This Little Life of Mine

Rain, Rain, You Can Stay!

2012-01-26T22:49:00.001-05:00

How fun are these beauties? LOVE my new rain boots! I'll admit, I was a bit bummed when they arrived on a sunny day but today they proved quite useful...rainy the whoooole day and it just so happened I had to head out after work for a few errands and time with Rubab Khala and the fam. The boots kept me all dry and cozy and rather fashionable if I do say so myself!

Pass...Fail

2012-01-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

The good news is that I passed my PMP exam! I honestly didn't think I'd passed it but I'm oh-so-thankful that the test was computer-based and my results were available within 3 minutes. VERY tense three minutes, though, let me tell ya!

The bad news is that I miserably failed at dinner prep tonight. Preeeetty bad. I made a roasted chicken which was encrusted in Tikka seasonings and that part was delicious. But I tried to make an Indian side dish - Aloo Matar (Potatoes/Peas) - without having the common sense to call my mother-in-law for instructions. I turned to the internet and that was mistake #1. The fact that I continued on and put the results in my mouth was mistake #2. Blech. The problem with having a mother-in-law who is a fabulous cook is that I the bar is so high I can't even see it. Same with my own mom, actually, just a different cuisine specialty. I fair a little better with American favorites, but I learned my lesson tonight when it comes to Indian food...if my mother-in-law didn't tell me how to make it...don't even try!

Random tidbit from earlier today: I spent some time chatting with my 8-year-old niece today. While we were talking, I accidentally muted my phone. When Ophelia stopped hearing me speak, she said, "Hello? Aunt Karen? You there? Helloooo...earth to Aunt Karen!" LOL! Looove her!

Study Buddy

2012-01-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

Tonight was another rousing evening of formulas, vocabulary, convoluted concepts and trick questions. In other words, studying for the PMP! How exciting, no?! Right answer = no.

Well, I'm nerdy excited to pass but the process of readying myself for that is just not the most fun thing I've ever done.

Knuckles agrees and at one point thought a good ol' tug-o-war would be a much better use of my time. I mean, he didn't use those words exactly but based on his strategic placement of the toy and the look on his face (never breaking his concentration even while I fumbled to take the picture), I think it's safe to say he's pretty much over this PMP thing.

Thank you, MLK Jr.

2012-01-16T22:35:00.001-05:00

In addition to the really fabulous stuff that MLK Jr. did for civil rights, I'm also pretty thankful that his birthday was declared a national holiday. Even though my company doesn't grant us the day off, a lot of our customers did have today off and the trickle-down effect meant a manageable Monday for me...practically a miracle.

I know, I know - I should dread tomorrow as a result but I'll let tomorrow deal with itself.

Instead, I was able to quit working at a reasonable-ish time tonight, spend time studying for the PMP exam, make/eat dinner, host a quick call with some folks in the Asia-Pacific region at 8pm, then study some more.

My PMP exam is scheduled for this Friday at 8am. Eeks. Right now I'm testing out well enough on practice quizzes/tests but I don't feel entirely comfortable with some of the information so I have a lot of work ahead of me this week. I'm bound and determined to sign my emails with those three little letters at the end of my name, though, so I'll git 'er done.

For those of you wondering what PMP is, it's a secret club invented by Project Managers and the rest of us are jealous and trying to gain access by memorizing the secret password. Okay, so really it's a globally-recognized, professional certification for Project Management and it requires knowledge of a vast amount of information, specialized terms and ideas.

Therefore, I'll be spending a LOT of time studying this week and very little time having fun...but it'll be worth it!

Blow Out

2012-01-15T22:48:00.003-05:00

Last night we went to Rubab Khala's house for dinner (yummy Indian food!) and while we were gone, we put Knuckles in his kennel. He tends to make snacks of our baseboards and window sills when left to roam so it seemed like a good idea.

Until we got home, that was.

Apparently, feeding him just before we ushered him into the kennel was a rotten idea. Smelly rotten. I'll leave the rest to your imagination but suffice it to say I feel awful that the poor little buddy had to suffer through it.

I am also unendingly thankful I have a wonderful husband who took care of the worst of it and for parents who had installed a handheld sprayer in one of our showers so Knucks could get all cleaned up in mere minutes.

Other than that incident, life has been pretty peaceful around here. We're scoping out vacation spots for February...any good ideas? I would love something beachy and warm...

Yummy Sunday

2012-01-08T21:45:00.001-05:00

One of my unofficial efforts for 2012 is to eat at home more and to do so cost-effectively. This recipe could probably be pricey if ingredients weren't on-hand so I'd look for other recipes with common ingredients if you try this one.

I loved it - Aamir thought it was good but not as great as I did (he said the flavors weren't quite bold enough). It's a great savory/sweet combination...and kept the chicken really moist. I'm going to write the recipe the way I made it, and the recipe name is hyperlinked to the original I worked from. I actually doubled the sauce recipe because I super duper love sauces of any kind and because I plan on having this again later in the week while Aamir is gone for work. The recipe below is a single batch.

Double Plum Baked Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup diced shallots

2 teaspoons garlic paste

1/2 cup Riesling

3/4 cup chicken broth (I used fat-free, lower sodium)

1 teaspoon sauce from a can of adobo chili peppers

1 teaspoon hot mustard (Chinese hot mustard)

9 prunes, halved

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup diced green onion

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl.
Add shallots and ginger; sauté 1 minute.
Add wine; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute.
Add broth, chili sauce, and mustard; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 8 minutes).
Stir in plums. Remove from heat.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; swirl.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Add chicken to pan, and sauté for 3 minutes.
Turn chicken over; pour plum mixture over chicken.
Bake at 425° for 6 minutes or until done.
Let chicken stand 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with green onions.

Oh, and after you pull the 425° skillet out of the oven, I do not recommend reaching across it to grab the green onions, thereby laying your wrist directly across the handle of the skillet. *sizzle*. Ouch.

Another recipe I tried this week was thanks to a cookie cookbook given to me recently by one of Aamir's aunties. This is another recipe that could run up your grocery bill if you don't have some of the ingredients on-hand, but if you do - worth making them!

Cranberry Cashew Cookies

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3/4 cup white chocolate chips (I used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips because that's what I had on-hand)

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup coarsely chopped cashews

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt - set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated and brown sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and creamy - about 3 minutes.
On low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended.
With a wooden spoon, fold in chocolate chips, cranberries and cashews.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet - about 2 inches apart.
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 8-12 minutes or until golden.
Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a each to cool completely.

These cookies won rave reviews by Aamir and my friend, Cathy.

Did I mention I need to hit the treadmill in the morning? Yes, clearly I do.

Goals

2012-01-07T21:35:00.002-05:00

Since it's already a week in to the new year, I know I'm a little behind on setting my resolutions. Let's face it, though - I'm not so great at sticking to them. This year, I'm not going to be as structured about it. Sort of flies in the face of having a measurable, attainable resolution but I don't think I particularly stink at anything big in life so I've decided it's okay if I take a less methodical approach.

This year I hope to be more encouraging to others, complain less, create a better work-life balance, blog more, take more pictures, keep to a fairly routine workout schedule, and in general be a little less hard on myself. I also want to be more routine about my devotions and Bible reading, and pursue an opportunity to participate in a short-term mission trip. All very achievable, and I hope that rather than "working hard" to attain them, they'll come naturally as I grow and mature.

That seems like a lot when it's all written down but I think it's just about becoming the person I really want to be...someone compassionate, cheerful, hardworking with time for relaxing and positively involved in the world around me.

Bullet-Point Blogging

2012-01-06T18:29:00.000-05:00

The Mini Cooper dealership in our area makes a fine second office, complete with Keurig. Getting the car serviced isn't so bad after all.
Jigsaw puzzles are best assembled when accompanied by wine and good friends. By "best assembled" I mean "minimally assembled with lots of talking." That just means we'll have to work on it some more together, mmm'k, Cathy?
As opposed to what we recently witnessed at the local Walmart, I have to advise against using a propane torch to defrost your windshield in cooler weather. I suspect there are safer options even if the vehicle's fan isn't working. Like walking.
I was approved to take the PMP exam a few minutes ago, so I'm now quaking in my boots. Slippers, whatever. Jan 20 is the big day.
I'm hungry. Like, really hungry. Who's gonna make dinner?
I'm ready for beach weather. And a massage.

Smash Burger

2012-01-01T20:47:00.001-05:00

Yum! Just tried the Atlanta Burger at Smash Burger - deeelish!!

On it was:
Peach BBQ sauce, Wicked® Pimina cheese, grilled jalapenos and vidalia coleslaw on an egg bun.

Burp.

