Adventures in Cooking

Parmesan breaded pork tenderloins

2011-01-12T18:30:00.002-08:00

I know that I keep saying this over and over but, I have never been a big fan of pork. I tend to follow that statement with something like, "this recipe has converted me into a pork eater." Well, that is again the case with the recipe we prepared off of the Cook's County website. We took a pork tenderloin and cut it into 4 pieces, flattened to 1/2 thickness(first time we were able to use our tenderizer!) , and then battered them in a combo of bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and pepper. These little tenderloins are then fried in vegetable oil that has pepper in it.

pork tenderloins frying up in the cast iron

I will make this recipe again. The pork was perfectly cooked and seasoned. I am salivating just thinking about it right now. I threw a can of corn into a sauce pan to heat up as a side and, that was dinner.

Fantastic-ness!

StL- Dinner out with the family

2011-01-12T18:30:00.001-08:00

Nick has noticed that whenever we visit St.Louis we tend to go to the same restaurants repeatedly. I could give you the list but, that isn't really all too important. One of the restaurants we have been to on numerous occasions is Penny's Bar-B-Que. Many are attracted to the food portions you receive for the minimal price. I have yet to eat a meal at Penny's that has not vacated itself from my body within 30 minutes. It tastes alright going in... the aftermath leaves me never wanting to go back. I do, however, go back to Penny's hoping that I will find something on the menu that doesn't enrage my stomach.

On Saturday everyone, the whole family (mom w, dad, Nick, Sam, Laura (sis-in-law), aunt Rita, uncle Rod, Carolyn (cousin), grandma Brasses, and uncle Russ) went to Penny's after attending Spam-a-lot. Nick and I both ordered steaks, the 10oz fillet for me and the 24 oz (no, that is not a typo) porterhouse. The steaks were okay for the price. My stomach determined it was not something that I should retain so, I have decided that steaks are not something for me to order from Penny's.

Another conclusion that Nick and I have come to is that, more often than not, we can prepare something at home that tasted just as good, if not, better than a restaurant (excluding the really high end restaurants, of course). While eating my fillet I found myself longing for the fillet I make at home topped with a Dijon mustard wine sauce...

Fillet from Penny's. It was freaking massive... but not as big as the steak Nick got

24 oz porterhouse... I was hoping that the fork would allow for a size reference

New Kitchen Gadgetry

2011-01-12T18:30:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to come up with a way to introduce our new kitchen items. Nick and I have been slowly but surely buying (and receiving as gifts) some fun new toys for cooking. I still have about four other items to take photos of but, I decided to start with the two below.

The first one is a new dish scrubber. Nick and I are not fans of how the typical ones look and, were very happy when Marisa gave us a cute new one for Christmas.

Super cute and functional!

Another item we had been meaning to replace for a long time is our can opener. We have gone through about ... 3 can openers in the last year, the handle will break or the gears will stop working properly. This time we went for a more expensive handheld can opener that came with HIGH recommendations from Cook's County (they do equipment reviews). This can opener is a force to be reckoned with. Seriously, if you told me 3 years ago that I would be excited about a can opener, I would have called you crazy.

Love this can opener!

Meatloaf Thursday

2011-01-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

Nick and I had a conversation between the pulsation of the food processor and sizzle of onions in the sauté pan. We talked about our past. I love the conversations where we discuss our childhoods. We both recalled commercials and TV shows where kids would complain when their mothers would tell them meatloaf was for dinner. Meatloaf = gross, to kids... Neither one of us can remember a time where we didn't love meatloaf. Maybe this is one of the many things that bonds us together :-)

Nick and I decided to copy off of Nathan and Alana by making the Cook's County Glazed Meatloaf recipe. Their review of the recipe is what had me wanting to prepare it. I am not a big fan of ketchup and, many recipes call for ketchup to be poured on top. The recipe we made called for us to make our own sauce that contained ketchup but, also had hot sauce in it.

I love meatloaf. This recipe did it justice. Nick was skeptical because the recipe did not call for us placing the uncooked meat into a loaf pan but, in the end Cook's Country wins again!

Meatloaf before cutting

Dinner! The red sauce is not ketchup!

Apple Fritters and Cream Tomato Fettuccine with Chicken.

2011-01-05T18:30:00.003-08:00

Since our return from Miami, Nick and I haven't done much cooking. I made a sandwich similar to the one we ate at the Dolphin mall on Sunday. It gave us the chance to breakout our sandwich press. I was happy with the results. I bought a baguette of French bread, capicola, pepperoni, salami, and provolone. I threw some leafy greens, onions, tomato, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and may on before pressing the sandwich. There might be a photo on Nick's phone... or maybe we ate it too fast...

Sunday night after seeing Tron (good film) I was craving the apple fritters that Karina made while we were in Miami. I checked the recipe on Pioneer Woman's website and, it turned out that we had all of the necessary ingredients for a half batch. They turned out great. Here's a photo:

Nick wanted the powdered sugar added, like a funnel cake.

Monday we made some salsa from scratch using a recipe that Nathan and Alana like by Rick Bayless. It was tasty but, I didn't use fresh lime juice so, it was pretty potent. We took the night off from cooking and went with a pizza from Little Caesars.

Last night I was looking at Pioneer Woman's website and began drooling when I saw her recipe for Pasta with Tomato Cream sauce. Nick and I went out to the store and purchased the items we didn't already have stocked in the kitchen. HyVee let me down, they didn't have fresh basil, crazy. I tweaked the recipe a little bit by adding crushed red pepper flakes to add a little heat and, threw in some protein with some chicken. I think we can throw this recipe in the win category.

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, please.

Florida Food- Vacation Cooking/Eating Adventures part 3- the FINALE

2011-01-05T18:30:00.002-08:00

Friday, New Year's Eve in Miami. We had yet to see any water (besides lakes and rivers...) and I cannot go to Miami and not see the ocean! Nick's dad, Alba, and Karina recommended a restaurant on la Calla Ocho (8th street) called Versailles. Another thing that I cannot go without in Miami is Vaca Frita. It is quite possibly my favorite Cuban dish(alongside all of my other favorite Cuban dishes...). Nick's favorite is the Palomilla steak which, is what he ordered.

Blurry Palomilla steak, Moros y Cristianos (black beans and rice), and sweet plantains

My idea of heaven on a plate. Vaca frita, Moros y Cristianos, and sweet plantains.

After lunch we drove out to South Beach and then by Dexter's apartment. I am a big time Dexter fan and was hoping to see more landmarks from the show but, it turns out that it is filmed in LA now, lame.

Hello, Dexter Morgan

For our final meal in Miami and for 2010, Nick's dad made beef brisket, fingerling potatoes, and rice. Karina prepared dessert by using a recipe for Apple Fritters from Pioneer Woman's website(Karina and Marisa have now officially made me obsessed with Pioneer Woman's blog and recipes!). The meal was the perfect finish to 2010.

Last meal of 2010!

Apple Fritters- another new addiction

After dinner we headed out to celebrate New Years Eve with more of Nick's family. We watched as Frances and Peter's kids, Luke and Maeve, shot off fireworks and fountains. At the stroke of midnight we ate 12 grapes. This was a tradition I had never heard of but was happy to take part in.

Saturday morning we left Miami on our return to Columbia. Nick's dad made some cafe con leche for us before we hit the road. After a stop in Kissimmee to see Marisa, Tyler and mom N for lunch we were officially homeward bound.

I have more pictures of food but, they are on Nick's phone so, maybe this isn't the finale of Florida food!

While Nick was sleeping I drove through Atlanta before stopping for a road trip dinner at Krystal. It is close to White Castle but, it is missing the steamed onions and horseradish mustard.

Krystal, it works when there is no White Castle for miles...

Florida Food- Vacation Cooking/Eating Adventures part 2

2011-01-05T18:30:00.001-08:00

Part 2 of our Florida food adventure starts with the drive to Miami from Kissimmee.

Wednesday, Nick and I left just before lunch so we could stop on our way. For some reason there are commercials for Popeye's in Columbia even though the closest one is 77 miles away. I spotted a Popeye's on our way in from the turnpike so, I had decided we would need to stop for lunch on our way to Miami. I gorged myself on chicken strips dipped in ranch (spiked with Louisiana hot sauce), Cajun fries and a biscuit....

Love that chicken from Popeye's!

Great, now I am hungry...

Karina, Nick's younger sister, called to make sure we save room for dinner. Soon after we arrived it was time to sit down for dinner. Everything from the conversation to the meal itself is a memorable experience when I sit down for a meal in Miami. The dinner on Wednesday was black beans, rice, Cuban bread, tostones, homemade garlic onion olive oil dressing/sauce, yucca, and Cuban pork. Nick's uncle Alexie owned a restaurant in Miami and, he provided the pork for our meal. Nick's dad made dessert from scratch, peach cobbler with homemade Grand Marnier whipped cream.

For years I did not like pork. Maybe it was a weird phobia that carried over from my youth but, I only recently have seen the err of my ways. From time to time pork still does weird me out. If I hadn't found my way back to eating pork, Alexie's dish would have set me straight. The pork was juicy, tender, and well seasoned. I wish that I could have gone to the restaurant before he decided to sell it because I am sure it was outstanding.

Alexie's Pork and yucca, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

First Miami dinner of the trip!

Thursday, we went to the Dolphin mall for some shopping. I bought some work clothes and, miracle of miracles I bought a pair of jeans! Nick and I were starting to get hungry when we spotted a churrascaria. Churrascaria's tend to be a really large meal so we called Nick's dad to see what the plans were for dinner, Alba's(Nick's dad's wife) Chicken and Rice. We decided on sandwiches from the food court. I never expect much from a sandwich but, Apropo's Itallian sub was great. It had prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, provolone, greens, pesto, mayo, olive oil, tomatoes, onion, salt, and pepper on a fresh bun toasted. Yum!

Best mall food, ever!

I am glad we saved room for dinner. Alba's Chicken and Rice is legendary(I almost typed it as Barney Stinson would have). There are no additional words I need to use to describe the meal. I was halfway through my second serving when I realized I had not taken a picture!

Legendary! With a tostone.

Florida Food- Vacation Cooking/Eating Adventures part 1

2011-01-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

Alright, so while on vacation I took a break from my blog but, this time I plan to actually write about the trip. Prepare yourself, this one is long....

Nick and I left after work on Thursday, December 23rd for Kissimmee, Florida to visit his sister Marisa, brother-in-law David, 3 year old cutest nephew ever Tyler, and mom. Driving overnight I packed some essential snack items for the road; Cheez-Its, beef jerky, Ruffles Sour cream and Cheddar chips, and plenty of caffeinated beverages (coca-cola and red bull(for me)). I started out the first leg of the trip behind the wheel. Listening to the Blues beat the Red Wings made the driving go by much faster :)

I didn't wind up taking photos of food until Tuesday (I am pretty forgetful when confronted with a plate of delicious food). Our first night in Florida(Friday) we had some take out from KFC, not too exciting but, it really hit the spot and, we love their biscuits.

Marisa, Nick and mom N(Nick's mom, I call her mom too so, I'll always just throw an N for Nick after mom so you know who I am talking about and, a W after when I am referring to my mom) worked together to make a feast for Christmas. There was a ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, mushroom and rice casserole, Asian Salad, and macaroni & cheese. I have no photos of this meal so, just trust me when I say it was great because, I ate leftovers for several lunches.

For dinner on Sunday we went to Mimi's Cafe because Tyler wanted some "chocolate bread" (this is what he calls the date bread that they serve). We started out with an appetizer of fried pickle slices which, were fantastic. Everyone's food looked great with the exception of the steak I ordered. I had to send it back twice(overcooked the first time then, it was raw the second)! Again, I did not take pics...

Monday night Marisa recommended we grab some takeout from Rice and Beans Cocina Latina. All of us ordered the Bistec Encebollado(Onion Steak) that came with rice, beans, and sweet plantains. I was very happy with the food and, basically inhaled it so, you will need to go to their website to see a photo!

Tuesday, Marisa, mom N, and I had lunch at Tijuana Flats. This was my first experience and was expecting something similar to Chipotle(since it is a chain). For me, Chipotle is too much food for lunch which, leads me to over eat. Tijuana Flats has more size options, the food was fresh, and super tasty!

Tuesday continued, Nick decided to prepare dinner for everyone. The appetizer was tostones which, happen to be one of my favorite things. He made his version of Cuban Piccadillo(Cuban beef hash) by adding some Sriracha and other ingredients(because I am not a fan of the raisins he omits them). On the side he had rice topped with black beans and Cuban bread. I provided the dessert a chocolate ganache cake made by the Publix bakery. Nick makes this meal at least once a month (sans Cuban bread and the dessert), it's crave-worthy.

Cuban bread is a wonderful thing. Why don't bakeries up here in MO make it???

Plantains before being sliced and fried up!

Sliced plantains ready to be peeled, fried, mushed, bathed in salt water, and then fried again.

The kitchen situation. Top Left is the picadillo, top right is black beans, bottom left is the oil for tostones, and bottom left is the rice.

Tostones and mojo, a perfect match!

Delicious meal prepared by Nick!

Garlic Pork Roast, mashed Yukon gold potatoes, green beans, and MORE scones

2010-12-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

Nick and I took a little break from some cooking over the weekend. Friday night was his work's holiday dinner/party. Saturday we went out to dinner with friends at Saigon Bistro. Sunday was Nathan's grandma's 80th birthday. There was a surprise birthday lunch for her and, a gathering afterwards.

Basically, the only cooking we did over the weekend was breakfast. I made the usual breakfast on Saturday; bacon, eggs, and hash browns. On Sunday Nathan came over so, we made the usual but added a Dutch baby to the mix. I forgot to take any photos of the Dutch baby but, it turned out even better this time. Previously, we made it with whole milk but, this time we bought some skim milk to cook with(per the recipe).

Sunday evening some house guests, Daniel and Kristen, arrived on their way from Boston to KC. Nick and I decided to prepare a big dinner for Monday night. The menu for the evening was garlic pork roast, Yukon gold potatoes, with green beans. I am not a huge pork fan but, I am starting to like pork roasts and tenderloins(I have always loved bacon).

The recipe, from Cook's Country, called for butterflying the roast, something I had never done before. The roast was then brined in oil, salt and 10 cloves of crushed garlic for an hour before rolling it with a garlic, thyme, and red pepper paste. The end result was pretty fantastic(photos below). Everyone at the table loved it.

The recipe for the mashed potatoes was different than any we have tried before. It called for boiling the potatoes whole with the skin still on them. Once drained, you peel the skin with a knife before mashing. The mashed potatoes get a good review in my book, they turned out great.

The green beans were nothing special. We just made them because Nick said that we should have something green on the plate. Just threw some onion, salt and pepper in with some canned green beans.

After everything was all cleaned up, Nick baked some more blueberry scones. We had already prepped everything so, all he had to do was mix the wet and dry ingredients etc. They are delicious!

Shot of some of the hash browns I made over the weekend, very exciting, right?

The pork roast searing in a hot pan of olive oil before it goes into the oven

The pork toast, just out of the oven

The finished product!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2010-12-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

As soon as I read the recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Soup on the Cook's County website, I wanted a bowl for dinner. Nick and I stopped by Hy-Vee to grab some items for the recipe. The recipe called for 8 ounces of bacon chopped then fried in a Dutch oven. You then strain the bacon and fry up the potato peels (from the 3lbs of potato the recipe calls for) in the grease. Everything is made in the one pot if you have an immersion blender which, we received one as a wedding gift (fun and handy kitchen tool).

