantly fell in love with her, for whatever reason and kind of hope she’s there when I go back. (Though really, it would be better for her if she’s adopted. Anyone need a pony? She’s only $100! She’s beauitful, too.)

I guess the next step for me would be to ride a horse but I don’t think that will happen anytime soon. Baby steps are just fine with me!

Tell me, do you have any animal phobias? If not, what are you most afraid of/do you wish you could overcome it?

Weekend Adventures

This weekend was…

… driving 102 miles to see my brother and partake in the Homecoming festivities.

… walking all over campus and my college town realizing that it looks nothing like when I went there yet somehow still the same

… realizing that I’m NOT young anymore. In bed by midnight on a Friday after two beers? Yes please, and thank you.

… laughing at the wave of bad cologne that hit me when I walked into one of my favorite college bars.

… laughing even harder when there were a few guys I know who are still there. In the same bar. At the same table. Looking exactly the same.

… a reunion with one of my nearest and dearest BFFs, her husband and her parents.

… eating fried food with reckless abandon and being thankful that we walked a total of at least 3 miles in less than 24 hours.

… cheap beer and food, one of the many benefits of being in a college town.

… feeling giddy when I was carded over and over and over again.

… reflecting on my life and resolving to figure out a few things that have been nagging at me.

… taking the first step towards figuring out the issues and instantly feeling better.

… watching Saturday Night Live Halloween specials with my parents.

… waking up at 6:30 am on a Sunday to pretend to be a ranch hand.

… having doubts about being a ranch hand after a 55 minute drive out into the country.

… mucking stalls for four hours. Four hours.

… conquering my fear of horses as I was alone in a stall with a giant horse for 30 minutes while I cleaned up his poop. I lived to tell about it.

… laughing with Darling as we were the only ones who followed the rule to wear our volunteer shirts.

… laughing with Darling four hours after we were done mucking stalls because we were both so tired and sore.

… deciding that we will go back for more ranch hand-ing in the hopes that we can do something other than muck stalls for four hours.

…  spending a tad too much money at Michael’s on Christmas Card supplies, a few little gifties and prints for the bathroom rennovation I’m working on.

… slurping delicious taco soup with warm bread for dinner.

… falling asleep on the couch at 8pm due to sheer exhaustion.

… memories, laughter until my sides hurt, new experiences and adventures, hope and love.

Running Love

Darling & Dad bought me some new running gear on Sunday, just because they can (and I suppose because they love me). Running gear, you say? How boring. WRONG.

As part of my 26 List, I’m running one 5k a month with the intent to work up towards longer distance runs like 10ks and half-marathons. I must have mentioned this to the best parents in the world because on Sunday night, during my favorite dinner ever (Beef en Croute, potatoes, broccoli and some amazing bread), they surprised me with these:

Nike Dri Fit socks with arch support. Seriously, I know, I’m blogging about socks but thanks to these socks I had one of the best runs of my life on Monday night. No foot pain. No joint soreness. I ran the whole way without stopping which is probably the first time in a week I’ve been able to do that (I recently added a series of hills to my runs). I also kind of love that they tell me on the sock which one is for my left foot and which one is for my right foot.

And if that wasn’t enough, they got me one of these, too:

A Dri Fit shirt, only mine is in white. It’s amazing what a difference the lightweight material makes and how I’m really not sweaty after running in it. I kind of want to wear it everywhere because it’s just so light weight and awesome.

So, I’m in love and going for runs any excuse I get. Of course, any suggestions for other running must-haves, let me know as I”ll be sure to add them to my Christmas list! If you’re not big into running, what’s one of the best presents your parents gave you for no reason at all?

(Disclaimer: Nike in no way approached me with these products nor did they approach me to write about these products. I’m writing about these products by my own free will and am in no way being compensated by Nike or any other sporting good store or company.)

Darling

Todays’ post is all about my mom, Darling. Why? Just because I feel like it and I know that I’m incredibly blessed to have a mom like her. So, here’s the list of why my mom is fabulous:

* She reads Vogue which makes her an excellent person to turn to for fashion advice.

* She introduced me to Sex & The City.

* If it’s your birthday, you get to request your favorite dinner and cake with homemade icing.

* She loves Jack as if he were her own dog.

* She’s the best cheerleader I know.

* We have our own rituals. Like shopping & IHOP the day after Thanksgiving. Hot fudge sundaes once a month, just because.

* She was the one who encouraged me to blog.

* She calls me on my bad moods and bullshit (rare that I’m that way, but it happens and she tells me so).

* We laugh so hard it hurts more often than not.

* She has a pink cell phone.

* She wrote me a children’s book, just because. I have it tucked away for if/when I have kids.

* Darling knows when to hold my hand through certain situations and  when to let me fly (and maybe crash) on my own, but she’s always there to pick up the pieces.

* She’ll gladly get on stage to sing with my dad’s band. She’s also pretty darn good at it too.

* She’s given me a list of nicknames as long as my arm, including things like Beeps. Smoodgie-San. Laser. (And no, I don’t know what they mean specifically.)

* She has a kick-ass blog. No, really. You should read her especially if you like photos, book recommendations, poems and anything else literary.

* She still gets excited about Christmas and repeatedly tells me and my brother NOT to go in my parent’s closet because we’ll run our surprises.

* We share our movie collections with each other (and not surprisingly, love the same kinds of movies).

Who is the most influential woman in your life? Does she read Vogue?