Close out

2011-12-31T22:47:00.007-05:00

Borrowed this from 70 Piggies to close out the year:

1. what did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?

Went to Hawaii

2. did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will youmake more for next year?

Nope, I sure didn’t, but I’ll always try.

3. did anyone close to you give birth?

A couple new babies in the friend circle and a new nephewmaking plans for a February arrival.

4. did anyone close to you die?

No, thankfully.

5. what countries did you visit?

Just here, actually. Hmmm…that feels something like afailure.

6. what would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in2011?

Humility, patience

7. what date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory,and why?

December 7, surgery. Nothing big, but I know I’ll have towrite that date down whenever I fill out medical forms in the future, so I mightas well remember it.

8. what was your biggest achievement of the year?

Becoming part of a small group at church…one that surprisesme and pleases me with every passing week.

9. what was your biggest failure?

Whenever I gossiped or spoke ill of others.

10. did you suffer illness or injury?

Sprained ankle…strep throat on Christmas.

11. what was the best thing you bought?

The first few gifts for baby Xander (thenephew-in-the-making)

12. whose behavior merited celebration?

My wonderful husband who has loved and even liked methroughout some emotional stuff when my reactions didn’t really earn either.

Calling #13. #13? Ah well, moving on.

14. where did most of your money go?

Oh gosh, I’m sure not the most worthy places it could have.

15. what did you get really, really, really excited about?

Hearing that I have a nephew on the way.

16. what song(s) will always remind you of 2011?

MMmm…I’m sure I’ll forget what year to associate it with,but this year “It Is Well with my Soul” has been on my playlist more than anyother.

17. compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Same.

b) thinner or fatter? Same. Sigh.

c) richer or poorer? Who’s counting?

18. what do you wish you'd done more of?

Building others up. Finding reasons to spread positive wordsabout people who need it.

19. what do you wish you'd done less of?

complaining

20. how will you be spending Christmas?

Spent it on an air mattress in the family room, moaning andgroaning and feeling generally horrible but thankful to have my husband, Momand Dad all with me.

21. where did you begin the year; and where will you end it?

At Rubab Khala’s house watching the ball drop and passingout hugs to the best in-laws evah…ending it at home on the couch with a hankyin-hand. Darn cold.

22. did you fall in love in 2011?

I’m IN love.

23. how many one-night stands?

What kind of question is this? My goodness. None,thank-you-very-much.

24. what was your favorite TV program?

Tough one…I’m addicted to television. It’d be unfair to namejust one. I need better hobbies. Dexter or Private Practice or anything onBravo.

25. do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this timelast year?

Don’t hate…

26. what was the best book you read?

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, andRedemption

27. what was your greatest musical discovery?

Huh? Do people have these? I had not a one.

28. what did you want and get?

Every day spent knowing I’m loved and able to love back.

29. what did you want and not get?

Pregnant.

30. what was your favorite film of this year?

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

31. what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I’m 33 and frankly I don’t care for aging – shallow, buttrue. I believe we went out to dinner on my birthday…sushi, if memory servesand at this age that’s doubtful.

32. what one thing would have made your year immeasurablymore satisfying?

To have been more compassionate.

33. how would you describe your personal fashion concept in2011?

I work from home and my husband is gone all week. We’d belucky to think my fashion extends beyond the pajama realm.

34. what kept you sane?

New challenges waiting to be tackled.

35. which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Jennifer Garner. Could she be more darling? And bake upcuter kids? Cute, cute cute.

36. what political issue stirred you the most?

Pass.

37. who did you miss?

My nieces and family in Texas. I wish I saw them more. Iwant to be the Aunt who picks them up from school unexpectedly or has impromptupizza parties, not the one who webcams, though I’m glad for that, too.

38. who was the best new person you met?

So many!

39. tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:

Moisturizing minimizes wrinkles. Or so I’ve been lead tobelieve.

40. quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Strep

2011-12-26T14:45:00.001-05:00

First time I've had strep in over 20 years. Misery! I can't imagine how whiny and annoying I must've been when I was 8 years old because lemme tell ya - I'm no fun to be around today (not to mention contagious).

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T14:57:00.002-05:00

Remember When?

2011-12-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

Remember when I said I love chocolate-covered cake donuts? Suffice it to say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

In fact, absence makes the heart crave said confections with an affection that rivals that of Homer Simpson.

So recently when my dad said he was coming to visit, what I heard was "donut delivery! at your service!" Like any good daughter, I uttered something like, "yeah, yeah, yeah. Soooo, about the donuts. Don't come if you're not bringing any" or something equally loving and kind.

What kind of donuts do I like again?

Chocolate-covered cake donuts.

For the more visual learners out there...it's this kind:

Okay, so I was genuinely more excited to have my dad coming to visit, but the donuts were a very close second. Maybe tied for first. But I digress...the donuts...

I spent some time in October back home in Michigan and I schooled my dad in the bakery department about the finer points of chocolate-covered cake donuts and the ridiculousness of all other varieties. I knew he was up for the task.

Needless to say, I was waiting at the door when he arrived 12 hours later after a drive through snow, rain and sunshine. Waiting, that is, with my coffee and a napkin. I grabbed the box o' donuts out of his hand and raced for the kitchen to whip open the box and see it in all it's glory...full of my favorites...and here's what I found:

Doh!

Insert tears here. Big ones. With dripping snot.

SERIOUSLY? There's a donut conspiracy. I'm not kidding, I really think there is.

In September I cried (yes, really) and used some wicked profanity when the Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru worker gave me the wrong donuts TWICE (note: I didn't use the profanity at the employee of said failure-of-a-donut-establishment...no, I reserved it for my husband who didn't seem to think the situation was as serious as it clearly was).

And that, my friends, is your feel-lousy blog of the day. No happy ending because no chocolate-covered cake donuts...just chocolate-covered chocolate cake donuts. In an attempt to show an modicum of maturity, I ate them...but I didn't like it.

Jingle, Jingle!

2011-12-20T16:11:00.002-05:00

Evidence

2011-12-15T22:56:00.001-05:00

Attending the on-site training for the PMP this week has turned up significant evidence that I've worked from home for maybe a smidge too long:

- I couldn't find socks to match what I was wearing yesterday so I had chilly ankles all day

- I haven't picked up the dry cleaning recently which means I had exactly one pair of dress slacks to wear this week. Had I picked up the dry cleaning I would have had TWO.

- I spent a significant amount of time planning how many snacks I might need throughout the days; normally I'm mere steps from my kitchen so I graze all day...or at least know I CAN (hungry Karen is not Happy Karen).

- Also strategically planned the intake of caffeine since my Keurig and Diet Coke stash is usually at an army's length.

Off to training - wish me luck! This stuff is hard!!

Getting Smarter

2011-12-13T07:56:00.001-05:00

I'm in training today to prep for the PMP exam. Feels like showing up for the first day of college. I made sure to sit closest to the door - old habits die hard (makes for a quick getaway).

I do still exist

2011-12-11T23:25:00.000-05:00

I really do.

It's just been BUSY. I barely have time to feed myself or exercise acceptable personal hygiene, let alone blog. If it matters, I feel guilty about it. I'm doing my best but this one is going to be a pretty quick list of updates:

I need glasses. I ordered them yesterday and the 5-7 day waiting period couldn't pass soon enough. I had LASIK about 5 years ago but age and long hours in front of the computer override corrective measures so it's time to get bespectacled.

The new job is going reasonably well. There are challenges, I'm trying to rise to meet them.

I'm training this week to take the PMP exam. It's a professional certification that will allow me to put some initials behind my name in my email signature. Oh, and it's pretty cool from a nerdy perspective and I'm excited about how it's going to help shape our team.

I had surgery last week. It was supposed to be for the purpose of removing a cyst on my ovary but as it turns out, it was gone by the time they tore into my flesh. Turns out, though, that prodding into my innards showed a significant issue that could have been a factor in the lack of babies. The doctor was able to fix that and now we pray for babies.

While in surgery, the doctor fixed my nasty-arse belly button. For those of you who don't hang on my every word, see HERE. Short recap...I used to have a cute belly button (I mean, if said body part can be cute) but a previous surgeon butchered it. It appears to be back, but only time will tell. I'll post an updated pic in a few weeks when healing is more complete. Woot.

Last night, my mom's dog - Sadie - was harrumphing at me and nudging me to pet her. She kept at it even after I'd petted her for a good 10 minutes. I finally looked down at her and said, "Sadie! My goodness! What would you do if I harrumphed at you constantly?! *haarruuumph*!" (I mimicked the groaning/moaning/growling harrumph she makes to get attention). What'd she do? Why, she stretched out a paw and petted me. For real.