The end result was delicious, especially on a cold winter night. It's a heavy soup with the 4 cups of cheddar cheese and a cup of heavy cream. Because it is a thicker soup, something we noticed is that it turned out a bit grainy because of the pureed potatoes. The recipe made 8 servings so, I am looking forward to leftovers! Here is a photo of the soup topped off with bacon, fried potato peels, and scallions:

Garlic Risotto and more Blueberry Scones

2010-12-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

I am a fan of cooking competition shows. Top Chef is my favorite but, for some reason I enjoy Hell's Kitchen too(it's probably just because of Chef Gordon Ramsay). On HK the contestants have to prepare risotto as a part of dinner service and, it always looks delicious. I have never had any while at restaurants because mushrooms are usually involved or ham(yes, I am picky).

Last night I decided I wanted to make risotto. I used a recipe that I found on Cook's Country called Garlic Risotto and, it turned out well. Nick and I kept tasting the risotto while it was cooking to make sure we didn't under cook or over cook the rice. We were both rather unimpressed with the flavor, until the end where the recipe called for the fresh grated Parmesan cheese (I splurged on the cheese and, went for a block) and thinly sliced scallions.

In the end, Nick and I were very happy with our dinner. Originally I had planned to steam some broccoli to place on top but, opted for some toasted garlic bread(blurry photo from my camera below). I am currently eating some leftover risotto right now and, it tastes delicious even after being zapped in the microwave.

Since we had to be up earlier than usual today, I wanted to have something tasty ready for us to grab for breakfast so, I decided to bake up some more blueberry scones. This time I took photos of the cutting process/before baking and the finished product. I had 2 for breakfast... I could eat more... I am officially addicted to homemade scones!

Before (pardon the blurry-ness... the camera on my phone isn't so great)

After- up close shot of my new favorite addiction

New Topic For The Blog

2010-12-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a long while since I have posted a blog and, after all of the cooking Nick and I did this weekend, I decided I should use this blog space to share our cooking endeavors. Thanks to some great friends, Nathan and Alana Wood, we have been working with recipes off of the Cook's websites(America's Test Kitchen, Cook's County and, Cook's Illustrated). Unfortunately, I did not take any photos of the food we prepared but, I will in the future.

On the weekends I take the helm when it comes to breakfast. For a while there I was on a pancake kick (blueberry, pumpkin, and anything else that sounded good) and, now, I think I have moved onto hash browns. Saturday morning I went downstairs to start on breakfast when I remembered we did not stop by the store to grab anything. We had eggs, milk, and some cheap bacon(we recently tried some more expensive thick cut brick style bacon, seriously, the best thing ever) but, no starch. I knew we had some potatoes so, I went to one of the Cook's pages to find a recipe.

Every time I had attempted to make hash browns from scratch there was too much moisture in them so they were mushy and, not crisp. From reading online I thought I needed a potato ricer to squeeze out the excess moisture. Turns out, there is something way easier you can use, a kitchen towel. By placing shredded potato into the towel you can then wring out all of that potato juice. The hash browns I made turned out fantastic, I even made more on Sunday.

Nick took care of dinner on Saturday. He prepared a Horseradish crusted pork tenderloin, garlic rosemary roasted potatoes, and braised brussel sprouts. The recipe originally called for a 2lb beef tenderloin but, we opted to go for a less expensive route and, the results were still fantastic.

Sunday morning I baked up some blueberry scones from the Cook's website. Nathan and Alana had already given the recipe rave reviews so, I could not wait to try them myself. While the scones were baking I fried up some bacon (I went to the store on Saturday so, we had some good bacon on hand) and lined some up for baking. Nick likes to fry up eggs in bacon grease so that's why I prepared the bacon two ways. I prefer baking bacon because it turns out crisp every time.

Wow, the blueberry scones were fantastic. Mine didn't turn out as pretty as the ones on the Cook's website but, they were crazy tasty. Nick said they were as good as the ones at Panera, if not better. The scones were soft, not dry, you could taste the bit of lemon zest in them. I don't know that I will ever buy another scone!

Here is the list of everything Nick and I cooked this weekend:

-Hash browns from scratch (2 times)
- Bacon (2 times)
- Fried eggs and scrambled (2 times)
- Horseradish crusted pork tenderloin
- Garlic rosemary roasted potatoes
- Braised brussel sprouts
- Blueberry scones
- Christmas cookies

Friday in NOLA

2010-05-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

We got a late start to our day. I went out for provisions (booze, Zapps, and water) while nick slept in. We took the street car to the FQ and made our first stop for a daiquiri. It is nice to be able to walk around with a drink in hand. Central Grocery was our first lunch back in NOLA. Nick and I crave their sandwiches and olive salad. I told Nick that if I were on death row and, they let me choose my "last meal" it would consist of a muffuletta and a bag of Spicy Creole Tomato Zapps. After lunch, we wandered back to Bourbon street and took in some live music at the Krazy Korner. Both the accordion and washboard player were rockin' it. I have a feeling it might be the only live zydeco we see while we're here...

We picked up Nathan and Alana that evening. Hopped on a very crowded street car to the FQ. First drink of the night was the ever popular Hand grenade. Its melon taste conceals the everclear. We took the drinks to go and made our way to Coop's Place for dinner. I am in love with their green goddess dressing and pretty much anything else edible that they serve. Next stop was hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's...

This morning we're going to grab some breakfast at Cafe Du Monde... not sure where else the day will take us...

NOLA- day one

2010-05-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

We arrived after 9pm last night and checked into our hotel located in the garden district. Dinner out at Port of Call. The reviews are right, PoC's burgers are fantastic. Took in some live music at the Spotted Cat. The band, The New Orleans Moonshiners, were outstanding!

Today, Central Grocery... tonight, we pick up Nathan and Alana from the airport!

Countdown to the Wedding

2009-02-25T07:14:00.000-08:00

Countdown To Pena Wedding

Things are moving along

2008-08-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

Well, Nick and I have finally started to make some decisions about wedding stuff. We knew want we wanted it was just a matter of finding it. It's funny how when you stop searching endlessly for something you find it right under your nose. Well, that is the case with our wedding venue. We have decided on a place near Columbia that offers an outdoor wedding with open air reception space all on the same grounds. I'm kind of relieved we aren't doing the destination wedding thing. We traveled to New Orleans, Miami, and were looking into other areas of Florida. To be honest, Columbia really makes the most sense. Nick and I met at Addison's and Columbia is where our home is, together.

Also, miraculously, I found a dress. Yes, after trying on dresses at 8 places I managed to settle in the on the dress of my dreams. I honestly didn't believe I would have that "moment of realization" but, I did in my own way. The only thing that sucks about this is that, of course, I cannot show Nick until the big day when he is the one person who I want to share everything with.

Now we face our next big hurdles... photographer, food, and tackling invitation ideas.

I heart Miami

2008-06-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

What a crazy week(s) I have had. It all started a week and a half ago on Wednesday... I left work to hop on a train to KC. Sally greeted me with a sleeping Jason in tow and we headed to her house to make little gift boxes for the wedding. Having small child-like fingers came in handy. Danielle and Theresa (along with Sally) had planned an all day bachelorette extravaganza beginning poolside. It was quite the fiesta complete with a pinata (that wound up in the cheese dip). After getting significant sunburns (Theresa wound up with a lovely outline of a pinata from the sticker tattoos) we headed to the power and light district. Tons of fun was had including Sally riding the bull and tons of free booze from some nice men.

I had decided that since I would be in KC already it would be a prime time to get some beyond necessary dental work done. Needless to say I wasn't expecting to have to get a tooth extracted. Yuck! I wound up on vicodin for the day and night which only made the rehearsal dinner more exciting. Saturday was Sally and Jason's wedding. It was beautiful. Sally and Jason both said yes and we danced until we were kicked out...

As things turned out we had to fly out to Tampa at 7am that Sunday. Nick's sister Karina graduated on the 6th (we were told the 2nd which is why the crazy scheduling). While in Orlando I had a wonderful wedding dress shopping experience. Nick's mom and sister took me out to 3 places including another trip to David's Bridal. I must admit I was not looking forward to dealing with DB again but, I was pleasantly surprised. I believe after that trip I may have found the dress I plan to wear.

On the ride down to Miami I came up with a potential wedding idea. I love love love love LOVE Miami. Something about it has always felt magical so, in the car I said, "we want a destination wedding. Why not Miami?" and then the idea of NYE came up. Soooo now we might get married on NYE instead of waiting until next year. While in Miami we wound up visiting a beautiful potential location. We've got an idea of where to have the rehearsal dinner. Nick's cousin's girlfriend happens to be a wedding coordinator and his other cousin has offered to help. Marisa has also offered to help with planning too so between the three of them and my all star maid of honor, Sara, I think I have all of my bases completely covered. I've also started researching vacation rentals near that location. It's all very exciting. I just need to discuss with the family and see what they think.

The trip back to KC was pretty hectic. We had to get on the road from Miami at 6am in order to make our flight at 1:30 out of Tampa. We decided to wait and get gas on the highway. At one point I turned to Nick and said, "it's ok if we wait just so long as we don't run out of gas in the middle of the everglades." On the highway we are under a quarter tank when I see a gas station sign that reads "last gas stop". We keep going on down the highway looking for an exit or turn around to go back to the gas station but, 15 miles go by and nothing. Thats when the gas readers beeps and reads "low fuel". Previously this had happened while we were driving and it said that we had maybe 40 miles left in the tank. So from that point on I am watching the miles go by. When we got to 10 miles left I though "well at least we have onstar." It was moments later that Nick pressed the button... a recorded message came up and said if this is an emergency call 911. So, onward we went. 0 miles left of 40 and Nick is almost eating his thumb he is chewing on it so fiercely. The off in the distance we see an exit and, it has gas. Luckily we made it and arrived in Tampa with time to spare.

We had a layover in Charlotte, NC and previously we had been told to pick up our boarding passes at the gate once we had arrived. The woman at the gate informed us that our flight had been overbooked and that we might not get seats. She later went on the PA and offered free RT tickets to anyone wiling to give up their seats. Nick and I sat and watched as everyone boarded the and eventually they called us up. They only had one seat available and we weren't willing to separate so, we were forced volunteers. They compensated us with 2 RT tickets, put us up in a hotel for the night, and gave us vouchers for dinner and breakfast. We made it out of NC at 8am on Sunday. Fun fun.

Needless to say, Nick and I have made it back to Columbia and it looks like we have our flights paid for our next FL trip.

David's Bridal

2008-05-27T09:48:00.001-07:00

I think I'll start posting all of my fun wedding planning experiences from here on out. Starting with my first excursion trying on dresses. I called and made an appointment with David's Bridal while I was in StL for the memorial weekend. I'm not someone who spends a lot of time on trying on clothing at malls etc.

Let me start off with what happened as we were about to walk into the megaplex of bridal dress stores...

Sara, Laura, my mom, and I were enjoying the nice sunny day when a very unhappy woman/bride to be (she was roughly 28 tops) comes stomping out all huffy like with another gal following (maid of honor?). Immediately she scrounges through her purse pulling out cigarettes and while flicking the lighter she goes into a rant, "I set an appointment for 2 o'clock!" Her friend nods acknowledging her remark. We walked into the store just as we heard her begin to offload all of her problems.

While standing at the front reception desk the unhappy customer from outside comes storming back in. A person we would assume is her mom asks if she would like to try on more dresses. "I DON'T WANT TO TRY ON ANYMORE DRESSES... (yelling even louder) I JUST WANT MY BRIDESMAIDS TO GET FITTED!!!" It took all we had not to start laughing. I felt like I had just watched a live mini episode of Bridezillas.

The front desk ladies seemed nice enough. They told me the lady would would be assisting us was helping another customer and would be with us in a moment. They told us to begin looking around. We began just taking a couple of dresses that looked nice off the rack. Apparently this is not what you are supposed to do as we were reprimanded moments later by the DB worker who we had the appointment with. We were off to a really great start.

To make the rest of the story short I was only able to try on 10 dresses in like one and a half hours. The lady helping was very rude and didn't listen to what style of dress I was looking for. She was far more interested in the other bride that she was helping. Don't get me wrong I was fine with her helping someone else but, she was being nice to them but completely rude to us. Maybe we were just a poor match but even so you would think a sales person would be professional and want to get a commission.

No, I do not love David's Bridal. Or at least not that David's Bridal.

sigh the weekend

2008-05-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

So, this was Nick's and my first weekend at home post engagement. It was nice to sit on the couch. Sleep. Watch a couple of movies. Eat Chinese food. Do laundry. Make our dog Tobie drink Hydrogen Peroxide in order to get him to vomit up all of the amoxicillin he ate that were for Matilda's urinary tract infection(she had 14 days worth of meds for it and she was only on day 2 when Tobie ate the rest). This happened on Friday night. Needless to say we were pretty worried about him but, it seemed as though it was pretty much out of his system after the initial round of vomiting. I ran out early on Saturday to go by the vet's office to pick up replacement meds for Matilda and some for Tobie. Thankfully he is all better.

It's about time...

2008-05-01T14:30:00.001-07:00

So, as many of you already know Nick and I are officially engaged to be married. We have joined this illustrious club that currently has many other friends in it. Seems like weddings are happening left and right.

Both of our families are very happy for us. I couldn't be more excited to be joining his family. I adore everyone and already feel like a part of the family. Nick and I are very excited though, we aren't in a super rush to start planning and getting stressed out about the details. We're thinking a small intimate wedding possibly a destination wedding. I was thinking about a parade with some elephants and penguins maybe... belly dancers...

TV Boyfriend

2008-03-05T12:13:00.001-08:00

Who is Your Ideal TV Boyfriend?

More on Gossip Girl. Created by BuddyTV

Something new

2008-02-25T13:14:00.001-08:00

So, Nick and I are trying something new. Along with our new workout routine and healthier living habits (we have stopped drinking soda and attempts are being made to cut back on eating out). We are also going to exercise our minds. On Saturday we went to Barnes and Nobel and grabbed some books. We decided that it would be fun to read the same book.

Our first book was "The Looking Glass Wars" by Frank Beddor. I realize this book is geared towards teens but, we wanted something fun and quick for our first read. The book is about how "Alice in Wonderland" came to be. To give you a short summary; Princess Alyss (yes, not Alice) Heart witnesses the deaths of her mother and father at the hands of her Aunt Redd. She jumps into the pool of tears and winds up in Victorian England where she is adopted by a Reverend. Where she meets a friend of her adopted fathers, Charles Dogdson (aka Lewis Carroll). He seems to believe her story and writes up the book "Alice's Adventures Underground" upon her reading she is hurt and eventually she tries to move past her thoughts and hopes of returning to Wonderland and live by Victorian standards. Fast forward a couple of years and Alyss is 20 years old when people from Wonderland come looking for her. The good guys, Alyssians, get her first and bring her back to Wonderland to face off against her evil Aunt Redd to become the true Queen of Wonderland.

To be honest Nick and I were hoping for more. It's not a great book. Nick and I both read it in a day. We didn't have any big issues with the book other than for Nick he said it wasn't up the level of a Harry Potter book. In the end I guess our imaginations were bigger than this book. Which, if you read the book that might be kind of funny to you.

My next read is a classic, Emma by Jane Austin.

Survey says...

2008-02-22T13:14:00.001-08:00

The Last Survey

Take This Survey at Quizopolis.com

Last person you hugged

Nicholas

Last car ride

to work

Last time you cried

on valentines day

Last movie you watched

that I stayed awake for? The Jane Austin Book Club

Last food you ate

Tootsie Roll

Last item you bought

Lunch, a hot dog and peaches

Last shirt you wore

before this blue satin work shirt i was wearing a neon green socket volunteer shirt to bed

Last phone call

someone who wanted to talk to my boss

Last text message

telling Nick he didn\'t have to come get me from work

Last kiss

Nicholas

Last thing you touched

the mouse

Last funeral

it\'s been a long while, thankfully... so I cannot recall

Last trip to the mall

on Monday for the Dillard\'s Presidents Day Sale

Last time you were excited for something

today.... Florida

Last person you saw

my boss just walked into his office

Last thing you drank

water

Last person that broke your heart

well Tobie broke my heart on Valentines day... but he is a dog

Last time you were happy

today...