Wanted: FALL

Evidently Mother Nature decided Fall didn’t need to make an appearance this year despite my compelling Top Ten List, because for the past week we’ve had the heat on, huddled under blankets, and enjoyed a warm glass of tea before retreating to the warmth and coziness of our beds. Why? Because the outside air feels like the temperature of an iceberg.  

We’ve also been covered in a constant shade of gray thanks to the lovely clouds above. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my rain but after awhile it can indeed get to be too much. Especially when we’ve already had four more inches than is normal for this time of year and when you have to go to work each day rather than stay home and cuddle in bed with an endless supply of books and movies.

So, while I enjoy pulling out my boots and select fall styles, I’m not ready for my winter coat. Or frost on my car. Or seeing my breath when I’m outside.

Dear Mother Nature, if you’re reading this, please, bring back fall! Just give us a few days of it to ease us into this really cold-need-a-scarf-where-are-my-warm-socks-I need-a-hat-and big-freakin’-coat weather. I’d appreciate it greatly.

From Nora’s Kitchen

Confession: I buy Rachel Ray’s Magazine two to three times a year. While I find it rather obnoxious that she features only herself on her cover (yes, it annoys me that Oprah does that too), the girl can cook and has some amazing recipes. I’d been staring at the recipe for the Quesadilla Casserole for about two weeks and finally on Monday, I decided it was time.

The good news: The ingredients are easy to find, vegetarian for those who are so-inclined, and not expensive. I bought everything I needed to make it for less than $11 bucks. It serves 5 to 6, though the recipe suggests it can serve four.

The bad news: Prep time is suggested to be 25 minutes. Maybe it’s because it’s the first time I made it or perhaps because my right hand wasn’t functioning very well thanks to the fall I took on Saturday, but it took me a bit longer than 25 minutes.

The ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

One 29-ounce can black beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed (Chef Nora’s note: I used canned corn and it worked out just fine)

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (Chef Nora’s note: I used flaked parsley. Just make sure to reduce the amount you put in to about 1/4 cup)

Five 10-inch flour tortillas (Chef Nora’s Note: Next time I will try whole wheat tortillas or perhaps the crazy flavors you can buy now just to change it up a bit)

8 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded

1 cup store-bought green enchilada sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups black beans and mash into a chunky paste. Stir in the reserved liquid.

Grease a heavy, ovenproof skillet. In a bowl, combine the corn, parsley and remaining black beans. Place a tortilla in the skillet and spread with 1/3 cup mashed black bean mixture. Top with 2/3 cup corn-bean mixture and 1/2 cup cheese. Press to compress the layers. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, mashed black beans, corn-bean mixture and cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through, about 30 minutes. Transfer to the broiler and cook for 1 minute. Serve with the enchilada sauce.

I made this for my family on Monday evening and it was a huge hit. The enchilada sauce really goes a long way to adding subtle flavor to the dish. There are a ton of variations that one could try like adding shredded chicken or seasoned ground beef/turkey to the dish, tomatoes in addition to the Black Bean + Corn Mixture, add jalapenos to the top after baking. I will definitely make this dish again especially since we have a vegetarian in our family.

(Side Note: I decided not to take any photos of the cooking process because while it’s a really delicious dish, it’s not so pretty to make. Mashed up Black Beans don’t look appetizing in photos so I left them out.)

Bon Appetit!

The 26 List

As corny as it sounds, I believe John Lennon. It seems to be that way for me: I make plans and somehow at the end of the year, I look back and only a few of the things I’ve hoped to accomplish have come to fruition. It’s not for lack of trying or setting my mind to it but as is true with life, other things come up that need my attention or that challenge me and I try to never back down from a challenge. I’ve learned to go with the flow more, the importance of not having every moment of my day scheduled. But I often wonder, how in the world I will actually do all the things I’ve dreamed of accomplishing?

After reading Nilsa’s post on Life Goals, I realized that I am more of a small picture person which I like to think makes me more present in the now and perhaps explains why I like the Lennon quote so much. (Not to say I don’t think about my future because I do, but I want to enjoy the here and now and then enjoy later when I get to it.) Rather than making a Bucket List, I came up with a list of things I’d like to do to make my 26th year another great one. Some are life changes, other personal challenges and others are things that I’m amazed I haven’t yet tried.

Here they are, in no particular order:

* Run one 5k Race a month, preferably ones for a charity. (The hope is that I could work up to “bigger,” races as the year goes on.)

* Read at least seven books. One must be a memoir. Another historical non-fiction.

* Get down to my goal weight and stay there!

* Go fishing. Learn to bait a hook.

* Meet two more bloggy buddies.

* Start a real pen & paper journal.

* Volunteer 60 hours at the Rescue Ranch. I can’t wait to get started even though I know I’ll be working through bitter cold and sweltering heat.

* Cook one new dish and bake one new recipe a month. Ideally the bulk of the recipes would come from the old school cookbooks I’ve inherited from my Gram and the Martha Stewart Cupcake book.

* Take piano lessons (again).

* Travel to another baseball stadium, preferably the New York Yankees.

* Learn how to knit, courtesy of my Gram. First project: afghan.

* Finish that darn Masters of mine and leave formal schooling behind for good.

* Get back to nannying/babysitting. (I used to babysit all the time and lately I miss it.)

* Catch up on my scrapbooking/photo printing, sending pictures to the appropriate friends and family.

* Start Yoga and become a regular. This goes hand-in-hand with learning to meditate and getting to my goal weight and staying there.

Any recommendations for things that absolutely must be included in my list?