Knuckles figured out how to unwrap Christmas presents, even those that don't belong to him.

It's bedtime. I'll try to be a better blogger, but realistically it isn't gonna happen this week.

Overdue

2011-11-26T23:03:00.001-05:00

Apparently bed time is overdue around here.

Picture 1...Sadie pacing near the alcove entrance to our bedroom, harrumphing every few minutes to make sure I know she's there and thinks it's time for bed (the door is shut because Other Puppy is naughty when not in direct line of sight with humans).

And photo 2...where I found her after I ignored for a bit:

Excuses, excuses

2011-11-23T22:37:00.001-05:00

I have so many good excuses lined up to explain my poor blogging habits of late. For instance, I feel like we are sprouting dirty clothes from the floor of the laundry room. Bumper crop, as a matter of fact. The dirty dishes seem to reproduce as well. Then there's the holidays...I've got to get busy making Aloo Gobi and Apple Pie (never would have suspect that menu combination would find it's way into the course of my life, but oh so tasty!). Well, okay, I haven't started making any food for the Thanksgiving gathering just yet so that doesn't count.

Ummm, I must have some more. Oh! I had to arrange for the house cleaner to come scrub the house down. Well, that doesn't work either.

The truth? I'm tired. There actually has been some excitement around here but like I said...I've just been too tired to blog about it.

I was recently promoted to Manager of the Business Integration Group (implementation project managers) with InterCall. I'm still wrapping up all of the customers I had been working with as a PM on the team and now also ramping up to fill the new role. It's really exciting - I have so many ideas and ambitions for the new position - but incredibly exhausting right now.

So there...that's why I haven't blogged and why this one isn't getting much in the way of creativity. I'm heading to bed...g'night!

For Hire: Demolition Expert

2011-11-18T00:26:00.001-05:00

In lieu of references, just come by the house (see the expert surveying his work in the first photo):

Mistaken Identity

2011-11-08T23:45:00.000-05:00

I rarely write about work here on the blog, but I think it's safe to say that business is booming for us and that means that I stay very busy. The great thing about working from home is that when things pick up steam, I get to deal with it all in lounge pants and slippers with my doggies snoozing nearby. The sometimes-not-so-great thing about working from home is that I don't often enforce boundaries well and end up working long hours.

About a week and a half ago, a particular project was scheduled to go "live" after consuming most of my waking hours for the last six months. As exciting as it was to look forward to the end of so many long days, I knew I had a long weekend ahead because when projects go live, it typically happens on a Friday night and I work a lot that weekend making sure to close any gaps before the customer's employees start work on Monday.

Because I knew it was bound to be a doozie, I ran out to the store to grab a bottle of wine - I figured I could toast, well, myself for a job well done and get a good night's sleep before pushing through to the finish line on Saturday/Sunday (one glass of wine and it's night-night time for me).

In a mad dash through the store, I grabbed a bottle of wine and a celeb gossip magazine (still haven't read it - figures) and hurried to the checkout.

The cashier, motivated clearly by policy and not my appearance, asked for my I.D. I pawed through my purse and grabbed at my Driver's License, holding it up with one hand while I reached for my debit card with the other.

A second or two passed and then I heard her chuckle. I looked up right as the cashier said with a friendly smirk, "while I agree that no one under 21 shops at Costco, I'm going to need a valid piece of identification."

Luckily, I had my license with me and had simply grabbed the wrong rectangle of plastic so things remained at Situation Funny rather than escalating to Situation Dire Straights if I hadn't been able to go home with wine in-hand.

Interestingly, I don't think I've cracked that bottle open now that I think about it and here we are 10 days later. Cryin' shame.

Bed time!

2011-11-07T22:36:00.000-05:00

Remember when you were a kid and bed time signaled the end of all things good? Man, that is so not the way I see it anymore and apparently neither do the pups. Here they are where I found them waiting to get into the bedroom tonight around 10:15pm. Their doggie beds are on the floor in our room and they were more anxious than me to call it a day (which is saying a lot):

I got up early this morning and stuck true to my goal...I hit the treadmill bright-n-early and worked out as long as I intended. Tomorrow morning I'm going to do treadmill and weights and really get this fitness thing back in gear.

After work today I put up a second shelf in the basement to make more room for speakers and exercise bands and all that fun workout gear. Nice that we're finally pulling it together down there even if it's still an unfinished area. Feels more inviting now that we're adding some organization...if exercising has any potential to be inviting, that is...a point which remains debatable.

Tomorrow night is a night of refreshing...Small Group with the ladies from Watermarke Church. It's been so good to make that a priority over work and chores and all the other stuff that life throws at me. There have definitely been weeks when I had to drag myself out of the house to get there, but I haven't once regretted going.

Later this week Aamir's college buddies descend upon us for their yearly celebration of Aamir's birthday. Oh! and Book Club meets on Thursday...we read "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"...highly recommend!

3rd Quarter Dash

2011-11-06T21:20:00.002-05:00

Well, I totally bombed my resolutions for 2011, but that doesn't mean I can't try to finish strong, right?

Aamir and I fancied up the basement a smidge more today and I'm going to get back into my exercise routine after three solid months of absence. I have no grand excuse for my laziness...just laziness!

We mounted a shelf on the wall, though, and moved the TV up from the floor stand it rested on before. This way, I can easily watch from the treadmill...important to keeping me motivated!

Pardon the horrible quality picture, but here's a view from tonight...

Changes

2011-10-31T20:58:00.002-04:00

I hate running into these little lizards when I'm not expecting them - they always startle me - but I've learned to get relaxation out of spotting them amongst my flowers in the front yard...watching them carry about their day...all from the safety of the front porch, that is. I mean, those little 3" reptiles are skeeery! Are they reptiles? I'm not sure I care enough to look it up. Nope, I don't.

I stepped outside for a few minutes this afternoon and spotted this guy. I couldn't help but like that he tried to pretty up and blend in with a stripe of brownish pink along his back. I tried to get a shot of the same kind of lizard fully changed to brown when he was on the mulch, but I missed that shot.

So...while I'm not a fan of lizards in general, I thought the shot turned out pretty cool:

Afternoon Snooze

2011-10-31T17:07:00.000-04:00

Buzzzz....

2011-10-26T23:10:00.000-04:00

Remember the 500-pound caffeine buzz that never was?

Well, it's baaa-aaack!

I took the dog for a walk today and found this on the front porch when I returned.

I can't lie - my face lit up, particularly because I didn't order it. Maybe the coffee fairy has me in his recent destinations list on the fairy nav system?

Now, granted, I haven't checked our bank account yet to see if I was charged a second time and heck, I haven't even opened the box to see what's in it, but I'm guessing it's a duplicate shipment of the one that arrived a couple of weeks ago (sans about 495 pounds of grounds).

Even better is that Keurig sent me an email today apologize for the delay in my shipment and "amended the mistake" by sending me a coupon for two free boxes of K-cups. Ha!

Today was a long, hard day at work which was preceded by two other long, hard days at work so even though I feel compelled to call and explain what happened to Keurig next week when I can catch a moment to myself, I'm still liking Keurig more than ever at the moment.

Other happy moments in my day? Seeing Knuckles' sleepy face after he woke up from a nap today:

Honestly?! How can you not just love that little face?

Tuesday - CHECK!

2011-10-26T00:23:00.001-04:00

I made it to Wednesday. I need to sleep, though, before everyone else makes it to Wednesday.

Before I go to sleep, though, I feel like I need to pause the worry that's building about everything on task for tomorrow and be thankful for a few things.

Bullet points. I'm thankful that someone, somewhere invented bullet points. I could condense most of life into bullets (generally single-sentence ones, too, not bloggy-wordy ones like this).
A great group of ladies with whom I am privileged to spend my Tuesday evenings.
A wonderful new friend in Bethany.
God showing Himself in so many big and little ways recently. Probably he always has but that means I'm thankful He's been gracious enough to keep at it until I started paying attention to it.
A snuggly doggie.
Another snuggly doggie.
The light at the end of the tunnel.
The best nieces ever.
The pending arrival of a new little nephew who will no doubt shake things up in the family.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Iced Tea with a touch of mint
Hot showers
Good health

This list could go on for so much longer but my eyelids are in need of a break for now.

Here's to tomorrow! Er, today...just later!

1 day down, 4 to go

2011-10-25T07:33:00.000-04:00

One day down, four to go. That's pretty much the thought that'll power me through today. Work is tough at the moment and while I don't ordinarily like to write about work on the blog, I think that's a fair statement. Seventeen hours of my day yesterday was in front of the computer...and I don't mean on Facebook or Netflix.