Last plane ride

coming back from FL in december

Last dream

oh i had a weird dream last night... i had a kid!

Take This Survey at Quizopolis.com

My bird has to wear an e-collar, yes you read that correctly...

2008-02-08T06:55:00.001-08:00

So, I have had Beauty since I was in 6th grade (10-11years of age) so that makes him 15-16 years old now. Lately he has been over plucking under his left wing to the extent that he has created a wound. The vet has put him on anti-depressants to try and keep him from re-opening the wound while having him on antibiotics. The first anti-depressant didn't work so they put him on Prozac. In this case they are thinking he has decided to "obsessively" maintain himself to the point where he needs to be put on the same meds as a person with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).

The Prozac did not work. What I neglected to mention is that I have to give him these medications that are in liquid form through a syringe. It's never a pleasant experience for him. In fact I'm sure he hates me.

Since the drugs did not work and, he still has the bloody spot/scab that he reopens the veterinarian has decided, as a last resort, that Beauty must now wear an Elizabethan collar (e-collar for short). You've probably seen dogs wear them. Nick and I have had to put Tobie in one on a couple of different occasions. You may have even seen a cat or two... but, a bird? That's something special.

Here are the pictures for your enjoyment.

Fun Picture Post

2008-02-04T12:49:00.001-08:00

Ok, I'm jumping on the bandwagon and doing this photo survey

1--Answer the questions below
2--Take each answer and type it into Photobucket (www.photobucket.com)
3--Take any picture from the first page of results and post. (click on the picture and copy the HTML code)
4--Based on the pictures, post your guesses as to what my answers are!

Don't explain, it's funnier that way!

1. The age you will be on your next birthday:

2. A place you'd like to travel:

3. Your favorite place:

4. Your favorite food:

5. Your favorite animal:

6. Your favorite object:

7. Your favorite color:

8. The town in which you were born:

9. The town in which you live:

10. The name of a past pet:

11. Your middle name:

12. Your last name:

13. One of your bad habits:

14. Your first job:

15. Your grandmother's name:

and

16. Your favorite car:

Weekends

2008-02-04T07:43:00.001-08:00

I am starting off my Monday thinking about how great my weekend was. Friday was your typical work day. I was seriously working for the weekend. I couldn't wait until 5pm to bust out of the School of Medicine. Nick and I went and dropped off the rent and made our way to Anytime Fitness. I forgot how much fun it is to workout with a partner. Got over a half hour of cardio in on the treadmill and bike. Did some core exercises then hit the machines. I must admit I like that my muscles feel like Jell-O when I leave the gym. I also look forward to that muscle ache that means that they got a nice workout.

Saturday morning I woke up and made some biscuits then headed off to Key Largo for my first pilates experience. It was nice and relaxing. I'm not sure that I felt as much of a work out as I do with the core and step classes I have taken but, I'm typically not in the mood to do too much on a Saturday morning. When I got home Nick and I took a trip to Dillard's to snag a Mardi Gras outfit for him. I wound up buying a few things myself.

Previously we had planned to go see Bill Clinton speak on Saturday but, Nick's best friend wound up in the ER. Nick went to babysit while they were at the ER. Rashad is ok but he was in severe pain for hours.

Nick and I went to dinner with Stephanie and Chris at Addison's. Then to the Mardi Gras party held in the Historic Senior Building on Stephen's College Campus. There was free Abita Turbo Dog, Hurricanes, and King Cake. One of the cool things was the balloon maker. He made a Ghostbusters suit for a lady including photon pack. The live band was great! Nick and I got some dancing in.

Sunday was super lazy because I was hung over. I really am feeling old. I had 2 glasses of wine and a Hurricane. I spent most of my day sleeping off the headache and watching Mythbusters. Instead of wasting out time watching the Super Bowl Nick and I went to see Juno. It was nice to watch it alone together in a large theater. Not to mention the fact that it was a great movie. We got home just in time to watch the Giants celebrating their victory without spending the hours nail biting
Here is a link to photos from Mardi Gras.

I finally got around to putting the pictures of Tyler, Nick's new nephew, up online too.

Sore Thighs... sad thighs

2008-01-31T07:16:00.000-08:00

I went to my second core class last night. It didn't kill me as much as the first. Maybe the abdominals are already getting strong again or, more than likely, it was because we didn't do the exercises with the ball.

What's really unfortunate is that I didn't get my 20-30 of cardio in before the core class. The pair of pants I was wearing at work had their way with my thighs leaving the skin all red and sore. Seriously, how bad is it when your work pants have a seam that decides to gnaw on your sensitive soft inner thigh skin. This is a prime example for why we shouldn't have to wear pants... Okay, thats taking things a little far.

I think it is nearly impossible for a woman over the age of 25 to not have thighs that rub together even a little bit. It's a part of growing up and becoming a woman. So, I know I'm not the only one to has had the seam problem. It just sucks that it managed to keep me from doing the cardio and toning of said thighs.

First Time Visit to the ER

2008-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

I caught the stomach flu apparently.

Friday morning while waiting for the key shop to make some master keys of the LeMone office my abdomen started to hurt. My thought was "eh, this isn't too bad. I've been through worse." Progressively through the day I started to feel worse. For breakfast I attempted to choke down a half bottle of Naked- Green Machine (typically I can just chug one down because they are delicious).

I couldn't think about walking to go get lunch. I was pretty miserable but, still I didn't want to be a "wuss" and go home early. I finally got sick in the bathroom but, that didn't give me a reason to go home yet. It took me feeling feverish to go home.

Nick and I had previous plans to dog sit for one of his coworkers. She's a great dane puppy. I though "I'll be ok to look after her while Nick goes to a birthday party. She, Tobie, and Matilda can just play and I'll be here on the couch." That was good in theory. Since she's a puppy she isn't the best with her motor skills so I wound up being knocked into quite a few times. That's when I noticed blood. One of the dogs was bleeding. Apparently a broken toe nail. Nothing too crazy but, when you are feeling like you are about to vomit at any moment and there are 3 dogs going nutty things go from chill to insane in 3 seconds. Somehow when I was applying flour to the bloody nail a glass filled with juice shattered on the floor. Once all of the dogs were locked in the kitchen I cleaned up as best as I could... to go out to find the dogs had peed in the kitchen.

Saturday morning came and I am feeling a little better. I hadn't kept and liquids down for going on 36 hours or more. Nick convinced me to call my Drs office. Which led me to call the 24 hour nurse hotline. She asked me my symptoms etc and recommended a trip to the ER.

I'm terrified of needles. I cry like an infant when its mentioned that they will be sticking me with a sharp object. I have to admit my ER experience wasn't terrible. I'm glad I went because I'm feeling much better. They hooked me up to an IV and now I'm on some anti-nausea meds. I feel like I have wasted my whole weekend being sick. It really sucks because its almost 60 degrees outside today. From this day forward I'm going to immediately go home when I get sick at work. It's not worth it to stay.

Yay ER, Boo gastroenteritis!

Crazing driving in StL-MO

2007-12-24T08:18:00.000-08:00

So, last night I was riding back from a family Christmas celebration with my new sister-in-law Laura. We were on a 4 lane fast flowing road, Hampton when we both start to hear this loud scraping noise. I thought maybe Laura's muffler was hanging off of her car and scraping on the ground.

We both looked at one another with puzzled looks on our faces and asked the question, "what is that noise?!?" Laura looked into her rear view mirror and exclaimed, "look behind us!" I turned to see this big SUV barreling down the road with sparks flying from the drivers side because it is missing is tire!

This fool is driving 40 or faster with sparks flying everywhere and almost runs us off the road. He/she continues to drive for a couple more miles before finally turning off onto another street. Seriously, why didn't this person just stop? It was one of the craziest things I have seen... and to think the day before I thought that watching a guy use a squeegee on his windshield in the rain was humorous. The guy was even passing it to the passenger to clean off the other side of the windshield.

Driving with out a drivers side front tire= crazy
Using a squeegee instead of windshield wipers= mildly entertaining moronic actions

Back from the Vacation

2007-08-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

So, my vacation started off on the wrong foot. I came down with a "non-life threatening" virus (the quote was from my Doctor diagnosing what was wrong with me). It may have been non-life threatening but it sure managed to annoy me. I didn't start feeling better than 70% until mid way through my trip.

Saturday the Duncan's (Sara and Chris) and I packed up their Mazda and headed for Appleton Wisconsin. We stayed with Carolyn and Justin at their new loft penthouse palace which happens to be within walking distance of all kinds of awesome Appleton excitement. First night there we ate at a nice little brew pub down the street. I didn't get to partake in any beer drinking but, from the reviews everyone gave I was missing out.

One of the things I miss most about my friends moving off to other more prosperous towns and jobs is that we don't get to play board games ala Thursday night dinner group. Needless to say I got a full share of board game madness. We played Scattergories and Catch Phrase. I suck at Scattergories. Up at the cabin the main game played was Cranium. Chris was always on the winning team. I think he cheats (actually hes just that good).

Back to trip fun... the cabin we stayed in up at Eagle Lodge was cozy but the beach views were worth it. We went to a couple of brew pubs later on in the week. I have to say I didn't taste a single beer up there that wasn't delicious. Maybe next trip will only be about visiting as many tiny breweries as possible. Besides the beer the best part by far were all of the amazing views. We went for a couple of hikes (One I think both Sara and I almost died on. Nothing makes a trip seem cooler than a near death experience). Other notables; we saw a black bear (I think it looked more like a gorilla... but we were pretty far away from it) , some deer, and a bald eagle.

In conclusion, the trip was awesome. Who can complain about 70 degree weather? It was great to meet all of Carolyn and Justin's new crew of friends they were barrels of fun. The only part about the trip that I didn't like (besides the whole sickness factor) was that Nick couldn't come. You never realize exactly how much you will miss someone until you are unable to talk to them for about a week due to no cell phone signal.

Ok now go here to look at pictures.

Sleep Deprivation and Vacations

2007-08-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

For the past few nights I have found myself awake at either 3:30am, 4:30am, or 5:30am. It's usually Tobie or one of the neighbor dogs whining to be let out. This morning I got up at 4:30 and couldn't get back to sleep.

I've managed through the last couple of days at work but today I'm not faring so well. I'm having one of those fun "I'm tired" headaches that can only be cured by a nice midday nap. Add on a dash of allergy related sinus pain and today is shaping up to be a real winner. The only problem I see with leaving work after lunch today is that just feeling tired and mildly crummy isn't usually enough reason for me to leave and not feel guilty. That and maybe I find it hard to leave when I know I will be off all next week and will have plenty of time to catch up on my lost sleep.

Saturday cannot come soon enough. I always count the days until the weekend or my next trip. When I was growing up I would get so excited that I couldn't fall asleep just thinking about all of the adventures that awaited me. I'm pretty sure that I will be able to sleep on Friday night but I am still anticipating all of the fun that an 8 day vacation in Wisconsin and Michigan has to offer.

I cannot wait to watch the sunset on Lake Superior. It's going to be beautiful.

Florida!

2007-06-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a 10 day trip to Florida. Nick and I spent a majority of our time relaxing at his sister Marisa's home in Kissimmee. I spent a bit of moolah and updated my wardrobe a bit. It always feels great to slip on a new outfit before strolling back into work.

Marisa and her husband David are expecting a baby in November so much of our excitement surrounded guessing the gender of their upcoming bundle of joy. We tried an online quiz made up of all of the old wives tales (e.g, "Does it look like the belly is high or low" and "Does the mom look better or worse since pregnancy began"), the old Cuban method (involving 2 chairs, pillows, a knife, and a pair of scissors), consulting "the spirits", and a pee test. Needless to say we still aren't 100% sure of the gender but, Mom and Dad feel that it is going to be a boy.

Nick and I spent one day out at some Disney theme parks. MGM and Animal Kingdom were the ones we made it through before we decided to just go home. We wouldn't have gone if Maria and David's super nice friend hadn't given us some free passes. We also spent the evening at Bongo's restaurant located in Downtown Disney. I love Cuban food so Bongo's was a tasty treat before Miami.

Miami was beautiful. It's always great to see Nick's family. We spent most of our time with his little sister Karina, his step mom Alba, and father Ernesto. We made it to South Beach to swim and have a couple drinks. Here is a link to pictures, enjoy.

Updates on all things Woo

2007-05-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

Where to begin. I realize that I haven't posted much of anything in a long while. Best place to start is probably Cinco De Mayo.

Back story; Sally came back to KC after spending a semester in Australia and New Zealand. Daneille lives in KC. We all used to be roommates. Throw us back together in the same city at a Royals game... you get mass insanity?

I love that picture even though I look as if I am enjoying a mouth full of hair. *Delicious*

This weekend Nick, Sara, Chris, and I went camping at Hawn State Park. Before I jump into details of that adventure I must tell you about Friday night.

Friday night after driving into town we met up at Cicero's in the Loop. The best part about dinner was that we were joined by my best friend of over... many years... since 6th grade mind you, Jessica Fleaher. I have pictures but they are on Sara's camera. I hadn't seen her is about 2 years? It was like nothing have changed other than the fact that I apparently can't stay awake past 11pm (I fell asleep).

Camping was awesome. I really enjoy camping minus one big thing, the parasites. Ticks and mosquitoes are the only thing that keep me from wanting to spend every weekend camping. Lets just say that every 2-5 minutes (and I know you think I am over exaggerating but, I'm not!) any one of us found a tick crawling up our legs. We went on a nice hike then spent the evening by the fire playing cards and talking which, make up for the bug situation.

Mother's day was nice. Nick and I surprised my grandma at her house. We brought flowers, strawberries and pound cake. I got to see my parents. It was lovely.

That was the short version of everything. Sara has camping pictures because I was too lazy (as usual) to take my camera out of my purse.

Wikipedia!

2007-04-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

I knew my days as a waitress would soon pay off. I am now in a picture featured on the Bambino's Itallian Cafe Wikipedia site.

Yes, I do believe that makes me more famous that I could have ever imagined. That would be my back to the camera in the upper right corner waiting on a table.

This also gives Nick's family all the more reason to refer to me as "Wiki Wendy".

The Weekend

2007-04-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

The weekend went pretty well. Nick and I hosted a small housewarming gathering at our new place. Some good friends (Chris and Sara) drove in from St. Louis on Easter weekend to help us break in the apartment. There was plenty of Boulevard Wheat (we got a 6th barrel), punch, other boozes, and tasty foodie treats.

Me being the lazy person I am did not take a single picture of the event. It was cold and I was busy sipping on a delicious Captain Morgans Private stock rum and coke. Ummm I all of a sudden find myself salivating.... Anyway, many thanks to Sara for assisting in the preparation of the tasty treats. I spent a day perusing websites for recipes. This is the list of deliciousness:

Spicy Spinach and Artichoke dip (I realize it might be preposterous to claim this but it was indeed better than the chokes and cheese at Flat Branch)
Chipotle Turkey finger sandwiches (these were supposed to be similar to the Sierra turkey at Panera... very very tasty)
Guacamole
Herdez salsa (note previous blog about its superior quality in salsaness)
loads o cheeses
summer sausage (at one point Tobie wound up running around with half of the sausage in his mouth... and again in the morning when i let him outside it mysteriously showed up again)
Jack Daniels Burgers (with the extra kick of fresh garlic and onion mixed into them)
Olive tapenade (my first attempt at making this was a success. Someone even wanted the recipe)
Hummus (prepared by Sara Duncan was a hit. I kept hearing people exclaim how delicious it was)
There were veggies and chips etc too.