Tonight, though, I get to enjoy a very welcome reprieve - my ladies' small group through Watermarke Church. I almost wish we met on Wednesdays just so it could power me up for those last two days but I'll have to make sure to store up some of the refreshing for all three days left.

Despite the long hours and intense pressure at the moment, I'm still so very thankful to work from home. I'm thankful that I work with relative independence but also the support I need to do well. I'm super thankful for slippers and jeans on chilly mornings with a hot cup of coffee and a few minutes with my Bible before my inbox starts calling loudly enough that I can't ignore it anymore.

(this is me trying to set my mood for the rest of the day...so far, so good...I mean, it's 7:30am and I haven't melted down yet so that's a step in the right direction)

I don't mean to paint a rosy picture on something that's less-than-rosy but there are some positives to the situation and I'd rather focus on those than the alternative. The truth is that I will get through this week...and the next...and the one after that. I just need to remember that around 5pm tonight when the end isn't necessarily in sight. BUT...that'll mean I got through another day, right? Right.

Light as Air

2011-10-22T23:15:00.000-04:00

Aamir ran out today to grab a few (ahem...late) birthday gifts for me today while I was engrossed in a work project. What'd he return with?

First of all, a fuzzy cream-colored robe. I have a hideous old powder blue robe that I love to wear over my pjs in chilly weather but I'm not too proud to say it has seen better days. Well, okay, it was never at the height of any fashion curve...it sort of looks like I should wear rollers in my hair while smoking a cigarette and shuffle while I walk. Despite it's aesthetic shortcomings, it's super comfy and comfy rules my world. Oh, so the new robe...yes, I thought it'd be nice to replace Ol' Blue with a new one so Aamir found a great, super-soft cream-colored robe. With my usual concern over all things classy, I squealed with delight when I realized it's the same color as dog hair so no one will know if I snuggle the puppies before wandering the neighborhood in my slippers and robe.

Wrapped inside the robe was a MacBook Air with a copy of MS Office! Woooot! I've been drooling over the Air for years. Now I can sink into the couch wrapped in a much classier robe while I blog and surf Facebook. Life is good.

Oh, and dinner!

What else? Rumi's Kitchen. Love that place. It's absolutely fabulous - simple as that. Aamir told the hostess that it is my birthday so the server brought this beauty out at the end of our meal - Birthday Baklava:

The cherry on top was the two older Iranian ladies at the next table over who started clapping and singing in heavily-accented English, substituting my name in the song with "My deee-eeaaar." Very sweet way to wrap up celebrating.

Pups

2011-10-18T12:54:00.002-04:00

The One in Which I'm Thankful

2011-10-18T07:50:00.002-04:00

Here are the things I was thankful for last night when I went to bed:

I'm thankful that my mom and dad raised me to believe that things are just things. Having a grounded view that possessions are not as important as people helped me to remain calm when I realized that Knuckles had chewed one of our kitchen chairs.
Ditto for the window sill.
I'm thankful that I had some spare cash to buy the dogs some new chew toys to occupy their time last night.
I'm super thankful that I have a Bissel Steam Carpet Cleaner that allowed me to clean up the brown goo that their new chew toys got all over the family room carpet while I was blissing out (read: working) as they enjoyed their new toys.
I'm thankful that I have a dishwasher and that I was able to put away the clean dishes and be reminded that I don't have to worry about whether there will be a next meal. Not everyone, even here in the US, can say that - so I genuinely mean it when I say I'm thankful (the same isn't necessarily true of the first two bullet points).
I'm thankful that I ran out of hangers last night when hanging my clean clothes. Pretty spoiled to have more clothes than ways to hang them.
I'm thankful I have a husband who works hard and is bursting at the seams with integrity, even if I miss him while he's in Germany. And he's handsome so that's cool.
I'm thankful for friends and family and a constant stream of exciting newness in life.

Ellijay Apple Festival

2011-10-15T23:49:00.000-04:00

Aamir and I went to the Georgia Apple Festival of Ellijay today and met up with Maggie and her friend, Chris. There were the things that are at every festival...fried foods, bounce houses, petting zoos; and then some delicious uniquities - apple dumplings, apple pies, apple cider...(you get the idea). I'm pretty sure I should be fasting for the rest of the week based on the amount of food I consumed there (nevermind the Indian food I had at Aamir's aunt's house for dinner - yum!).

Error...I hope? I think?

2011-10-14T15:43:00.001-04:00

I ordered a shipment of k-cups for my Keurig coffeemaker this week. I ordered what I thought was a reasonable supply, so I reeeaaallly hope this is a mistake in the shipping confirmation or I'm about to have a LOT more coffee than I thought I could get for under $100:

Hello, caffeine buzz!

TVT

2011-10-13T21:54:00.000-04:00

I got my hair cut last week but I want it a smidge shorter so I'm heading back to the salon tomorrow. I actually just like getting to sit for an hour and not be bothered by email or phone calls or IM and there's still hair enough on my head to give me that opportunity.
Getting together with girlfriends tomorrow night to celebrate some birthdays in the group and I'm looking forward to time spent catching up over a glass of wine (and my laptop because I have several work projects rolling tomorrow night so I've got to monitor things...boo...but hey, at least it's better than being chained to the desk).
I upgrade to iOS 5 today and I'm not as wowed as I wanted to be.
I like my new small group through Watermarke Church. Really like it a lot.
I'm out of full-caff coffee for the Keurig...shipment pending. Probably a safe bet not to cross my path before 10am until the shipment comes in. Make that noon.
Aamir called me into his office (home office) yesterday to point out a hummingbird outside the window by our zinnias. Bright, beautiful green - wish I'd have snapped a picture.
I've been so busy lately with work that my DVR is full of loads of reality trash just waiting to rot my mind while I break open some Doritos and a bottle of wine...Maggie...Maggie? Can you hear me? *crunch* *slurp*
I have a way more witty things to say when I can't blog about them. Figures.

TVT

2011-10-06T23:11:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I almost missed "thought vomit Thursday".

Let the barfing begin...

I'm itching to keep reading "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" but I'm on hour 14 of work today so I don't think my eyeballs are in the mood for reading as much as my brain is.
I'm getting a haircut tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to 45 minutes or so of not being on conference calls or answering emails. Like, really looking forward to it. It'll be like a mini-vacation!
I have a nephew baking himself all up for his appearance in February. I can't wait. I hope he's the kind of baby that just folds himself into the nearest shoulder.
I'm going to bed.

James 1:19

2011-10-05T11:39:00.001-04:00

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry"

This one is hitting home today...and not for very good reason. My mom made me memorize this very early in my childhood because I have a propensity toward, well, the opposite; especially the part about talking. And the part about listening. And a touch of the anger part. Funny that I've never forgotten the verse but 30+ years later I still haven't figured out how to successfully apply it with more regularity. Ah, well, a girl's gotta have goals, right?

Learning curves are never easy, but I'm hoping that eventually I'll hit the downhill part of this curve...

Hometown Pride

2011-10-04T23:08:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I made the trek to Michigan for my 15-year class reunion and our town's annual celebration - Red Flannel Festival. Yes, for real - we celebrate red underwear once a year and it's the highlight of the year. The streets fill up with people sporting red attire (not wearing it lands you in jail), and the party begins...

I don't have the brainpower today to think of witty captions, but here are some of my favorite pictures anyway:

My dad was spared a trip to Red Flannel Jail thanks to his honorable spot as the lone remaining Tiger fan (red should be present in the underwear AND the outwear...the jacket nearly did him in, save for the Tigers' relative success this season).

Hmmm...do you have any in blue?

Lack of red attire lands ya in "jail" - I think it costs a buck to get out.

Solitary confinement for not enough red, I think.

The "Red Hawk" floor tile in my old high school. Back in the day, it was roped off so that no one stepped on it. Now it's trampled by junior-highers daily, I think (my high school is no longer a high school). Times change.

My cousin, Phylicia, and her niece, Leah (daughter of her brother/my cousin - Kevin who I call "LK")

Another of LK's girls...this cutie patootie, Ari, shares my middle name...and maybe some of my sass.

Right Now

2011-10-03T11:53:00.001-04:00

Just walked outside and saw this...couldn't resist taking a picture. I didn't have to edit this pic at all...

And another one:

On Time Departure, Early Arrival

2011-10-02T23:11:00.001-04:00

I'm the type of wife who fusses when her husband drives to fast. Well, I don't always fuss, but I sometimes make a show of bracing myself for impact, scratching out a will on the dashboard or donning a helmet...you know, subtle hints.

But pilots? Fly as fast as you want. I loooved my time in Michigan this weekend (more about that tomorrow when I pull my pictures off the camera to share), but I was eager to get home, too. I mean, I was just dying to clean up after the dogs, do my own laundry, prepare my own meals, carry my own luggage and be all grown up again. Okay, that's a lie...I'd much rather be spoiled by my parents but real life was beckoning, so I hopped on a plane and headed south.

Whereas I might install a parachute on the back of our cars to limit the speed at which Aamir drives, I will gladly let pilots fly it like they stole it (I was once on a flight during which the pilot announced to all the passengers that he intended to do just that. Can we tip pilots? I should have tipped him). Today's pilot, too, was no slow-poke. We made it back to Atlanta 30 minutes early...and there was a gate ready...and there were baggage handlers waiting. It was all just too much. I felt paralyzed - like maybe I should sit and kill some time on the emptying plane or something.

Instead, I ran off the plane like my tail was on fire, made my way to baggage claim where I found my bag in under two minutes. I had checked a bag for the first time in years because they offered it free for volunteers who cared enough to keep the overhead bins from becoming in-lap bins...and FREE is for ME. Yes, I just admitted that it was more about getting something free than protecting my fellow passengers from bodily harm. That's probably why I didn't get an exit row seat...the "altruistic" box was not checked in my passenger profile, with good reason apparently.

After gathering my suitcase full of summer sausage (it's true, and all-beef), I scurried out to the shuttle buses where I was immediately hustled to my car. I love, by the way, how Atlanta's Park-n-Ride drops me right at my car, not in the general viscinity of a car that might look sorta like mine. Super cool. I made it home in record time. Well, I would have if I hadn't detoured to have sushi for dinner.

I have no idea how to wrap this post up. There's no grand conclusion or witty parting words...just the end.

Mmmm

2011-09-30T08:29:00.001-04:00

15 minutes of bliss; 4 days worth of calories.

Beautiful Saturday

2011-09-24T18:14:00.001-04:00

Gorgeous flowers from the yard - third bouquet thus week and plenty more out there. Sippin' on a glass of wine while we get ready to go out with friends. Yay for weekends!

TVT: Thought Vomit Thursday

2011-09-22T09:59:00.000-04:00

I never suspected I'd become a coffee-drinker, but I'm rapidly rising among the ranks.
I like spreadsheets.
I hate spreadsheets.
I love seeing Knuckles' sleepy face in the morning.
A few weeks ago I noticed what I thought might be a bean plant growing in my garden. I opted not to pull it, even though I hadn't planted it...maybe it was just a weed, but curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to check it out. It wrapped itself around a trellis and continued growing and today I found this...definitely not a bean, but even better!

Yesterday I made soup...lots of it. Oodles and oodles of Pasta Fagioli (below) and my usual favorite - Curried Carrot Soup.

Knuckles- 5, Kitchen Rugs - 0.

I'm heading to my hometown for our 15-year class reunion next week and I'm pretty excited about that. I have a feeling I'll still feel less-cool, less-popular and less-secure than I imagine everyone else to be but it won't stop me from having a lot of fun. Our school is unique in that there didn't seem to be a BIG chasm between "cool" and "uncool" kids...it was small enough that everyone was at the very least cordial to everyone else. Maybe that was just my experience, but I think we had something special that most schools don't (aside from me, I mean).
I'm also going to hit up our town's yearly festival in celebration of red underwear, so do stay tuned for pictures and updates on that - definitely not to be missed.

Keyword Review

2011-09-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

One of the fun things about having a blog is seeing where people are reading it - all over the world, but I can also see what people searched for in their browser that led them here. And I just have to say...really, people? This is what you search for that lands you on my blog? I'm worried...about me and you.

karen siddiqi (we're off to a good start...that makes sense)

little life of mine (also legit)

behr harvest brown (apparently I'm not the only one with a dining room in the perfect shade of blah)

belly button boil (ouch?)

gindamanee (eh?)

motivation for the week ahead (yes, please!)

togas made out of pillow case (there are a LOT of toga-wearers out there based on the number of toga-related searches that lead the frat brothers of the world to my blog)

grandfather talk son (me tarzan, you jane)

gravelly voiced male singers (I'll take two, please)

How motivated am I? (motivated enough to waste time on the internet, apparently)

jigsaw puzzle friendship (I think I have a few of those)

now this life is mine now this life is mine yeah thats what i wanna do (are we writing a song about me??)

pantheon and colitis (yes, I always think of those two together)

Happy Coffee

2011-09-20T09:47:00.000-04:00

My coffee tastes better out of this cup, I'm sure of it!

It seems I inherited the coffee-cup gene from my dad, who has a collection of about a thousand mugs from all over the world (the greatest source concentration is the garage sale market within a 10-mile radius of Cedar Springs, MI). Beware, husband-o-mine, we may need to add a room to the house because I intend to inherit my dad's mugs someday...no rush, Dad. I might let my brother have one or two of the uglier, chipped ones but my generosity has bounds. Now is probably a good time to call an interventionist.

Punctuated

2011-09-16T16:45:00.000-04:00

I love how flowers punctuate the gray skies and crisp air this time of year...

Granted, the asters needed to have been shaped before the fall bloom came in, but I can't help but love their grand purple color:

And the zinnias? A great $1 investment in a pack of seeds 8 weeks ago or so.

TVT: Thought Vomit Thursday

2011-09-15T15:44:00.000-04:00

I've taken a liking to Thought Vomit Thursdays that I see other bloggers do so, like any good writer, I'm just going to capitalize on someone else's good idea. No theme, no forethought, just a written vomit of what's in my head. Should be fun, I'm sure you're going to keep reading...

- Infertility is annoying. I remember when I first got married and went something like 2 months without getting pregnant and thinking rather smugly that I would never be one of those chicks who lives her life in two-week segments for YEARS on end, but life gave me no choice. Tonight, though, I'm in the two weeks of every month when I can drink a glass of wine. Silver lining.

- I need to stop eating and should probably not have a glass of wine tonight, but I'm a rebel with a good cause.

- I like having two dogs more than I ever thought I would.

- Tomorrow is Book Club and I just realized I haven't finished the book. I know what I'll be doing tonight! Then again, I'm pretty sure Book Club is code for "Margaritas and melty cheese" and I'm a pro at that, so I should be good.

I thought I'd have way more to vomit out there, but I guess my brain-stomach contents are running low. You're welcome.

Zinnias

2011-09-15T11:06:00.000-04:00

I know I'm a complete absentee blogger lately...I'll try to do better. Here, though, is a picture of some freshly-cut zinnias from my crop in the front flower bed. Happiness in a vase!

Sweet Dreams

2011-09-01T07:36:00.001-04:00

You know, I've never had more than one dog at a time but after seeing these two tease, play, wrestle and exasperate each other, I'm not sure I'd ever have only one again. Knuckles is like Sadie's little brother - always wanting to play, never respecting boundaries, and always there.

The best part? They wear each other out. I do feel a bit sad that Knuckles doesn't want to snuggle me and be by me nearly as much but I'm happy he's got a friend. I definitely can't give him all the attention he wants, so it's nice to have Sadie filling in the gaps. And Sadie? She's a big love. Suuuper sweet and will do anything for a treat. I can respect that...it's a lot like me (the part about doing anything for food, not probably the part about being super sweet...unless I've already been fed).

Poor Knucky is still largely afraid of the doggie door, but Sadie is working on him. By that I mean, sometimes Knuckles gets jealous enough of a toy that Sadie has to bound through the door, forgetting it's there. If he stops to consider that mean ol' piece of clear plastic standing between him and relative freedom he quakes in fear.

Hey, Jealousy!

2011-08-28T23:24:00.001-04:00

Snapped this in the middle of a training session. We were working on a command I refer to as "CHEW YOUR OOOWN BOOOONE!!" These two love to play keep away with their toys and Knuckles is decidedly NOT a fan of leaving Sadie alone while she chews on her bone...nevermind the one right in front of him.

Bright

2011-08-26T14:45:00.002-04:00

The Early Bird Doesn't Get Dinner Around Here

2011-08-25T20:28:00.001-04:00

I'm on a roll with this wife-of-the-year thing. Aamir was able to cut his work travel short this week - he called today to say he's coming home tonight. Just in time for me to whip up a meal that would make Paula Deen proud, right? Wrooong. Instead, I called him as he left the airport to suggest that I order pizza for him to grab on the way home. Thoughtful of me, no?

I did get all the laundry done, though. I swept/mopped and vacuumed, too...and even made the bed. That scores me some wife points, right?

Wow, this blog is just brimming with excitement, isn't it?? Sorry folks - life has been pretty routine these days.