The party was separated into two groups:
Group one (this is where i was for most of the night): hovered near the food and drinks. In this group people didn't really want to "commit" to a plate.
Group two: the Wii playing group. I was surprised by how many people wanted to play the Wii. We had many batteries fall casualty to all of the gaming and only one wrist strap was broken.

All in all it was a great first small gathering with many more to come in the future. Also I must say I was impressed with how Tobie responded to the crowd of people. He was a social butterfly hopping from person to person. I do have pictures of how cute he is now that we have officially decided he is a year old.

Mexicorn... how i love you

2007-03-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

OK so in recent news I have fallen in love with an ingredient that I use on a weekly or more basis. Yes my friends, its the latest taste sensation that is sweeping the nation its, Mexicorn! I realize how silly the name sounds but believe me when I tell you that its outstanding.

Just throw a can of mexicorn(by Green Giant) into a bowl, add a can of black beans, salsa (Herdez is the best salsa I've ever had!), cheese, and make up some rice (I love some cilantro lime rice!) wrap it up in a tortilla. Throw some foil around that bad boy and toss it in the over for 20 min or so at 350+ degrees. What you will have is some tasty goodness.

I have also though of ways to work the mexicorn in with other things... add it to a salad for a nice little crisp. You could also add it to some salsa too... the possibilities are pretty endless. I wouldn't add it to ice cream or anything. I have heard of people adding it to corn bread though.

Anyway try out the mexicorn! It's also made by Kuner's but they refer to it as Corn'n'Peppers which, isn't as catchy as Mexicorn.

I don't think you're happy enough....

2007-02-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you have one of those weeks, days, months, or years that really test your patience. This was one of those weeks for Nick and I. It all started off with me being hypersensitive about nearly everything (aka anything and everything was sure to elicit some kind of angry or upset response *blah*) . Wednesday night Nick's truck got stuck in the mud on his way to pick up some food. It took over an hour before we gave up and called tiger towing. I came up with a plan to fix the mess left behind (Lowe's- shovels and gravel, GO!).

Cleaning up the mess wouldn't have been too bad if:
1) the gravel Nick purchased didn't look dayglo compared to the rest of the gray old gravel (seriously it looks like we are constructing some kind of a landing pad out back)
2) Tobie hadn't decided to breaking free from me would be fun. We spent over a half hour chasing him around the garage next door. I caught him when he decided to poop.
3) I would have rather been at Thursday night margaritas (yum)

Friday, beautiful day outside. I was excited to start my weekend relaxing with Nick. Relaxing stopped before it could start. When I opened the door to the kitchen I noticed that the floor was black (this usually isn't the case). Tobie brilliantly decided that linoleum would be fun to play with. He removed a large section right by the doorway and chewed some pieces into little mini pieces. I wish I had taken pictures because he did a wonderful job of tearing the floor apart. I'm sure he also looked really cute while doing it.

Again, another trip to Lowe's (only $27) and Nick (with very small amounts of help from me) tiled the whole kitchen floor in 4 hours. This was something that I had never expected to do in my lifetime... I guess its always a good idea to try new things. Vinyl tiles are pretty cheap (36 cents a piece) and they were easy to put down. Just look at it isn't it just beautiful?Saturday was fun. I had some Myer's and cokes over at Bud's. We watched The Last Kiss and Beerfest. Good times. I also upped my Wii tennis score to reflect how awesome I am (I'm almost a pro) with the exception of how poorly I perform in the boxing ring.

Sunday, I thought I was productive. I wasn't. I watched the Oscars and numerous episodes of Law and Order: SVU.

Monday, I got to work at 8am and thought about how productive I would be. As you can read, I am actually writing this blog. Within an hour of being at work a coworker informed me that my car had a flat. So began the great tire search of 2007. It is now 2:30pm. I have a new tire (yes, I only purchased one... the other three will be replaced next week) and it only took... almost 5 hours!

Tonight, I am going to watch Heroes and sleep... lots of sleep.

Weekend of Excitement

2007-02-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

Friday night started off with Nick asking me to put on my new green dress for a nice dinner at Jack's Gourmet. Personally I thought the dessert was the best part of the meal hands down. I can never say no to a tasty creme brulee. After dinner we stopped by Sky High to see my coworkers band LuciDream play. It was good to see everyone outside of a work environment. Steve's band was great and I loved the cover of Cheap Trick's "I want you to want me". I requested some Tears for Fears which, he promises for a future show.

Saturday, not so much fun. Nick had been complaining about back pain but said it wasn't too bad. Well he pulled the muscles in his back while lifting parts for his truck. I rushed out for some meds, a heating pad, and an ice pack. The heating pad helped but he was still out of commission for the rest of the weekend. We spent the rest of the day Saturday watching movies.

Sunday morning we woke up early. My friend Chike gave me the heads up on some Wii's being shipped to Target. So we went to Target at about 6:30am in hopes that we would be able to purchase one. Lucky for us we were 3rd in line so we were guaranteed a Wii.

I realize in my previous post that I stated clearly that I am not going to purchase anything for Valentines day. Well, Nick and I are considering the Wii our Valentines gift to one another. He also purchased the new Zelda game which, is awesome (I kick ass at fishing). As for Wii Sports, I suck at baseball, tennis is ok, bowling is alright, and I also suck at both boxing and golf. I guess I just need more practice on the sports.When we got home with the Wii we noticed that Tobie(our 11 month old border collie mix) wasn't doing well. He vomited 3 times and had shaky back legs. I called the emergency vet to try and figure out what was going on with him. Their main concern was if he had swallowed something that was causing problems. After about a half hour he perked up and was back to his normal self. My guess is he ate something that didn't agree with his stomach so we spent the rest of the day cleaning the apartment.

That warm fuzzy feeling

2007-02-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's nearing that time of the year again. What time is that, you ask? Why it's almost Valentines day! (No, that exclamation point isn't there because I'm super excited about the holiday) Frankly I have to say that each time this "holiday" rolls around I find myself less and less interested in recognizing it as anything other than simply just the exact mid point of February. I used to love Valentines day when I was little. I looked forward to tons of candy, the silly little cards, and basically a day of fun at school. I always hated having to remember the names of everyone in my class so I could give them a card... but that's beside the point.

I fell off the "Valentines bandwagon" in junior high (when the fun parties basically ended). There are some of you thinking, "seriously you think Valentines day is worthless only because you no longer get free candy and party it up elementary school style? It's a day about love...blah blah blah blah blah blah......" I get that it's to celebrate the love you have for others and whatnot but, I happen to be a firm believer that love is something that we should celebrate on a regular/daily basis not just because some date on the calendar tells us to express it(and waste money on it. Which, listening to the radio today the Eagle 93.9 let me know that on average an American person spends $101 on Valentines day, SICK!).

This year I have admittedly told Nick not to buy me anything for Valentines day. Last year we spent it at Apple Bee's drinking margaritas and didn't exchange gifts. I have to say, Apple Bee's apparently isn't the big hang out for Valentines day. This year I am thinking maybe we will hit up Golden Corral or maybe Steak'n'Shake haha.

Give the gift of love this year... or maybe give a lobster gram?

Happy Groundhog Day!

2007-02-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

TMI (too much information)

2007-01-31T08:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find that I am a victim of handing out TMI to people. Nick points it out to me on occasion that sometimes people don't want to hear about my lovely bouts with IBS. I personally have no problem discussing this lovely and exciting topic. I think people should be more comfortable with talking about it because until they do I'm going to continue to find it amusing when they become awkward. Not to mention an estimated 35 million Americans have what my friend Amy fondly refers to as "the mud butt".

So on the topic of TMI, Nick is currently looking for someone to sublease his apartment. He received a phone call from someone interested in taking over his place in March. The odd thing about it was that she needed a ride to come take the tour. Nick didn't really think too much of it because he just wants to find someone quick. When they show up to do the walk through I recognize her from somewhere (i didn't put two and two together until later). She's older, is missing quite a few teeth, and is carrying around a plastic cup filled with what looks like a mixed drink (I could be wrong but when she fell and also almost dropped her cup I was skeptical). She became very defensive when Nick told her that he had other people that were interested in the place too.

Apparently the conversation about her wanting the apartment continued in the car ride back to her house. She began to explain why she needed the apartment. She explained how she is a schizophrenic who has a total of 15 years of sobriety under her belt when you add up all the times she has been sober (technically I thought you were only supposed to count consecutive years, months, etc.). She then went on to talk about how she is a member of NA (narcotics anonymous) and loves loves loves church. All of this in the span of a 5 minute long car ride.

When Nick returned he told me what she had said and then I recalled how I knew her. She used to come into Bambino's and would drink up at the bar. I remember on one occasion we had to refuse to give her any more to drink because she was becoming irritable and had begun to talk to someone that didn't actually exist. Once she left she stood out by the fence and was yelling obscenities at her imaginary friend. That wouldn't have been too much of a problem had it not been in the summer time which means that everyone on the patio heard her screaming.

Needless to say I don't think Nick will be subletting his apartment out to her. His apartment situation is set up to where it has split utilities with the other half of the house. It's basically like having roommates that you don't see very often. He has had other people checking out the place so we're hoping to move into our new huge apartment together by March.

rigamarole

2007-01-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I don't know what to write here therefore I don't write at all. I could go rambling on about how sweet and wonderful things are right now but I did that in my previous post. Lately I have just been on the quest to figure out what I should get a masters degree in. Or I was also considering another undergraduate degree? See the thing is I envy those who know exactly what they want to do with their lives. At least they have some kind of direction.

Take me for instance, this week my current plan is to go back to school and get some sort of another degree. Then I will apply to the FBI or some other research/investigation jobish typeness. Then there are other weeks where I harbor a strange longing to become a chef (probably because I have watched Top Chef religiously for the past month or so). At one point law school was on my map. I was even accepted to some schools... yet my mood changed.

Anyway, I am only 25 I still have plenty of years left to figure out what my calling is. Who knows maybe the special agent thing will work out. :) Look all I have to do is fill out this easy form.

Tis The Season

2006-12-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

I have been pondering what topic I wanted to tackle with my latest blog. I've started to realize that a good retrospective of how the year went would be a perfect way to end 2006 blogging. I would like to preface this with letting those of you know that I am currently in a "warm and fuzzy" state of mind.

I have learned a lot about myself this year. It truly has been a good year for growth. Not only have I recognized this in myself but those around me. I have come to terms with some of my faults and character flaws and begun to accept them as a part of what makes me unique. I have also learned how to set reasonable boundaries for myself.

The greatest gift that I have received this year has been love. I was not looking for it by any means. I most certainly was not expecting to find love in the very far booth at the back of Addison's. It turns out for me that this great love of my life, I am going to use an analogy here so bare with me, has been like the gardener who watered and took care of, me, the seed as it has grown and prospered throughout the year (yes, I realize the "cheese factor" of that statement but, it's the truth).

I am not the only one who found love or rekindled an old flame. Many of us find ourselves in completely different places in our lives after a years time. Some have found themselves engaged, many have graduated started their first full time jobs, and others have moved to new places. I am very excited to see what happens in 2007.

Well, it's about time

2006-12-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

I realize that I haven't really updated my blog in almost a month. It really has been quite the month. Thanksgiving happened, my car got a new timing belt(cost me over $600 to replace.. ouch), 16 inches of snow fell on Columbia closing highway 70 for half the day (and causing me to miss out on a super fun Detriot weekend with Sally), and Nick won co-Socket employee of the year.

Out of these the most exciting business is the employee of the year. Socket asked those nominated for employee of the year (those who were employee of the month were eligable) to make up a wish list of things they would want if they won. Here were the restrictions:

1.) Items could be up to $10,000 but not exceeding.
2.) Could not be exchanged for cash.

Needless to say $10,000 can be spent many different ways. Nick choose to have his 1964 Chevy Pick Up restored, a 40 inch flat pannel LCD HD TV, a Sony digital living system, an xbox 360 with gear of war, and the actual furniture to put the tv and system on. Pretty awesome. I didn't take any pictures of the holiday party because i'm lame. Sorry, I know how you were looking forward to seeing me dressed up all formal like.

Empress!

2006-11-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Homecoming

2006-10-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

I have to say one of my favorite events that occurs in Columbia is Mizzou Homecoming. I love all of the traditions. Not to mention all of the friends and alumni that come back into town. Looking back on all of the memories of previous homecomings I realize that I was the most excited about this year. The whole group was back together in Columbia. Bree came into town from DC, Sally from Lansing, Michigan. Tim drove up from Destin, FL and picked up Brian in StL along the way. Danielle drove her boyfriend Brett, Sally, and Bree in from KC. Chris Rehagen drove in from DC too. I think it had been about 3 years since we were all in the same city.

I cooked up a Mexican fiesta including some tasty margaritas. We all hung out until we walked to Deja Vu for Rally Night. I have to say I’m just not that impressed with Rally Night anymore. I enjoyed the band but after that all I wanted to do was go to a low key place to sit and have some drinks.

I think I got maybe 4 hours of sleep Friday night and made it to the parade. Then the rain started. Tim, Bree, and Brian had already left before we went to lunch. Danielle and Brett left after lunch. Sally went back to KC with her parents after the game. I felt pretty worthless the rest of the weekend. I think I spent maybe 3 hours total out of bed for the rest of the weekend. Once again I didn't take any pictures... I know Danielle and Bree did. I think they'll be posted eventually.

One last thing... GO Cardinals!

Vacation... finally

2006-10-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have been back for almost a week. That means i am long over due to tell the tale of my 12 day break from Missouri. Nick and I spent 5 days with his sister in Kissimmee and 7 days in Miami. Kissimmee was just very relaxing. Neither of us felt the need to go to any of the tourist attractions... well we went to Old Town and played some Ski Ball. The rest of the time was spent sleeping and hanging out with his sister and brother in law. I must also throw in there that Orlando has some crazy awesome malls. It was great to finally meet Nick's sister. He has mentioned her numerous times in the classic family stories. I was also pleased to meet Beta.

Miami was great too. I was exposed to tons of new tasty foods. Tostones are quickly becoming something that i am missing. I was also introduced to Nick's dad, younger sister, step mom, numerous cousins, and many many other family members. We spent a couple of days at south beach, walked calle ocho (8th street in the heart of Little Havana), and spent Friday night out at Mango's (on South Beach). We also took a tour of the law school i had previously been accepted to. I am really looking forward to potentially going to this school in 2007.

I realize this is a super short post about 12 days. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera because it was in my car (which was in the shop) but, here are some pictures from the internet.

This is the outside of Mango's. Inside there are waitresses and bartenders dancing coreographed routines on the bar in next to nothing.

Old Town Kissimmee. Tons of little shops... and Ski ball!

Apples, Wine, and the Duncans

2006-10-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

The weekend in review:

Friday night Nick took me to Osaka for dinner. Tasty as always; minus the fact that the first round of chicken wasn't fully cooked. I had my first taste of sake. That stuff tastes pretty potent. I don't really recall what we did after Osaka... I think we just hung out.

Saturday we got up early and drove to Hermann! On the way my car started to act up again. It's getting rather frustrating. Currently it is in the shop and they aren't exactly sure what is going wrong with the throttle positioning sensor... wiring perhaps?

Anyway, Chris and Sara Duncan picked us up in Hermann. We took some windy back roads to Marthasville to go apple picking. Sara took tons of pictures... I didn't because I am the moron who forgot her camera in the broken car. Any who we picked tons of apples... There were some goats for petting, cider to be drunk, and a kid who got slapped across the face for hocking a loogie into the goat's water.

Wineries! I love Hermann wine. We first stopped at Adam Puchta's winery and had ourselves a bottle of Vidal Blanc. I personally go for a sweeter Puchta wine but, the company I was keeping preferred a more dry wine. Next we drove out to Bias. Apparently Bias was the place to be that weekend. Tons of people had come out for their chili cook off. Sara and I even sung karaoke, "Build Me up Buttercup".

After all of the winery excitement we checked into our "bed and breakfast". In all reality it was more like a cheap motel. For shame, we were really looking forward to something nicer. We then walked to the Concert Hall and played a couple rounds of Cranium (yes, I realize Cranium at a bar is rather... well you fill that blank in however you like). I was the big looser. I lost with Nick as my partner and then with Sara. El Ranchito was our dinner stop. It was ok. The salsa was the best part about the place. Best part about our Bed and Breakfast was hands down the breakfast. Other than that the place was pretty bad.

On Sunday Nick and I drove back to Columbia. We stopped at the humane society and adopted a 6 month old black and white spaniel mix that we named Toby. He's really a good dog and has already learned how to sit in one day. Not to mention he is well on his way to being potty trained. I'll be sure to post pictures of him as soon as I get my car out of the shop. :)

Countdown to Florida...

2006-09-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

It's been made official, next week Nick and I will embark on a road trip to Florida. 12 days of warmth and meeting the other half of his family. We are renting a car and stopping in Orlando for a couple of days. We'll be staying with his older sister then its off to Miami to meet his dad, Ernesto, and his younger sister... oh and not to mention tons of cousins. In case you don't already know Nick's father is from Cuba so i'm going to be in for a treat.

Nick has already been testing Cuban dishes out on me. I'm a fan of plantains and i really love avocado (his dad has an avocado tree!). He has made chorizo with rice and his picadillo is getting better and better with each attempt.

Lets just say i'm looking forward to meeting the large Cuban side of his family not to mention the 12 day break from Columbia life. Might I also add that Key West is within a decent distance... i'm interested to see how well i remember Key West. I am super pumped and ready to get out of Missouri! 8 days until lift off.

Happy Birthday to Nick... and post 50!

2006-09-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

The weekend was great. The weather was awesome. It was Nick's 27th birthday. We road tripped to a couple of places. All and all it was just a perfect weekend. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Let's start with the recap:

Friday night: got off work. went home to check the mail. one of nick's gifts arrived. changed clothing, grabbed weekend outfits, and headed to dinner downtown (the "district"). Flatbranch had a crazy long wait so we (Scott, Nick, Scott's friend whose name i cannot remember, and i) walked over to Colosseum Bistro. Dinner was tasty as were the drinks. From there Nick and i called it a night (this was at like 10 o'clock).

Saturday: I woke up early (8ish) and showered then woke up Nick at 8:30. He had no clue what he was in store for. We left his place and picked up Scott and Fish. Grabbed some McDonald's breakfast and then we were on the road. Nick has no clue where we were going. When we arrived at the Lake of the Ozarks we stopped at Ozarkland to check out all of the wondrous treasures they had to offer. The big purchase was 4 grab bags each costing $3!

Contents of these grab bags:
Scott's:
2 different magnets with "the Ozarks" and 2 different persons names
1 belt buckle with mistletoe on it
1 classic toy truck with broken headlight
1 necklace
1 Shot glass with "Eric's Bar" written on it
1 friendship beaded bracelet with the name "Brooke"
and a small personal fan
I'm sure there were other things but i can't remember.
Nick's:
1 Broken wooden cap gun
2 Ozark magnets
2 different necklaces one with a star.
2 different named shot glasses one was Jessica's bar
Fish's:
1 Stuffed frog with Velcro hands and a heart on its belly saying "#1 Teacher". When you squeeze the frog is makes kissing noises.
2 more magnets
umm i really don't remember what else Fish's grab bag contained...
Mine:
1 Necklace
1 pair of Earrings
1 cedar jewelry box with Unicorn painted on top
2 magnets
2 shot glasses
and a fan

All of the magnets wound up on the exterior of my car... they are still there.

Apparently there are no longer airbrush artists at the lake. So, instead of an airbrushed shirt we just went to a bar and played pool for a bit. Then a round of mini golf and some go karts. Somewhere in there we went to lunch and i gave Nick his first gift, a Superman DVD. Back towards Columbia I stopped and filled my car with gas ($1.99 a gallon!!!!) then got back on the road and headed towards KC.

Nick had no clue we were going anywhere else. He thought the end of the line was CoMo. We made it to Westport where we met up with Laura and Kyle to watch the epic tale "Jesus Camp". This was an amazing movie. I recommend everyone go and see it if is at a theater near you.

After the movie we went next door to Kelly's/Joe's pizza for some food and a beer. Then it was off to the Velvet Dog and back on the road to CoMo.

I will have more pictures to share later.

A Little Update

2006-09-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

I'm going to keep some of the exact details to myself but, my birthday was perfect after work ended. Bud and i went to the berg for a couple glasses of wine where we ran into some of my favorite regulars Dr Lee and John. They were in town from Rolla for a visit. I met up with Nick after 7:30 (per his directions).

He surprised me with some white lillys and then wisked me away to Tellers for dinner. Before our meal arrived he gave me a beautiful silver necklas with a teardrop shaped rose quartz charm. After dinner we went back to his place for a little champagne and dessert. Nick is a writer who moonlights as the supervisor of the sales department for Socket. He wrote me this lovely story that made me cry because it is the story of us. He plans to add to the story through out the years. Post dessert we met up with some friends at Addisons. Scott bought me a "Terry Berry Cherry Bomb" and i then fell asleep in the booth.

Basically, things are just wonderful right now. Before meeting up with Nick on my birthday i spoke with my grandma on the phone. For those of you that don't know, my grandma is the glue that holds my family together. She is the most caring, sweet, and loving person i have met. i can only hope to be half as giving as she has been. On the phone she asked, "I don't mean to be nosy, but are things getting pretty serious between you and Nick?" to which i gave my usual response "well, i plan to keep him around for a while". She then went on and on about how much she really likes him and feels that he is the best guy for me. It just really means a lot to know that my family likes Nick as much as i do. My grandma even told him on Sunday that she loves him so, its safe to say they wouldn't mind if i keep him around for a while :)

Yeah, so i'm awake

2006-09-18T01:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so, it's about 3 hours and 42 minutes into my 25th birthday. I'm rather unexcited about the date because i'm not a huge birthday person. It's kind of awkward receiving that much attention all day. I'm more a fan of the quick bursts of attention that come from a good joke or doing something silly. Anyway, i figure i'll just type up a blog about my weekend...

Friday, i left work early to rush home and pack up my stuff. My hopes were that we (Nick and I) would get on the road by 5:30 in order to make it to the Balloon Glow in StL. Of course, no one really leaves at their estimated departure time, we left after 6. The Balloon Glow, for those of you who don't know, is an event held at Forest Park (where the Zoo, Science Center, and History Museum.. Art Museum are) annually the night before the Great Hot Air Balloon Race. It's starts at around 7 pm and ends at 8:30pm. Basically what happens is all of the balloons gather in a field (which happens to be next to a lake) and fill up and light up the evening sky like little Chinese Lanterns. Its absolutely breathtaking. Nick and i made it just in time for the last 20 minutes and were able to find Chris and Sara with out any trouble. The place was more crowded than... well i can't think of a good analogy but lets just say it was really crowded. Anyway, my parents left way to late, and weren't able to meet us at the Balloon Glow but did make it to dinner. We took the NEW metro link line to the "Loop" and ate at Fitz's. (check out the review to come on Woo's Reviews)

Saturday, what a day, Nick and i stayed at my brother, Sam's, apartment and woke up to eat breakfast/lunch with him and his new girlfriend Laura. My brother had apparently told her that i am super mean to his girlfriends so, i knew this was going to be a treat. I had wondered why she seemed a little awkward at first but, Sam fessed up to telling her that i'm mean to all of his new girlfriends. Anyway, once this was cleared up everything went smoothly and she is a very sweet woman (i would have said girl but she is 27). After lunch Nick, Laura, and I drove out to meet up with my parents in Belleville, IL at a car show. My parents were showing their 1955 2 door hard top special off. We took a little detour and wound up in Freeburg, IL, it's quite a little gem. I want to move there...not.

Saturday night we ventured off to what is becoming a slight tradition in my family, the Hangar dance. I know some of you are wondering what the "hangar" dance is, and my friend, let me tell you, it is a sight to behold! Over 1000 people gathered into a large WWII aircraft hangar and danced the night away to the sounds of a big band. Nick and i had a terrific time dancing, drinking, and chatting it up with my parents.

Sunday, we met up with my grandma for breakfast/lunch... er brunch. She is always one of my favorite people to see in StL. We were planning to go to someplace out doors but it started to rain so our options became limited. We drove to Chris and Sara's apartment and decided to go see a movie, "the Illusionist", at the old Hi-Pointe theater. Then it was back to my parents house to say goodbyes and a quick stop by a White Castle (it seriously is what i crave when i am in StL... i can't help it! i completely engorge myself on these little onion burger bombs).

Here begins the journey home to Columbia. Unfortunately it wasn't your usual boring trip back to Columbia. We stopped to go to the bathroom on the way back and about 5 miles on the road my car started to rev and shift funny (i have an automatic). Immediately my thoughts go to my transmission. Nick was driving and pulled over quickly so we could check out the engine. All of the fluids were ok and nothing looked crazy. I wasn't dragging any belts, hoses, and there wasn't smoke and flames. So we took our chances and started on the road again when the troubles persisted. In talking to my dad he seems to think that a vacuum hose has come loose or has a hole in it and that we should just keep my car in 2nd the whole way back (aka drive 45 on the highway... good times... and all of this just 4 miles outside of the Herman exit. Approximately 45-50 minutes from Columbia). We wound up taking the back roads to Columbia and made it home about an hour and a half after the troubles began.

So, today i look forward to spending half of my day in an auto shop getting my car worked on. Then i hope to make it into work. Year 25 is already starting to suck... maybe i can look forward to the cost of my car insurance going down?

No Gas Never Seems to Fail

2006-09-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

I know that I tend to reference the "no gas" quick-e mart around the corner from my work pretty often. There is a reason for this, the craziest stuff goes down at the "no gas". Take for instance the other day, my coworker Mike and i went on a Field Trip (FT for short) to the "no gas". Upon arrival we know something was going to happen. The place was loaded with people and I could hear some rather strange noises. At first i thought a bird had flown into the store somehow.

With further inspection i changed my mind and decided that one of the customers was making the weird noises. It was all very suspect because the sounds really were so close to being that of a bird. Then i caught sight of it, the customer who was obviously making noises had a friend with him and, on this guys shoulder was a Sunny Conure (don't ask how i know the breed of bird... i'm a freak). I dunno maybe its just me but i think its a little strange when someone brings their pet bird into a store.

Anyway, to continue, Mike and I left without purchasing anything. As we walked back to the office a guy stopped us and asked if we like fish. Motioning to a plastic bag he held which, we assumed contained the fish. Ick, i'm not a huge fan of fish (i basically stick to a nice tuna steak or some salmon) and i'm not so sure that this guys "fish" would be a good idea to purchase.

A Night Well Spent

2006-09-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Last night instead of our usual routine of watching whatever happens to be on TV Nick and I played Super Mario Bros 3 after work... and continued to play until around 9 when we ate dinner and watched Sin City... then it was back to SM3. We went level by level with out the use of whistles.

I really loved SM3 when i was growing up. It had been forever since i played the game so my skills were pretty weak. I think they are only now coming back. Anyway my left thumb hasn't hurt this bad in ages and i find myself with the urge to go to Gunthers Games to play some Ms PacMan and Skee Ball.

What are the chances?

2006-09-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

So, I have become a fan of Project Runway these last couple of weeks. I blame nick. He has it on after work and now I am addicted to finding out what is "in" and "out". From this show I have gathered some fashion knowledge... maybe it’s not the best but I know what I like so umm yeah. I guess in the end that’s all that really matters.

Last night I was going through my closet to pick my outfit for work. I came across an old vintage skirt that I had never worn. I don't know why I have held onto it. Maybe I felt since I paid money for it I should keep it until I wear it.

Ok so let me start with where and when I got this skirt. It was a long time ago. I think it was my freshman year of college. I was in the height of my rockabilly/vintage faze. Megan Simmons had invited me to go with her dance partner Dan to this HUGE old factory filled with clothing. We dug through it for hours. I came out with a couple of skirts. I think on average they cost between $3 and $5.

I bought this skirt because I liked the little pockets and it kind of fit. It was a little big but I figured I’d grow into it. As luck would have it I gained weight somewhere in those 6 years. Last night I tried it on and it fits perfectly!

This brings me to why I am writing about this skirt that has been holding a place in my closet for years. I looked at the label and it’s Max Mara. The skirt is it excellent condition and I figured I would just check into the manufacturer. Well apparently Max Mara is an Italian couture label. Skirts similar to this one are selling for a pretty penny. It’s always nice to find little gems that have been hiding out in your closet and realize that they are worth a little money too.

Hello my new cell phone friend

2006-08-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, this morning I arrived back at my apartment to find my new cell phone awaiting my open arms. Next to it was my new MP3 player. It was like Christmas in August. Like a giddy school girl I tore into my new toys on the drive to work. The MP3 player is super tiny and has an FM tuner. It’s perfect for work outs.

The cell phone... First let me tell you why I had to get a new phone. Over the weekend my phone started to act up. Very sad. I really do like my old phone. It’s like a Sherman Tank, not too small and can take a beating. Any who my little tank started to have some mechanical problems. The main one being that I could only talk to people on speaker phone. Basically I decided that I would only use it for texting because I hate speaker phone.

My new phone is glorious! It’s very thin and silver. I decided to go with a phone sans camera. I figured I only used the camera a few times. That and the cameras on phones tend to suck. Any who here is my new electronic family member.

The A to Z's of Wendy B

2006-08-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Me from A to Z...copy and repost with your stuff!

A is for age:
t-18 days 'till i'm 25

B is for beer of choice:
Newcastle please

C is for career right now:
Assistant to the Director of Strategic Information Techonolgies Group for the School of Medicine- Office of the Dean

D is for your dog's name:
oh i don't have one yet.

E is for essential item you use everyday:
toilet paper

F is for favorite TV show at the moment:
ummm Psych

G is for favorite game:
i really like Cranium

H is for home town:
St. Louis

I is for instruments you play:
i used to play the trombone... i haven't in about a year

J is for favorite juice:
Mango

K is for whose butt you'd like to kick:
i am not one for fights

L is for last restaurant you ate at:
International Cafe

M is for marriage:
someday... maybe in the not so distant future

N is for your full name:
Wendy Lynn Brasses

O is for overnight hospital stays:
none yet and none planned until i start popping out babies

P is for people you were with today:
my coworkers and nicholas

Q is for quote:
“I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever.”-Amy Tan

R is for biggest regret:
eh its all good

S is for mental status:
sleepy

T is for time you woke up today:
7am... then i snoozed until 7:30ish

V is for vegetable you love:
mmmm broccoli

W is for worst habit:
i'm pretty lazy

X is for x-rays you've had:
many on the teeth

Y is for yummy food you ate today:
the gyro i had at International Cafe

Z is for zodiac sign:
virgo.