This weekend my mom is coming to stay for a bit with Knuckles while Aamir and I cram in a bunch of travel. First, we're off to NJ to celebrate Eid (the end of Ramadan) with his family aaaand to meet Arshi's fiance!! Woot Woot! I'll come home after a weekend trip, spend a couple of days with my mom and then make a quick turn to Denver for Danielle's wedding festivities. See? I'll have more to write about soon!

My mom is bringing her dog, Sadie, who'll stay with us for the next year or so while my parents are working on their move to GA. They're renting now that their house sold and the rental doesn't allow for a dog so Knucky gets a buddy. Honestly? I'm THRILLED! I think Knuckles could use a pal around here and more so, Sadie can teach him how to use the doggie door!

The One Where We Installed a Doggie Door

2011-08-22T23:02:00.001-04:00

First of all, I should clarify that by "we" I really mean "Home Depot" but you all know we aren't the handy type so I probably didn't have to explain that. Anyway, the doggie door was installed today - finished around 1pm. I excitedly called Knuckles into the keeping room and he immediately cowered. What? Scared of freedom, it seemed.

Thinking I'd help him out, I picked him up and carried him toward the door where I was planning to pass him through to Aamir who was waiting on the other side. As we approached the door, the docile and cowering 40-pounds of dog in my arms turned into a tasmanian devil of a dog - whirling in all directions. Before I could process his absolute terror, he had not only turned my arms into something a butcher could be proud of, he'd released his bladder...all over me and the doggie door.

So then I cleaned up dog pee.

And then I watched my dog cower in the backyard for hours refusing to come near the house, let alone the doggie door. Well, I didn't watch him for hours, because I had to shower since he'd...you know...

And then I spent hours (well, at least 15 minutes) coaxing him with hotdogs to at least get sort of close to the door and we've closed the gap to a mere two feet. He stood nearby it, barking incessently for a while - I consider that progress.

Today he survived on cuteness alone.

Mission: Relaxation - part 2

2011-08-20T23:28:00.001-04:00

I think I'm making progress on the relaxation thing. I went to La Bella Salon for a facial (sorry, Jamie- but it's so much closer for me! Anyone in Atlanta - hit up Exhale and ask for Jamie!)...anyway, the facial...

It was incredibly relaxing and I look better to boot! Can't beat that, right?! As a result, I thought maybe I'd make a minor attempt at growing up and I asked my esthetician to give me a simple care routine for my face. It came as quite a shock that she suggested I wash it. Hmm...cuuurious. Okay, I think I can handle that. I bought what is probably an overpriced face wash and tonight, I'm proud to say - I washed my face. See, the thing is...I don't have horrible skin (but it's not super perfect, either), so I just don't pay too much attention to it. I typically sleep with my makeup on. Yes, for real. I know some of you are cringing and trying to figure out how to un-follow my blog...I don't blame you - it's kind of gross.

For the record, I do use Dove on my face in the shower (the esthetician cringed when I said that), but I typically shower in the morning, so nighttime means a pillow case slathered in makeup. Tonight, though - a new beginning. I picked up some night time moisturizer - an overpriced variety I found at Walmart - and set to work. First - I washed with the overpriced salon-purchased face wash. Then, I slathered on some of the aforementioned moisturizer. It was intense - I even remembered to moisturize my neck.

And so now you've read an entire blog that could have been summed up by saying, "today, I washed and moisturized my face" but that wouldn't have been nearly the gripping tale I've just told, now would it?

Mission: Relaxation

2011-08-16T22:44:00.001-04:00

I've decided that I need to invest an equal amount of effort into relaxation as I do into work. Yeah, yeah, yeah -- that kind of sounds counterproductive, but I think I'm doing okay so far (considering the decision was made 12 hours ago, anyway).

After work today, I wandered down to the nail place nearby with my neighbor, Cathy, to have our toes attended to. While our digits were being prettied up, we chatted away almost two hours. On a Tuesday! With a full inbox waiting at home! I'm awfully proud and even better - I had a great time. When I got home, I opted not to start on dinner, but instead fed myself a fun little appetizer while reading a book on my Kindle.

Roasted Garlic Triscuit, sharp cheddar cheese and olive tapenade. Simple but absolutely delicious! I ate about 50 of these. Maybe it was less, but it was more than I should have and 50 sounds shocking enough that it just might be true.

After stuffing my face, Aamir got home from the gym and I started making more ways to stuff my face - Indian food on the menu tonight. Most of it was already prepped and in the freezer - so we had a feast of a meal with very little effort (well, effort went in to it, just not tonight)...rajma, shami kabobs, keema, rice and roti.

Did I mention I skipped the treadmill today? Wouldn't want to wreck those pretty toenails, now would I?? I'm a fountain of solid decision-making.

Redemption

2011-08-15T23:21:00.003-04:00

It certainly wasn't gourmet but I did manage to put a decent meal on the table tonight. Caprese salad with home-grown tomatoes and homemade olive tapenade, Buffalo Chicken kabobs on the grill, lightly sauteed summer vegetables, oh, and the dish that takes it from average to awesome - Kraft Spiral Mac & Cheese.

My weekly farmer's market basket will be delivered tomorrow so we'll have that working in our favor the rest of the week.

Wife of the Year

2011-08-14T23:26:00.004-04:00

Aamir travels for work pretty much Monday through Friday. Call me old-fashioned but I like to make sure the house is clean, the laundry is done, the yard looks nice and meals are lined up when he gets home. That last one is probably the most important. Aamir eats out for every meal of the day during the week - I like to make sure he gets homemade meals when he's actually here.

Last week, Aamir actually made it home by Thursday night. I whipped up a batch of Grilled Pollo Sabroso with a side of roasted summer veggies for his return home, and for a couple of girlfriends who joined me for an earlier dinner (Aamir didn't make it in until 10:30pm or so...we ate early and I saved some to grill when he got home). I admit, I know Aamir doesn't care for chicken on-the-bone, but the thighs just looked so tasty and the recipe sounded delish so I figured it'd make up for the fact that it was on-the-bone. I was wrong. He hated it. Rarely do I make meals he hates. He admitted that the flavor was good - but it didn't outweigh the vehicle for him. His first night home - FAIL.

Friday night we went out for a late dinner at Fusco's Via Roma in Acworth - I had the white pie and it was fabulous. Aamir had a steak salad but I get the feeling he was less than wow'd.

Saturday we grabbed lunch at home - and by that I mean we each at a Clif Bar. Then we grabbed smoothies while we were out running errands and Saturday night we went out for sushi at the fabulous Kuroshio...that place is ridiculously good. More than one waitress knows us there and "misses us" when we've gone two weeks without showing up. It would be shameful if it weren't so delicious. This time, I had the Jazz Roll and resisted the urge to order their amaaazing Chicken Fried Rice. Oh, and we had the Hot Wok Shrimp for an app. My mouth is watering just for typing all of this.

Today we had J. Christopher's for brunch...yum! And dinner? La Parrilla.

So that's why I win "wife of the year" award...because my husband hasn't had a home-cooked meal in over a week (at least not one he liked). On the bright side, we live by plenty of good restaurants.

Oh, PS - I did make one thing on Thursday night that he liked. I had leftover cauliflower fritter "batter" mixed up so I added in about a 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin, coriander, turmeric and chili powder...instant Indian flavor. He liked those as an appetizer and he did like the roasted veggies, so maybe I could consider it a win as a largely vegetarian meal.

Mr. Fibber-Pants

2011-08-10T21:45:00.002-04:00

I got a call today from my 8-year-old niece, Ophelia, but I was just about to hop onto a conference call, so I couldn't answer. She left a message for me and I wish I could figure out how to get it up here for you all to listen to, but here's what it said,

"Hi, Aunt Karen, it's me - Ophelia. Mr. Fibber-Pants here, a.k.a. my dad, says you're an alien and you need to tell him that you are not. Okay? Bye-eee!"

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!!!

Oh, and because I'm super original, I posted the same story on FB and I'm endlessly entertained by the responses:

Getting There

2011-08-09T00:31:00.000-04:00

Being fit is something I've always wanted. My previous attempts to attain it have included things like sitting on the couch while watching TV shows about being fit or at least with in-shape actors (burning up with jealousy can rid a person of a few calories, right?), reading the occasional internet article about fad diets and wishing I had the willpower to give up things like cheese (beloved friend - cheese - don't worry, I won't ever leave you!), oh and probably most drastic - making lists and goals that were forgotten as soon as the paper it was written on got tossed in the recycling bin.