Survey of 3's

2006-08-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Name 3 Schools You Went To
1. Mizzou
2. Lindbergh High School
3. McKendree College

Name 3 Things In Your Wallet
1. Driver's license
2. ATM card
3. Old Student ID (so i can get into the movies for cheap)

Name 3 Things You Always Wear
1. shoes
2. something that covers my chest
3. pants/skirt/shorts

Name 3 Things You Do When You Are Really Stressed
1. take a nap
2. vent to a friend
3. do something to alleviate the stress

Name 3 Favorite Songs Right Now
1. Love Song- The Cure
2. Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre) - Go Tan Project
3. Transformer- Gnarls Barkley

Name 3 Favorite Places To Shop
1. 9th St Books
2. Dillards
3. Hyvee

Name 3 Places You Go On A Daily Basis
1. Work
2. Home
3. Nick's Apartment

Name 3 Things You Like To Do
1. Dance
2. Laugh
3. Cook

Name 3 most prized possessions
1. My Bach Stradivarius F attachment Silver Trombone Large Bore
2. My boyfriend
3. My memory

Name 3 favorite fruits:
1. mango
2. pineapple
3. strawberry

Name 3 things you are addicted to:
1. music
2. love
3. happiness

Name 3 favorite hobbies:
1. reading
2. cooking
3. hanging out with my frineds

Name 3 career choices:
1. Human Rights Lawyer
2. Domestic Violence Lawer
3. Lawer for the ASPCA

Name 3 goals in 2006:
1. get reaccepted to law school... and actually go in 2007
2. travel more
3. work on my confrontation skills

Name 3 plans for next week:
1. Hang out with my best girl Hula!!
2. Visit the new baby elephant in StL
3. get lots of sleep

Three Names You Go By:
1. Wendy
2. Wendy Woo
3. W

Three Parts of Your Heritage:
1. Scottish
2. German
3. American

Three Things That Scare You:
1. needles
2. loosing my memory
3. emotions

Three of Your Everyday Essentials:
1. soda
2. sleep
3. laughter

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. gold shoes
2. pink flowery skirt
3. a brownish jacket

Three of Your Favorite Bands or Musical Artists:
1. The Beatles
2. James Brown
3. Ottis Redding

Three Things You Want in a Relationship (OTHER THAN Love):
1. Honesty
2. Laughter
3. Unconditional caring

Two Truths and a Lie (in no particular order):
1. I love mushrooms
2. Prince Charles waved in my direction when i was in England
3. I once owned a tree frog

Three PHYSICAL Things about the Opposite Sex that Appeal to You:
1. Smile
2. Bum
3. Eyes

Three Places You Want to go on Vacation:
1. Hawaii
2. Okinawa
3. Scottland

Three things you want to do before you die:
1. Have children
2. Be 100% truely happy with every aspect of my life
3. Travel around the world

I Sat Belonely

2006-08-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

I Sat Belonely
By John Lennon

I sat belonely down a tree,
humbled fat and small.
A little lady sing to me
I couldn't see at all.

I'm looking up and at the sky,
to find such wonderous voice.
Puzzly, puzzle, wonder why,
I hear but I have no choice.

'Speak up, come forth, you ravel me',
I potty menthol shout.
'I know you hiddy by this tree'.
But still she won't come out.

Such sofly singing lulled me sleep,
an hour or two or so
I wakeny slow and took a peep
and still no lady show.

Then suddy on a little twig
I thought I see a sight,
A tiny little tiny pig,
that sing with all it's might

'I thought you were a lady',
I giggle, - well I may,
To my surprise the lady,
got up - and flew away.

Buenvenidos a Miami

2006-08-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

I have begun to realize that I haven't been taking this blog seriously enough in the past few months. I was off to a great start. I was posting blogs every other day giving you all up to the minute news breaks on my life... now the information has slowed to a drip once every other week.

Let me start with how I have gone well past my expiration date for leaving Columbia. It has been so easy to stay in this cozy little town; however, I have found that its coziness has worn thin. I have become the person who loathes the end of summertime because that means traffic picks up (By that I mean I have to wait behind 4 cars while on my 5 minute commute to work in the morning). I think I am this antsy because it seems a majority of my friends have moved. Ok, don't get me wrong, I like some things about Columbia. I like my job; I have great co-workers and an excellent boss. I think my brain is just starved for more information.

This brings me to topic of law school. I have put this on hold for long enough and its time that I actually go. I have been out in the real world long enough to know that its time I invest more in my future than just a bachelors degree.It looks like the number one destination for my JD program is Miami. My boyfriend, Nick, has family in Miami and plans to come with me. I personally fell in love with the city during spring break of '03. It just seems like Miami is calling out to me.

F*CK Bees

2006-08-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Teen crashes into tree full of bees

Thu Aug 3, 9:40 AM ET

OSSIAN, Ind. - A teenage driver crashed into a hollow tree and stirred up tens of thousands of angry honey bees, creating a swarm that sent her and nine others to the hospital.

"Those bees were mad," said Volunteer Fire Chief Kent Gilbert, who was stung at least 50 times while trying to pull the 16-year-old driver from the wreckage. "I've never seen bees, especially honeybees, attack like that."

Jacqueline Cossairt's SUV slammed into the tree Tuesday after she lost control on a gravel road about 10 miles south of Fort Wayne.

By the time rescuers arrived, a black cloud of buzzing insects had engulfed the car, forcing firefighters to wear full safety gear — complete with oxygen tanks and face masks — with temperatures in the 90s.

Safety workers doused the bees with water and foam while they tried to free Cossairt, who was taken to a nearby hospital with broken legs and multiple bee stings. She was remained at Lutheran Hospital on Thursday.

A neighbor, along with a paramedic and seven firefighters, were also hospitalized for bee stings and heat-related symptoms.

"You can't really train for that. You don't really know. You look for downed power lines. You don't look for a million bees," said Master Trooper Bob Brophy, commander of the Indiana State Police's Fort Wayne post.

Bee expert Stan Grove, a biology professor at Goshen College, said the insects are most active in warm weather when they furiously fan their wings to cool the temperature of the hive.

"They don't like to be jostled," Grove said.

This Thursday is off to a Grrreat start!

2006-08-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

I don't dive into a soda in the morning until about 10 o'clock. I like to think that any earlier is a bad idea... anyway, today I decided it would be a nice day for a "FT" as Neil called it. (For those of you out of the loop that stands for Field Trip) These little FT's help make the days go by faster. My favorite place to go is the "no gas" which is this small quick-e-mart that has no gas, hence, "no gas".

The excursion began as a need for the caffeine... in the store I grabbed my coke, cheez-its, and Milky Way and then proceeded to the cash register. My friend Dave came along on the journey because, Columbia is a hot bed for bum conventions. I always get the "You are looking hot today" or classic "hey baby" whenever I head to the No Gas therefore, company is always a must.

In line I notice another guy up at the counter waiting. He is going through a purse and then looks at me. He then says "You must not be from Missouri." To which I responded with the fact that I, indeed, am from Missouri. He exclaims "I am from New York and into fashion. You know that anyone who wears all black knows what is going on." I just said thank you and he continued with "And you are of model height just like me!" the on his way out said "oh there is a piece of lent on your sweater." pulls off the lint then exclaims, "I just want to keep you looking picture perfect!"

I have to say this was my first experience with a drag queen sans drag. I had been wondering why he had a purse... very fashionable indeed.

So, I just got back from lunch and I have to say the new Chinese Buffet is AWESOME! They had these little fried triangles of tasty goodness called "Battered and Fried Mac n Cheese". I think they were sent down from heaven to bless us one and all. They were quite the taste sensation!

How the west was won

2006-07-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

well, i realize that i have neglected this here blog for quite some time. yes, i realize that simply posting a Sifl and Olly clip doesn't count as "updating" my blog. These last couple of months have been going by super fast. I have moved into a new apartment which, this reminds me that i need to take some pictures of how beautiful it is. I have been on a most excellent float trip with the ol' thursday night dinner crew (sans Neil). After tonight i will have gone to 2 weddings this summer. I have been to Addison's hmmm countless times.

Anyway, i think i will start with the move. I know everyone agrees with me on the excitement surrounding a move. All i could think about for weeks was how i just couldn't wait to be moved in... this of course with out all of the heavy lifting and actually well, moving. I hate packing stuff up. I also hate cleaning up after the years worth of filth that had hidden itself under random places that only Martha Stewart would know to clean. I being a lazy person decided that spending $70 to have a wonderful lady clean my portion of the crappy townhouse, was the best idea for that situation. At any rate i have been moved in for about 3 or 4 weeks... and i still have boxes that need to be unpacked.

Float trip. I think that everyone has been on one this summer. The weekend couldn't have been more perfect. I didn't get a burn. I did get super drunk on friday and was too hungover to drink on the river saturday (damnit!). I have to say some of the best quotes came from that trip... one in particular makes me crack a little smile every time i think about the quick wit of Chris Duncan.

While all applying sunscreen for the days adventures Mike says something along the lines of, "I figure why not just drink the stuff. You are what you eat, right?"

Chris- "Then when did you eat a wig"

(insert drum beat here)

The weddings i have attended have been glorious. Tonight my boss' daughter is going to be getting married. I think its going to be amazing. I love learning about the traditions of other cultures and religions. For those of you out of the loop my boss is Muslim and is from Iraq. Many of his family members will be flying over to see Maice marry this weekend. I have no doubt in my mind that it is going to be a night that i will never forget.

Well, i think that is enough catching up for the moment. If you don't already know I am still happily with Nick. Our relationship is one of the greatest things i have been privileged to be apart of. He said it best last night, "There hasn't been a day in these 6 months that i haven't been glad to know you."

Sifl and Olly

2006-07-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Oh how i have missed them. Thank you to YouTube for allowing me to gaze the glory of Sifl and Olly once again.

Rested and Akansasized

2006-05-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it has been a while since I have posted on this here blog. So, here is how my 4 day Memorial Day weekend went. First of all let me preface this with, I have been with a wonderful man (Nick) for enough time to where he has decided I must meet his mother. I have heard many wonderful stories about her so, the idea of meeting the woman who raised such a terrific individual made me nervous. Any who, I took the day off on Friday and we (Nick and I) drove down to Camp, Arkansas. This is about 14 miles southwest of Mammoth Spring.

I have to say Nick's mother is so incredibly sweet and welcoming. I felt like I was a member of the family from the moment I walked up. Never once was there an awkward moment. The night we arrived there had been a storm so power was knocked out. We just sat on the porch for a good hour or so and chatted. At one point Nick and I left to go drop off some food to the BBQ planned for Sunday. I met some of his aunts, uncles and his grandma. The night was finished out with his mom and I chatting at the dinner table. The comfortable laid back atmosphere reminded me of the talks I have with my grandmother. It was just perfect.

Day 2, we went to the Walmarts (that’s what Nick's mom calls it. its really cute to hear it with her slight southern drawl). Nick had to buy some stuff to set up his mom's computer. On Sunday we had the big family reunion BBQ. Tons of kids running around. I met so many people and heard so many little secrets about family members that I think my brain is still trying to process everything.

Ok, well, I think I’m going to cut off the details because they might seem boring to you. All in all it was a great weekend. I had a relaxing time and cannot wait to spend more time with his family in the future.

Longest week ever

2006-05-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

So far this week has been going by at a slugs pace. I sit here at my computer looking up mindless things on wikipedia. Here are some examples:

I read the whole history of the TV Soap Opera "Another World" since the series ended they have all of the major plot details. So, its just like i watched the whole series! (Yes, this was very exciting)

I moved on from TV shows after finding out that the house that Lorelai Gilmore lives in on the show Gilmore Girls was originally Uncle Jesse's from The Duke of Hazzard. That and i accidentally read what is going to happen on the very FINAL episode of Charmed. (if you want to know just seach Charmed no Wikipedia)

The next thing i figured out is that you can just enter in a date and it will have a couple of lists that you can look at; important events, births, deaths, and holidays. Here are some from September 18:
in the year 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is stabbed to death.
1970 - Jimi Hendrix dies of a sleeping pill overdose.
1990 - 500 lb Hershey's Kiss is displayed at Times Square.
As for births... i only share with one cool person Lance Armstrong (i'm sure there are other cool ones... i just don't feel like mentioning them)

The best part about my birthday is its Chile's Independence Day: The 18th, or "dieciocho," is celebrated during a week full of fiestas patrias. This includes parades, dances, drinking, eating traditional Chilean food, and music.

So, you can guess what i plan to do on my birthday this year... Chilian Party!!!!

Cruises

2006-05-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, so, I’m fully going to admit right now that I’m super jealous of my friends who have recently gone on cruises. Sally went on one to Belize, Cozumel, and Honduras. Tim and Bree went to the Bahamas and tons of other cool places. This on top of the Key West Real World is making me long for a vacation to a tropical oasis. Seriously, I look at the pics Bree and Tim took and I just want to jump into the pictures.

Personally I want to go to Jamaica. I saw a special on Jamaica on the Travel Channel. It looks fricken amazing. I've been looking into it and flights to Miami from StL are only $165 round trip and the cruise is only $319 (for 5 nights). This is all in September... I would think of it as a birthday gift to myself.

Nothing too exciting has gone on for me in these last weeks. Today was my first dining experience at Ryan's Steakhouse/buffet. Let's just say it’s safe to say that I will not be going there very often. Or maybe next time I will bring a fierce appetite. Ok, so I do have something exciting to report today is apparently Star Wars Day! Get excited people... ohh and on that note they are releasing the original versions of the first 3 (actually 4, 5, and 6) on DVD. By this i mean the ones that don't have stupid scenes of a young Jabba the Hut and bad music. I know i'm elated.

Yeah, i'm bored... again

2006-04-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

1. You have 10 bucks and need to buy snacks at a gas station, what do you get?
Twizzlers, Cheez-Its, and a Coke... anything left over i would buy something for the other people in the car like gum.

2. If you had to be reincarnated as some sort of sea dwelling creature,what would you be?
some kind of a whale... a grey whale perhaps? i couldn't be a killer whale those things eat sea lions and what not.

3. Who's your favorite redhead?
hmmm my roommate Justin Gilmore

4. What do you order when you're at a pancake house?
hmm usually 2 eggs scrambled, 2 sausage patties, hashbrowns, and a short stack(which, i only eat like 3 bites of)... oh and toast. i like food.

5. Last book you read?
hmmm i am currently reading Cloud Atlas... that last book i read and finished... was a long time ago and i don't remember the name

6. Have you made out with anyone on your friend's list?
mayhaps

7. Describe your favorite pair of underwear.
a pair that doesn't wedge itself into places it shouldn't be. oh, and that are also pretty.

8. Describe the last time you were injured.
hmm i dunno. i don't get hurt too often... My nose hurts right now because of allergies.

9. Of all your friends, who wouldn't you want to be stuck in the middle of
a jungle with?
Sally Sutter, i'm not sure that she has the survival skills... that and i think she would get a little freaked out. which, would only manage to make the situation more stressful haha.

10. Are there any odd things that make you feel uncomfortable?
the bums that hang out behind the "no gas" station... they drink tall boy Camos at 9 in the morning.

11. Tell me a weird story from your high school years.
hmm i used to wear clothing so baggy that you couldn't see any sort of figure whatsoever

12. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?
Faurot Field (MU's Football stadium) on Homecoming '05.

13. Favorite Soda?
currently i am addicted to Pepsi... a month ago it was Sunkist... next month who knows

14. Flavor of pudding?
chocolate. only if it is in a snack pak!

15. What are you wearing right now?
a light blue, black, and white striped collared button down fitted shirt, a white camisole, and black editor pants.... oh and some crappy brokeass black shoes... (i need a new pair)

16. Prescription medication?
hmm just the all important pill. the one refered to as "The Pill".

17. If you could use only one form of transportation for the rest of your
life, what would it be?
first thing that came to mind was a jet ski... but i don't live near any water(maybe when i move to Venice). So, i pick Winnebago. I would always have my little apartment riding along with me haha.

18. How many people are on your friends list?
Hmm well this survey was meant for MySpace... on that list i have 87 friends

19. How many people on your list do you know in real life?
a majority... with a few exclusions. Lisa Loeb, Dane Cook, and Jack Johnson all come over for dinner on a regular basis

21. Most recent movie you watched?
From start to finish "Happy Accidents" (i only fell asleep for like 5 min a new Record!)

22. Name 3 things you have on you at all times?
phone. necklace. ID

23. Would you rather give or receive a foot massage?
I really don't like to have my feet touched... or touch feet. so, neither.

24. Name a teacher you had the hots for?
hmm i forget his name he was my senior year science teacher... Coach Gooch

25. What is a saying that you use a lot?
"No worries" (which, i completely stole from Hula), "Lovey!"(i stole that from Hula and Mert... i swear i'm original sometimes), "And how!" (another Hula-ism that i have picked up on) now i find myself wondering if i have anything i say that i haven't plagerized

26. How many people on your friends list are exes?
0

27. What is your favorite part of the chicken?
Breast, please

28. What's your favorite town?
CoMo

29. Favorite kind of cake?
yellow.

30. What's the first word that comes to mind right now?
blarg! is that a word?

31. When was the last time you saw your mom in person?
ohhh its been weeks.

32. What makes you feel like puking?
the idea of puking

33. Do u think they should continue to make pennies?
i kind of hate pennies... they are rather worthless

34. What did you have for dinner LAST NIGHT?
Spaghetti (i made the sauce from scratch and it was better than the damn crap in bottles!) and garlic bread(only cost me 50 cents for the loaf. i just slathered it with my own butter and garlic. it was damn tasty)

36. Is Tom on your friends list?
umm hes the myspace guy. hes not my blogspace guy. i did keep him as my friend on myspace tho.

37. What's the last thing you said out loud?
"don't tell the postman" i said it to a coworker who i let read another coworkers magazine.

38. Look to your left, what do you see?
a wall with a thermostat

39. What is the last thing/person you spent over $100 on?
when i paid the feds for my taxes.

40. Who's your favorite villain?
Dr Doom

41. What's the last piece of clothing you borrowed from someone?
a t-shirt from Nick.

42. What's the last piece of clothing you bought?
A pair of flip flops from the Shoe Box. They are going out of business :(

43. What word or phrase makes you laugh no matter where, when or how?
hmm that is super hard. adding "your mom" after things or "in my pants"... i am rather childish... or the word "tinkle" hehe

44. What website do you visit the most during the day?
myspace i suppose... or cnn

45. Go into your text message log on your phone, what is the last text?
"of course" i know pretty boring... but it answered my question

hula

2006-04-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Neil is leaving! NOOOOOOOOOOooo

2006-04-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, so, my friend and roommate Neil will be leaving COMO for good on thursday. He will make the great adventure out to.... Washington DC! Lucky bastard. Well, for his last weekend our friends Chris and Sara came out to wish him a fond farewell. We celebrated in the best way possible... pitchers of margaritas, beer at flat branch, $2 pints at Addison's, and fake make out pictures (yes, beware). Alas, without further adu... i bring you... Pictures from Neil's Last Friday (in como)

My Super Fun Weekend In KCMO

2006-04-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

So, i didn't take any pictures on friday because i think i fell asleep... a few times (not Carolyn's pictures)... I did get around to lifting the camera on Saturday. Check 'em Out I have a video that Carolyn shot. I plan to post that soon too. Until then this is Wendy Brasses signing off.

Finally, I put pictures online from NYE

2006-03-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

I know what you are thinking... could she be any lazier? Well, the answer is yes, just so you know. This morning while getting ready i finally put the pictures of my trip to Chicago with Carolyn from New Years Eve up on shutterfly.. I have also included my pictures from the other weekend when i traveled up to Chicago to visit the wonderful and amaizing Kim Hula. So, enjoy Chicago Trip Pictures

Armless speedster shocks New Zealand police

2006-03-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

Fri Mar 24, 5:33 AM ET

WELLINGTON (AFP) - A New Zealand police officer could not believe his eyes when he found the motorist he stopped for speeding at 121 kilometres per hour (75 mph) had no arms.

The 32-year-old disabled driver was using one foot to steer and the other to operate the pedals when he was stopped in the Bay of Plenty on the west coast of the North Island.

He told the shocked police officer he was born with no arms and he had never held a driver's licence.

Acting Senior Sergeant Deidre Lackfor said she had spoken to several officers with lengthy careers and none had heard of anything remotely like it.

She said she had nothing against people with disabilities driving but "obviously driving at a speed like that, arms or not, you're just waiting for an accident".

The 32-year-old was fined 170 New Zealand dollars (103 US) and barred from driving.

Enough said

2006-03-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

You scored as Peter Pan.
Your alter ego is Peter Pan. You are a child at heart. Anything you believe is possible, and you never want to grow up.

Sleeping Beauty

69%

Peter Pan

69%

Goofy

69%

The Beast

63%

Ariel

63%

Cinderella

50%

Cruella De Ville

50%

Donald Duck

38%

Pinocchio

38%

Snow White

25%

St. Patrick wasn't even Irish! He was SCOTTISH (possibly)!

2006-03-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I'm almost half Scottish! "It it's not Scottish its CRAP!"
To quote Trainspotting "It's SHITE being Scottish! We're the lowest of the low. The scum of the fucking Earth! The most wretched miserable servile pathetic trash that was ever shat on civilization. Some people hate the English. I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. Can't even find a decent culture to get colonized by. We're ruled by effete assholes. It's a shite state of affairs to be in, Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won't make any fucking difference!"

I on the other had think its pretty damn nice to be Scottish. Horray for the Keltic! I'm going to be in Chicago for the big St.Patty's event (though i hear most of the parties went down last weekend). So, expect many pictures of the wonderful weekend.

Here is a little backgroud on St. Patrick:
Historical sources report that Saint Patrick was not even Irish! He was born around 373 A.D. in either Scotland or in Roman Britain (the Romans left Britain in 410 A.D.). His real name is believed to have been Maewyn Succat, but he changed it to Patrick after he became a priest. At the age of 16, while living in Ireland, he was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery.

During his 6-year captivity, he worked as a shepherd. He found strength in his faith. He finally escaped and made it to France, where he became a priest (and later a bishop).

When he was about 60 years old, St. Patrick traveled back to Ireland to spread the Christian word. He used the green shamrock, which resembles a three-leafed clover, as a metaphor to explain the concept of the Trinity - father, son, and holy spirit. The Irish people embraced him. The old saint died in his beloved Ireland, March 17th, about 460 A.D. The land which once enslaved him, he had set free.

Today, Saint Patrick's Day is a basically a time to wear green and party. The first American celebration of Saint Patrick's Day was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737. As the saying goes, on this day "everybody is Irish!" Over 100 U.S. cities now hold Saint Patrick's Day parades, the largest held in New York City.

Fire at New Housing Complex on Mizzou Campus

2006-03-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Fire at New Housing Complex on Mizzou Campus
Columbia Fire Department is responding to a three alarm fire at the under-construction Southwest Housing Complex on the University of Missouri campus.

Pyramid of Wendy Knowledge.... aka i'm bored at work

2006-03-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

9 lasts

1. cigarette: never
2. beverage: pepsi with my tasty egg sammich i made for breakfast
3. kiss: nick
4. hug: nick
5. movie seen: constantine
6. cd played: 311- Live
7. song listened to: who's go the herb? -311
8. bubble bath: hmm since i lived at 1811
9. time you cried: i think over the weekend... i cry when i laugh

8 have you evers

1. dated one of your best friends: nope
2. skinny dipped: yes, at Finger Lakes
3. kissed somebody and regretted it: yes, thought i try not to have regretts
4. fallen in love: yes
5. lost someone you loved: yes
6. been depressed: unfortunately
7. been drunk and threw up: hmmm yes
8. ran away: when i was little i ran away from home

7 states you've been to'

1. Tennessee
2. Florida
3. California
4. Texas
5. Colorado
6. Wyoming
7. Illinois

6 things you've done today
(starting at midnight)

1. slept
2. woke up and ate a frozen fruit roll up
3. texted Nick
4. drove home
5. made a tasty egg sammich
6. watched charmed while eating egg sammich

5 favorite things in no order

1. movies
2. music
3. dancing
4. shoes
5. friends

4 people you last talked to

1. Dr Ali Hussam
2. Dr Beitman
3. David Jacobs
4. Jen Breedlove

3 wishes

1. i wish i could go home and take a nice long nap
2. i wish i had more money so i could be at home
3. i wish it were the weekend all week long... so no work, lots of fun, and tons of sleep

2 things you forgot today

1. i haven't forgotten anything yet....
2. hmm i forgot to forget something

1 thing you regret

1. I don't regret anything... other than maybe times i was mean where i could have been a little nicer... but, other than that i am a firm believer that things happen for a reason.

monkey

2006-03-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

This is just a cute little monkey to brighten your day. Enjoy!

Long overdue blog?

2006-03-09T08:36:00.000-08:00

I know there are many of you out there wondering how i have been lately (and if you haven't then stop reading because you'll be bored to tears). So, to quote Ferris Bueller, "life moves pretty fast if you don't stop and look around once and a while, you could miss it." I have been taking notice of all the changes going on around me. Friends getting new jobs, moving, and growing up. It makes me realize that while i am young, i am also taking steps towards the future and taking on more responsibilities. Currently i am thinking about where i will be in a year. I know i don't want to stay in Columbia. This town has treated me well and I could make a list of all of the great memories that would go on for miles. I just know its not my permanent home. Maybe i need a job that pays more so i could afford to travel more.

So, a quick update;

I am still working for the university. The job is good. I miss my friends that don't live here anymore (Sally, Danielle, Hula, CJ, CnS, and this is just another endless list). I have some great friends that are still here. A wonderful new boyfriend who makes me feel alive in ways that i have never felt before. So, i really couldn't ask for too much more. Other than as noted above, more money to travel.

Website

2006-03-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

Funny prank website that everyone should go check out... i has kept me entertained at work for about 3 hours now!

Oh NO!

2006-03-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

I totally stole this from my friend Bree's MySpace blog. it was too funny not to. So, props to Bree and the super funny post...

"On August 25th, someone crashed a truck into a brick wall on the campus of The University of Maryland. The gaping hole was covered with a banner until repairs could be made. Fast forward to October 22nd, a prankster who uses the nickname Mystic Pixel and his pals used the opportunity to erect a monument to the all time greatest wall-breaker, The Kool-Aid Man! Unfortunately, the joke was short lived, as over zealous campus security removed the big red guy about 3 hours after it was erected."
-RetroCrush

This makes me wonder if maybe Dane Cook had anything to do with it...

Help My Hula!

2006-02-27T08:13:00.000-08:00

Hey there to all who read this,

My lovely and amazing friend Kim Hula is going to be running in a marathon to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I would greatly appreciate it if you checked out her website and donate some moolah to her fund. You can ask Carolyn if you don't believe me about how fabulous this woman is.

Here the site:

Help My Hula

and if that doesn't work here is the web address: http://www.active.com/donate/tntil/Hularuns

Thanks you all,

Wendy

Carolyn's Drinking Survery

2006-02-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

1. Have you ever been drunk? I am drunk right now... haha no i'm at work but, yes i have been intoxicated
2. How old were you the first time you got drunk? I was 19. Marching Mizzou damn you!
3. Have you ever gotten/given digits while intoxicated? Yes, how do you think i meet all of my boyfriends? haha i like to keep a haram of boys around just in case.
4. Have you ever 'drunk dialed? hehe i recall a good one from Bourbon St. to Carolyn informing her of my intent to get a tatoo... i think i hung up on her... needless to say i forgot about getting the tatoo because i was too drunk to remember the idea of it.
5. Have you ever been drunk in front of family members? Yes, at an engagement party... wow those little drinks with champagne hit me hard.
6. Have you ever had to cover up the fact that you were drunk? Hmm probably
7. Have you ever been arrested for any alcohol related crime? nopers
8. Have you ever hooked up while being drunk? hmmm see question 3
10. When was the last time you were drunk? Yesterday haha.. no its been a while... the last time i can remember off the top of my head was the day before NYE
11. Have you ever been on a drunken binge? Binder 2004! Binder hits New Orleans and leaves not a drop of alcohol behind... i think that was mainly Sally who drank the most. (recalls Sally falling up the stairs while on a Ghost Tour of Bourbon Street... hurricanes)
12. Do you need alcohol to have a good time? Nopers... tho when i drink goodtimes occour... and so do bad times... i'd say its a give and take relationship.
13. What kind of alcohol gets you the most intoxicated? gin
14. Favorite drink? tom collins.... (gin, sour, sprite... and add a lime too if you please)
15. Favorite beer? There was a Strawberry Pilsner that Flat Branch had.. it was heavenly
16. This question was gross so it's deleted from this survey. Consult Cork's survey if you are dying to know what it was.
17. Have you ever swam drunk? yes, finger lakes and gin bucket
18. What kind of a drunk are you? a fun one... with the occasional sobing... and drama too
19. Is alcohol like "truth serum" to you? hmm sometimes.. other times i become a super awesome liar haha
20. Favorite drinking partner('s)? anyone who will buy me drinks haha... just kidding my frineds of course.
21. Favorite bar? The Berg in como. Harry's in KC. McGurks in StL... or i like the Tin Can with Sara!
22. Have you ever completely blacked out? i think so but, i don't remember.
23. Have you ever puked from drinking? yes, and it always sucks.
24. Have you ever been the 'crying drunk? Ungh, yes, i hate it. i hate crying in general.
25. Can you still do physical activities while intoxicated? yes, i am an acrobat when i drink... i dance, swim, play poker...
26. Have you ever gotten into a drunken fight? nope i don't fight
27. Who is the most annoying drunk you know? all of the fratties and soroity chicks i served at the berg.
28. Who is the most flirtatious drunk? Jen Breedlove... NYE she kissed 3 different guys and just rotated them out depending on who she felt like kissing at that moment in time.
31. Have you ever been hit on by someone way older than you? hmm yes. i think its because i have a sweet charm about me (as you read that i bet you laughed)
32. What's the worst 'buzz kill'? Watching your friend puke and have to hold their head out of the toilet.
33. Have you ever dated a bartender or bouncer or cocktail waitress? Yes
34. Do you ever say to yourself, "Damn I need a beer? No, but i have said that i need a tasty alocoholic beverage.
35. Do Strangers ever buy you drinks? yup on occasion... usually when i'm with Carolyn. Shes my g'luck charm ;)
36. Have you ever drank too much on a date? yes, but it was a date right after a hard breakup so i had to drink in order to get through it w/o crying haha... wait was that an inappropriate laugh?
37. Is there anything that you refuse to drink? yes, tequilla shots... i had a bad night with tequilla. we are no longer that good of friends. she is only allowed to enter my body by way of long islands, margaritas, or IV.
38. Have you ever been drunk on a plane? No.
39. Have you ever gotten drunk during the day? Stop day... and other days like Octoberfest, camping trips, and float trips
40. Have you ever had to run from the cops and leave the booze behind? nope. cops love me ;)
41. What's your favorite drinking game(s)? Not really a big fan of the drinking games. I do like asshole. That is only because it reminds me of Uno.
42. Have you ever injured yourself while drunk? I have had random scrapes and bruises appear on their own...
43. What's the most destructive thing that has happened while you were drunk? hmmm i dunno... ask me this some other time.
44. Ever been drunk at a concert? Yup.
45. Funniest thing that happened to you while you were drunk? Neil loosing his car.. that was a classic.
46. What do you do when someone tries to take or takes your drink? They pay dearly... hmm actually i probably would just give them the death stare. its really scary.
47. Have you ever fallen when you were drunk? hmm yes, on the dance floor at DeJa Vu i have fallen many times because its slippery!

Help!

2006-02-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

My friend needs your help:

Ramen ramen ramen...