I've turned over a new leaf though in the last year and I've made some strides toward being in shape. I lost 10 pounds...woo hoo! I don't always choose to eat unhealthy foods (baby steps) and I've committed myself to doing cardio and weights regularly. Yes, I set some more specific goals back at the beginning of the year and so far? FAIL! But I still have a few months to go and I'd like for this to be just the first phase of a new way of life - not just temporary satisfaction over a goal attained that then needs to be reset later because I undid it all. Know what I mean? Anyway, all that rambling to say I'm loving my new setup in the basement. It's coming together quite nicely!

Treadmill with cool iFit Live stuff...TV for doing P90x or watching Netflix while I workout...my iPod sound dock to keep me motivated with music and lots of weights/exercise bands, etc.

Summer on a Plate

2011-08-07T22:35:00.002-04:00

Tonight the menu at Casa Siddiqi was home-grown/made Basil Pesto served overtop of pre-made tortellini and a new recipe I've been wanting to try - Cauliflower Fritters...seriously delish!

Here are the recipes:

BASIL PESTO
Using the blender, combine all above ingredients until well-blended/chopped.

3 cups fresh, chopped basil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts (I used pistachios just because I had them on-hand)
2/3 cup grated parmesan (when it comes to cheese, I'm a firm believer that the recipe-writer is being conservative with estimates so I used a full cup. You're welcome.)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (the "cheese rule" applies here, too)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS, thanks to Skinny Taste

4 cups steamed cauliflower (roughly chopped)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup whole wheat flour (I used all-purpose flour because I had it on-hand)
2 eggs
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano (remember the "cheese rule"?)
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped (I used dried, but not a 1/4 cup - more like an eighth)
1/4 cup hot water
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, flour, garlic, eggs, grated cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Add water so that batter becomes slightly more dense than pancake batter.

On medium-low heat, add 1 tbsp of oil in a 10 inch skillet coating bottom of the pan. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to form fritters. You can fit 4 fritters at a time. Cook until golden brown, turn and cook another few minutes. Add a little more oil to the pan, and repeat with the remaining batter.

Here's a pic of how my fritters turned out...and a link to the original recipe HERE. I'm going to make these again soon but mix in some Indian spices...they're kind of like a blank slate - you could flavor these up any way you wanted. Oh, and they were amazing with the basil pesto on them.

Delayed, but not Forgotten

2011-08-07T22:21:00.000-04:00

I picked up my netbook today after weeks of having absolutely no time to blog/write/take pics and found this one from when the girls were here visiting. Ophelia, especially, was enamored with my collection of high heels...and the red ones were her fave. She loved walking around the kitchen listening to them clip-clip against the floor talking about how she'll wear heels when she goes on dates with boys someday. Love her! I remember being a little younger than her and just itchin' to get my first pair of shoes with hard soles so they would clackety-clack through the halls of church on Sunday mornings, so I let the girls clip-clop to their hearts' content. Oh, we also dolled up in "real" jewelry one night - Ophelia wore a ruby necklace of mine (Sloaney was offered but uninterested) and went to a fancy dinner...and yes, I wore the red heels.

It's a Dog's Life

2011-07-28T22:40:00.004-04:00

True Statement (as defined by my interpretation of Knuckles' *thoughts*):
Knuckles loves me. Or better stated: he loves what I can do for him.

Over the handful of months we've spent together, I've learned that he would prefer I spend all my time attending to his whims. If that were the case, I'd likely find myself excelling at the art of scratching haunches (gee, thanks, big brother for teaching him that one), doling out treats, and pointing out good hiding spots for bones and then looking away while he "buries" them (lest I know where they are...next to the fireplace...in plain sight).

Another True Statement (and a fairly important one at that)
I have a job.

Tonight, Knuckles wasn't thrilled when I sat down to do some extra work in the evening and I couldn't resist his buggy little brown eyes, so I hauled him up into my lap for a few minutes while I was waiting on an email to come in. Grabbed these shots with my webcam.

As per the usual, I shall now issue a disclaimer regarding my appearance. I was supposed to get my hair did today but well...the job thing won in that battle. Also, I had just completed a run on the treadmill which accounts for the flushed skin and the slicked back hair. Oh, and PS - that forehead o' mine is all the paternity evidence a court would ever need. Thanks for that, Dad.

Art...Love

2011-07-25T18:31:00.000-04:00

Check out the art we created while Ophelia and Sloaney were visiting. Left one is Sloaney's that she created for Uncle Aamir. Middle one Ophelia created for moi and the last one I made. Coffee tastes best when cupped with love!

The Day in Review

2011-07-21T23:14:00.000-04:00

5:15am...wakie wakie!
5:20am...breakfast; toast with peanut butter (a modest amount)
5:30am...shower and put on big kid clothes for a rare day with other humans (working from home means that I'm probably a little too used to my cargo capris and tee shirts)
6:45am...adios, house!
7:30am...arrive 30 minutes early for meeting; watch Netflix on my iPhone. I do so love that little gadget.
8:00am...meeting
10:00am...home in a hurry to let a contractor into the house to mount the TV above the fireplace and put some outlets in the basement.
12:00pm...back in the car for Round 2 of customer meetings
12:05pm...turn around to get a pair of jeans so as to allow immediate escape from business suit when meetings end.
1:30pm...arrive for customer meeting in Atlanta
2:00pm...meeting begins
2:15pm...headache settles in
2:30pm...headache proves to be a migraine, not just a run-o-the-mill headache
2:35pm - 4pm...attempting to not barf on the conference room table
4:00pm...in car, drove one block, detour into nearest gas station and ahem, decorate the parking lot with my lunch. Purchased Aleve and consumed immediately.
6:00pm...after two hours of alternating driving and resting to allow migraine to subside, arrived at car dealership that was a mere 30 miles away from my meeting location.
7:00pm...left car dealership (had to trade in the Audi)
8:00pm...made it home from the car dealership...traffic makes me unfriendly
10:00pm...homemade chocolate chip cookies after a boiling hot shower makes Karen's world much, much better.

Before and After

2011-07-20T17:59:00.004-04:00

There are six flower beds in my back yard. My guess is that at least one of them has signs of a visit from Knuckles.

BEFORE:

AFTER (you'll notice the picture was taken through the window in the door. No way is he getting inside):

The one about how motivated I am

2011-07-19T13:43:00.002-04:00

This is the post where I tell you how motivated I am. Are you ready for it? I went to bed last night at 10pm because I was so motivated to start today off right. My normal bedtime lurks around midnight or 1am but I was determined to get a "good" night of rest so I could start being super awesome today.

I woke up at 2:30am and had to will myself to go back to sleep. Over and over again. At 5:30am I gave up. Lesson learned...early to bed, late to rise shall be my motto. I had planned on a 6am wake-up so it wasn't terribly off the mark, but early nevertheless.

I wandered into the kitchen and made a bowl of oatmeal that I had planned to eat at 6am to allow for a treadmill experience at 7am. Then came my fatal mistake. I saw sleepy Knuckles looking all cute and blinky-eyed and hauled him into bed with me to cuddle until it was time for the treadmill. Gaaame oooover. Cuddling with cute, blinky, wrinkled puppies trumps the treadmill every time.

Sooo...my morning...breakfast in bed, cuddling with the puppy and oh, did I mention I watched three episodes of "The Real Housewives of ___" that I had on the DVR? I did. The morning itself was pretty much awesome but needless to say, I myself was less than awesome. I did take a shower before work so that was good, right? Not quite awesome but pretty much at least the right thing to do.

Yes, I will hit the treadmill up after work today. Maybe. At least I had sushi for lunch today - that's kind of healthy and maybe in a way makes up for my mid-morning PopTart snack. I made minimal slurping sounds while licking my plate clean, too, so that's evidence of maturity. Not awesomeness, but at least I smell good (from the shower, remember?) and I'm sorta mature.

The end.

PS...that wasn't the end after all. It never really is. Anyway, I didn't run on the treadmill. I convinced myself it'd be silly to run in the evening and then again tomorrow morning when I will have no more episodes of RHO_ to keep me away from exercise. Instead, I planted three flower beds with zinnia sprouts (I planted seeds a few weeks back and they've germinated and grown enough to separate).