2006-02-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

So, starting yesterday i will have to live off of ramen until tuesday at midnight. This is not by choice really... it is because as usual i have failed to follow any sort of budget. I really try to plan out a budget in my head... then i see things and i think ehhh why not buy it? So, i do and then i wind up eating ramen for 3 days... why ramen you ask? well, its because i never go shopping for food and happen to own a lifetime supply of chicken flavored ramen. (A life time supply cost me only $5!!!) Think of me when you eat your tasty meals... i'll be dreaming my ramen into pizza, gyros, and steak.

My number one craving is an apple. Fresh fruit hmmm so tasty. I think wednesday i will actually go to the store and purchase items to be eaten at home and work. I can estimate that it would save lots of money... an exact number? who needs those.

Mythbuster.... Valentines Day was it created by Hallmark???

2006-02-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

So, to those of you that are reading this on February 14th, 2006 i wish you a Happy Valentines Day. In 24 years i have only really celebrated one Valentines Day and i don't really consider myself to be that "into" the holiday. Sure the idea is great but i feel that love should be celebrated on a daily basis. I'm not going to go on and on about how i think Valentines Day sucks or anything but, i have heard people refer to it as a Hallmark Holiday. Meaning, it was inventing/created to sell more cards. This is a theory i am going to check into....

Personally i have found that the best place to find information is Wikipedia. You can type in your favorite TV show and it will have a history of it... go ahead type in Day's Of Our Lives, i dare you!

Here is the best reason why Valentines day is around... and on the 14th.

"The association of the middle of February with love and fertility dates to ancient times. In the calendar of Ancient Athens, the period between mid January and mid February was the month of Gamelion, which was dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera.

In Ancient Rome, the day of February 15 was Lupercalia, the festival of Lupercus, the god of fertility, who was represented as half-naked and dressed in goat skins. As part of the purification ritual, the priests of Lupercus would sacrifice goats to the god, and after drinking wine, they would run through the streets of Rome holding pieces of the goat skin above their heads, touching anyone they met. Young women especially would come forth voluntarily for the occasion, in the belief that being so touched would render them fruitful and bring easy childbirth."

I decided that was the better reason for Valentines day than the Catholic idea

"According to the Catholic Encyclopedia (1908), at least three different Saints Valentine, all of them martyrs and all quite obscure, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under the date of February 14:

a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom in the second half of the 3rd century and was buried on the Via Flaminia.
a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) also suffered martyrdom in the second half of the 3rd century and was also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than the priest.
a martyr in North Africa, about whom little else is known.

The connection between St. Valentine and romantic love is not mentioned in any early histories and is regarded by secular historians as purely a matter of legend (see below). The feast of St. Valentine was first declared to be on February 14 by Pope Gelasius I in 496. There is a widespread legend that he created the day to counter the practice held on Lupercalia of young men and women pairing off as lovers by drawing their names out of an urn, but this practice is not attested in any sources from that era."

Pretty amusing stuff... i think still consider Valentines day as a rather fake holiday. I guess its a good excuse to dress up and make someone else feel special and, that really can't be that bad of an idea right?

Spiderman spiderman does whatever a spider can...

2006-02-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man		80%
The Flash		75%
Iron Man		75%
Robin		70%
Wonder Woman		68%
Supergirl		68%
Superman		65%
Green Lantern		60%
Catwoman		55%
Hulk		40%
Batman		30%

You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.

Click here

Yeah, spiderman is pretty cool... i totally have the theme song stuck in my head now (the ramones version of course)

And the award goes to...

2006-01-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

Since its awards season, I have decided to give out a few of my own awards... lets call them the Wendel Awards 2005 edition.

The best movie of 2005: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I know it’s cheesy to say it but, growing up with an older brother I became a closet star wars fan. Ask me just about anything pertaining to Star Wars and I bet I might have the answer... Anyway, I picked it because FINALLY the saga has ended. We all knew what would happen but it was good to just see it played out.

Best Concert of 2005: Marc Broussard w/Will Hoge @ Mojo's- Why? Well, not only did Will Hoge wind up with my car keys (you can ask me about that in person) but Meredith wound up with Marc Broussard serenading her on stage! Great performances and something I will remember for a long time to come...

Best animal of 2005: Penguins win hands down. Not only did they kick ass in the movie March of the Penguins but, when I saw the amazing new exhibit at the St.Louis Zoo I cried. I wish I could have one for a pet... too bad I hate the cold.

Best trip of 2005: Chicago... enough said. I went twice and both times were great.

Best drink of 2005: Tom Collins- I can't get enough of this tasty gin treat.

Best meal of 2005: #12 Beach Club from Jimmy John's- This was a close one because Osaka has this great Sobo that they make... the only reason why the #12 won is because I am always in the mood to eat it. *hmmmm getting very hungry for one right now*

Best TV Show of 2005: Law and Order SVU- because I love the reruns. It’s always interesting and I can easily fall asleep to it if I’m tired. (A close second would be the Best Week Ever)

Best Happy Hour of 2005: Addison's $2 pints... oh, and they have 1/2 price appetizers.

Most Interesting New Person I Met in 2005: Andre` takes this award hands down. Halloween was a crazy awesome party and the Boulevard Brewery tour... enough said.

Best Sports Moment of 2005: No, it wasn't eating lunch next to Tony Gonzales... it was the amazing home run by Albert Pujols. He hit a three-run home run in Game 5 against Houston Astros with two outs in the ninth inning Monday, Oct. 17, to put the Cardinals up by one run after being just two strikes away from having their season end.

Lastly but not leastly....
Best new pet: Sophie won this by a landslide.

Well, this post is getting a bit long... And so ends the 2005 Wendel Awards.

Thursday Makeover

2006-01-27T10:32:00.000-08:00

So, i got a hair cut yesterday. The results were great... though its back to curly. I decided to post the only picture taken of the transformation that rocked columbia like a Twisted Sister concert.

Stupid Headache

2006-01-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

So, i've had this damn headache for going on day 3... ungh. its easily the worst relationship i've been in to date. It just won't go away. It lingers there. Hiding in the depths... 3 Ibuprofen haven't done squat.

Monday Nite Fun Nite

2006-01-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

So, usually mondays are super boring evenings... nothing much going on except leftover laundry from sunday. Well, this monday said "Nay! nothing boring tonight!" I actually had some plans. I went and saw Hoodwinked with my little sister Minjon. We were 2 of the 4 people in the theater and since she is 12 we had to sit in the very first row. What is the deal with that anyway? i remember when i was a kid i thought the front row was great too... now maybe since i wear contacts that magnify everything i want to sit further back? Preferably the last row where no one will kick my chair.... which, i might add, i ALWAYS get the kid/person who kicks my damn chair!

Well, the night was still young... so, i went and saw another movie later on in the evening. Bud, Sally, Neil, Jill, DJ, and I went and saw Narnia. I was stuck with the tub of popcorn on my lap sitting between Bud and Neil. The whole time there were plenty of sexual innuendos throughout the movie... wet beaver... who would have thought a kids movie could be so perverted... oh wait did i mention i was sitting next to Bud hehe ;)

McGurks on a Friday

2006-01-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

I jumped into this weekend with out any expectations. Well, i had one and it was just to sit back and enjoy the ride...

I made it into StL by 8 pm and had dinner at my parents house. I have to say something I don't miss is my mom's cooking. She tries but, i'd rather cook up something myself or, go get some White Castle(yum).

By 9 i was already feeling the need to get the heck outta the house. I went by and picked up Sally Sutter then headed to South City to meet up with Chris and Sara. The just adopted a super sweet and friendly kitty named Hobbes. Which, i have to say is an awsome name. We drank a few beers then headed out to McGurks in Soulard.

Beers were on the expensive side ($5 a pint) but i believe we were paying for the live entertainment. Apparently every friday they have live traditional Irish musicians playing. The best part was Sally was pondering wether or not she should get up and dance... with a little alcohol incentive (a Baby Guinness Shot- Kalua and Baileys) she jumped up and started to dance. Within 45 seconds the musicans stopped playing and asked everyone to leave the dance floor to give the "short blonde girl" some room.

Sally was fricken awsome out there dancing up a storm. She had a quite a few fans approach her... and about 10 min after she danced the band called her back out on the floor "hey, girl who can dance come back out here and dance some more"... i was very impressed. Especially since she danced in 3 inch heels!

Hmm for lack of anything good to post...

2006-01-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

I have decided to type about something that was really stupid that happened this weekend...

This story begins on Saturday night. Or, as i fondly refer to it, Shatterday Nite. This is when i go out to Shattered and live it up 80's style. I met up with some people at the 'berg for some pre-80's dancing beverages... tasty as always

Then i danced the night away at Shattered. Which, is always a fabulous time.

I drove home... layed down on the couch and munched on some Cheetoes while i awaited the return of Neil so we could go hit up some late night Jimmy John's.

Well, unfortunatley jj was closed... and all the other people with us decided to just go home.

Neil and i proceeded forward in the search of food... which, at 3 in the AM, left us with only one horrible choice... McDonalds! I love the medium #1 (that's the Big Mac for all of youz who aren't down with the numerical McD's system)!

The next morning i woke up at 8AM. (damn you internal alarm clock! DAMN YOUZ) Decided that the TV in my room wasn't big enough... so i went downstairs...

How annoying is it when you can't find the remote? I realize that it is completely lazy of me... but i am a channel flipper... i never leave it on one channel for more than 5 min... i hate commercials... and i tend to flip channels so often that i forget what i was originally watching. So, the loss of the remote ruined my morning!

Then, i decided i was hungry.. Nothing sounded appealing... i looked over and saw the bag of Cheetos... dare i? hmm, Cheetos at 8am is acceptable right? They are apart of the 4 food groups... So, i reach in the bag to grab some tasty crunchy cheesy goodness... and what is in the bag like the special prize in the bottom of a cereal box????? THE REMOTE!

Yeah, that was really long winded... and probably just wasted a good 3 min of your day... which was worth what $5? I owe you.

New Years Chicago Style

2006-01-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, five days later and here i am back on the blogger. Not much has happened... oh wait, i went to someplace outside of CoMo!

Chicago... fun, excitement, booze, cabs, and best of all good friends.

I will expand on those thoughts in person of course (even if you don't ask i will probably tell you anyway). I might throw down some pictures of the weekend. Right now, i'm just relaxing at work.

Yes, so my addiction to Band of Brothers has continued. I am reading the book and i rented some of the dvds... of which, i highly recommend both.

So, i guess i should do the same thing everyone else is and let you know what my resolution(s) is/are...

My first, is to actually start something called a budget. I have heard that i could save a lot of money by switching to geico... or i could just not keep wasting it on stupid things like jewelry out of gum ball machines... at any rate a budget is going to be established and then broken by the end of the month.

The second, is i will try and be more healthy... i think this means i will try to not eat out as much... and maybe try that other mystical thing known as exercise.

Third, will be to actually try and follow through with my two (fairly easy) resolutions.

To Addison's and Beyond!

2005-12-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

Last night marked the return of Jenni Dold to CoMo. It was quite the adventure... not really, but, if i don't say something like that at the beginning of a post you might not keep reading. So, I have decided i really do hate shopping. Even more so i hate shopping for dresses. *ungh* I had this picture in my head about New Years Eve... and there is this kick ass dress... then i realized last night i already own it. So, i'm going to just wear it haha. Much better than having to find one at the last minute on Michigan Ave.

Yes, so Addison's. I personally love Addison's. Tasty food and $2 pints of beer are enough to make a broke person like me frolic with glee up to the bar. The have 2 Below on tap for the holiday season. Which, is a New Belgium product. I do like how their website describes it as "it helps take your winter from bearable to downright delightful." Hmm makes me want to go drink so hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps. Oh yeah and i didn't even try the 2 Below but it sounds fantastico! Or maybe i am wrong and everyone should go out and try a super tasty Nutcracker Ale... which, i haven't tried either. But, according to sources it is a far more superior beverage.

Tonight i leave work and go directly to CJ's apartment. Where we will go off and play on a KC Wednesday night. Then we have to get up and leave at 5:30 in the AM to fly to Chicago! Seeing as how i have a digital camera now i promise to take lots of pictures...

Back in the day...

2005-12-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

I found this picture on a friends photo site. This was taken my Junior year of college. Back when i was younger.... and much more innocent hehe. Just look in at my face. Awwwh so special.

2 days and counting...

2005-12-27T07:27:00.000-08:00

Just 2 Days remain until CJ and i make our trip to chicago... i shake with anticipation

Lets begin with the fun and follies of christmas weekend, shall we. I left early from work on friday because i felt like hell. Maybe not hell... but pretty darn close. I had that damn sore throat thing going on and i was feeling very sleepy. So, since i was one of the 5 people who showed up to work (out of 22) i decided to make an executive decision and go home and sleep. I took a 2-3 hours nap then got on the road to StLmo. Yeah, i drove straight to my brother Sam's place. We still had all of our christmas shopping to do.

My bother now has me hooked on watching that HBO series Band of Brothers. For those of you that haven't watched it, its frickin' great. I dunno maybe i'm just a nerd who enjoys to watch the history channel every now and then but, Tom Hanks really did something terriffic. I'm almost contemplating the purchase of said mini series. Its rather 'spensive though... its $90 at best buy (where i got a gift certificate for christmas) but only $60 at Walmart(which, i hate going there as much as Dane Cook hates going to the DMV. ungh. the Kroenke's live here in columbia too so, i might as well go knock on their door and hand them my money directly. hell all i have to do is walk upstairs in my officebuilding and there is the kroenke group. they are everywhere.)

Oh, so for the merryment of chrismas i got to witness the ol' Brasses family temper in full force. My dad managed to loose his cool and pull a U-turn in the middle of an intersection doing about 30+ miles per hour. He spun the back end around like a pro... or maybe he just watched too many Dukes Of Hazzard episodes reciently. At any rate, it was amusing to watch him take some 90 degree turns at 40+ MPH all while yelling obcenities.... if you want to know what little thing made him angry you can just ask me in person. its nothing too big.

My Christmas List:
Digital Camera
Money (yay)
Gift Certificates
Fuzzy Robe
Carry on Luggage
Earrings

Super Pumped

2005-12-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

Another day at work. So, what do i do you ask? Nothing. I am on here blogging to you. What could be better? Nothing. I am reaching out through the wild world of webspace to touch all of you via mind power... i don't think that made much sense. Anyway, the best part of my day so far has been that when i got to my desk there was a can of Sunkist Orange Soda sitting there. It was smiling, waiting for my arrival. (For those of you that don't know, Sunkist is currently my favorite soda) I think it was an early Christmas gift from a coworker...

The great orange soda debate comes up at least once a day. Chike thinks that Tropicana has the best orange soda. I like to think that Sunkist is perfection in a can/bottle because not only is it an Orange soda but it contains CAFFEINE. There was another person who told me Fanta was the best... I drank some Orange Fanta last night at the movie theater. Nay! Its no where near as tasty as sunkist.

So, as i sip my tasty beverage i type this blog... Its an any time of the day soda. I drink it for breakfast when i am running late. I like to think of it as my super power potion. It makes me peppy and alert for work.

I LOVE YOU SUNKIST!

The only thing that would make this picture better is if the guy were hugging the blow up can... or better yet is if it were me hugging the can. *sigh* only in dreams... great now i have the weezer song stuck in my head:

Only in dreams
We see what is means
Reach out our hands
Hold on to hers
But when we wake
It's all been erased
And so it seems
Only in dreams

You've got to admit that Weezer Blue album was pretty catchy...

Drunk Santa

2005-12-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

So, not only are many children terrified of Santa like this young girl in the picture, now Santarchy is giving them a reason to be scared. Here is a great article

Crazy Drunk Santas on a RAMPAGE!

Or you can just skip that and go to

Santarchy