Growing up

2011-07-18T08:25:00.001-04:00

While the girls were here, Sloaney decided on a whim to get her ears pierced. At four years old, she did incredibly well with the experience. After the first ear was done, she looked a little shocked - I think she was expecting stick-on earrings, not pain. She sat still but her little face crumpled after the second one and she had to be comforted by her big sister:

Ophelia is as tender-hearted as they come, so she was a great comfort to her sister but had to step away to try on these beauties while we were in the store:

Sloaney's tears lingered after Ophelia's comforting hugs (although, in her defense, that HURTS and she was mostly only sniffling...I was impressed!), so Uncle Aamir swooped in to heal the hurt with a trip to Build-a-Bear:

Later on, Sloane let me snap a few pictures of her outside looking all grown-up with her sparkly lobes:

Every Day is a Party

2011-07-17T00:46:00.001-04:00

Here we are practicing for a "Welcome Home, Uncle Aamir!" party that Sloaney wanted to throw when Aamir returned from his week of work travel. We probably should have practiced some more under harsher conditions because his 2am homecoming meant that Travis and I were slap-happy and offered up a ridiculously overblown "surrprriiise" while Sloaney pretty much just knelt on the floor looking overwhelmed and over tired. Ophelia, the 8-year-old and most responsible amongst us, had ditched us hours earlier opting instead for a reasonable bedtime. Knuckles, by the way, doesn't so much care for noisemaker thingies after midnight. Or before.

Puppy Love

2011-07-15T17:51:00.002-04:00

Both literal and figurative...Ophelia had a good time walking Knuckles (who didn't particularly feel the same about forced exercise) and in doing so, she met our 12-year-old neighbor boy, Jordan, who I believe made her heart pitter-patter. What makes me think so? Maybe because the next day she asked if she could write a note and leave it on his front porch, asking him to play with her...circle one, yes or no. I think Sloaney has a solid career ahead as the buzzkill, er, I mean chaperone:

Catching Up: Pictures from the first Night

2011-07-15T17:40:00.000-04:00

Sloaney and Uncle Aamir re-bonding on the first night of Sloaney's visit to Atlanta, but first a phone conversation with Grandma:

Chillin' with Uncle Aamir on the couch:

Please, no pictures!

Uncle Aamir couldn't party as late as Sloaney:

The Girls

2011-07-14T00:43:00.000-04:00

Here are some shots from the girls' visit...lots more to come. If it seems there are an inordinate number of pictures of Ophelia compared to Sloane, it's because Sloaney rarely holds still for the nano-second it takes to capture a moment in time:

Waffle House!

2011-07-11T08:58:00.000-04:00

Hot chocolate while we wait for waffles, bacon and hashbrowns - deeelish!

Day 1: Favorite Moments

2011-07-07T07:07:00.003-04:00

I am so excited to have 9 more days full of favorite moments because day 1 of my time with Travis (brother) and his girls (Ophelia-8 and Sloane-4) was pretty spectacular. I had to work and have to work again today before my vacation officially starts, but that doesn't mean the day was without good times.

In no particular order...

Favorite moment: A lingering hug from Ophelia (who I sometimes refer to by her initials - O.J.) that lingered and included this adoring look passing in both directions between us.

Favorite moment: At 11pm when Aamir walked through our bedroom where Sloaney had decided to sleep. Thinking he was sneaking through he suddenly heard in her sing-songy, sales-y little voice, "Uncle Aamiiiir? Do you want to cuuuuddddle?" In case you didn't know, "cuddle" is code word for "I'm going to sucker you into talking with me and then letting me get out of bed" and it worked.

Favorite moment: At 11:30pm when Travis said, "okay, I'm folding - I'll see you guys in the morning" which was followed by Aamir stating he was doing the same. Sloaney's next move? "Aaaaunt Kaaaren? Are YOOOUUU going to stay up?" The girl should be studied to find her organic, renewable energy source. I convinced her to climb into bed with us and after singing a handful of Sunday School songs she was out like a light and I was able to tuck her into her own bed.

Favorite moment: Reading the first chapter of one of the "Grandma's Attic" books to Ophelia at bedtime. Anyone with girls, you just gotta read 'em. My all-time childhood favorites.

Favorite moment: Taking Ophelia on a long-planned trip to Justice to buy some new duds...I asked her if she liked a shirt and her response was, "the color! the fabric! the patterns! I love it!!"

I'm just so proud to be called "Aunt" by these girls. My brother and sister-in-law are doing such a stellar job raising sweet, loving little girls who are full of spunk and confidence and loads of fun to be around. Oh, and an overall favorite moment? Spending time with my brother. Yesterday was packed with work and settling in and kicking things off so we didn't get to just hang very long but my brother is the best as far as brothers go so I love having him HERE. We are only 16 months apart and after 3rd grade were in the same grade all through school (I moved ahead one into his grade because I had to do everything he did...some call it a copycat...I call it admiration). I miss having him by my side. We talk almost every day but I miss having him in the same room, watching the same show, chattering in person with me.

I wish Rachael could have come on this visit, too, but I think we'll have to wait until the new baby comes to soak up time with her - or maybe one of the holidays between now and then. Oh, did I tell you that? They're baking a new niece/nephew for me to adore!! I've been trying to convince them that when you have kids as cute and sweet as theirs you sort of owe it to the world to have more and the idea seems to have rooted well. Yay!

Okay, on to Day 2 of the adventure...well, it starts with work but after that we'll get on with adventuring.

The Girls

2011-07-06T15:29:00.006-04:00

Worn out after an early morning flight and slightly bored by the uneventful nature of her first airplane ride (well, the first she can remember). She was expecting missile launches and dog-fighting.

Chillin' out in Aunt Karen's bed watching movies:

Knuckles took a liking to Veggie Tales:

Bright-eyed after a good nap:

So grown up!!

Knuckles took to Sloane in mere seconds:

I have a feeling this type of blurred, top-speed movement will become the norm for the next 10 days:

Things I Did Today

2011-07-05T23:55:00.001-04:00

Woke up and took Knuckles out at 4:45am. He probably didn't need to go outside but I couldn't sleep and he was fidgeting so it seemed like the thing to do.
Tried to rush Knuckles as he stopped for a pre-dawn snack after his trip outside.
Went back to bed and watched Knuckles curl up on his bed (on the floor next to mine) and begin snoring in under 2 minutes.
Burned with jealousy at Knucky's powers of insta-sleep.
Checked email on my cell phone.
Played a move or two of Words-with-Friends on my cell phone.
Determined I could get back to sleep if I really wanted to and put the phone down at about 5:05am.
Stared at the ceiling stressing about life until I drifted off to sleep shortly thereafter, all the while jealous of the cacophony of snoring all around me. ** side note: Aamir is home with me this week...yay!
Turned my alarm clock off and went back to sleep when it summoned me to run on the treadmill at 6am.
Turned my alarm clock off and went back to sleep when it summoned me to get out of bed at 7am and start work early.
Got out of bed with a big, fat harrumph at 7:35am with just enough time to shower and make coffee before work.
Joined an 8am conference call, listened and even took notes. I can't complain, I know...the work-from-home thing is a pretty sweet gig.
Stressed about and then made an important phone call; probably the most important of my day. The call went fine and a big, worrisome decision was behind me.
Stressed about and then made another important phone call. The call went fine and a big, worrisome conversation was behind me.
Stressed about and began to dial for another important phone call but was interrupted as that person called me instead. The call went fine.
Plowed through emails, stopping every now and then to pop into Aamir's office to say hi and update him on the wonderful world of project management. I'm sure he was waiting for every morsel with bated breath. Who wouldn't, really?
Hosted several conference calls.
Went to lunch with Aamir at La Parrilla. It's nice to have a decent and speedy lunch spot just a mile away for quick bites away from home. We only had 40 minutes to grab lunch but made it in time for me to get back and host the next conference call on my agenda.
More conference calls and general project management super hero-ing.
Quick break to run down to the subdivision's activity center to pick up our Farmer's Market basket (weekly delivery of random, fresh and sometimes organic produce from the state farmer's market...huge slash in cost over buying from the grocery store and since we never know what we'll get it's like an eating adventure).
Lots more email and conferencing.
Break from conferencing at 5pm to run some errands...first stop, Home Depot to pick up a new toilet flusher handle thingy (that's the technical term). Second stop, World Market for some treats for the nieces.
Headed home to drop Aamir who had become embroiled in work stuff while running errands.
Fixed the toilet before heading out to get groceries.
Budget-minded grocery shopping with a list and lots of coupons. I was the annoying woman in the aisles who lingered too long, checking her list in front of what you needed to grab off the shelf. Hey, it's like a game to me, okay? Not getting in the way of other shoppers, but getting a good deal.
Home to put away groceries.
Made dinner - grilled veggies (bell pepper, summer squash, onion, tomato, mushrooms), corn-on-the-cob, and whole wheat cous cous. Deeeelish!
Back to work/email while Aamir cleaned up the kitchen.Conferencing never sleeps. Aamir hates after-dinner clean-up on the level that I hate emptying the dishwasher so this spoke volumes of his love for me.
Tag-team dog bathing. It takes two of us and lots of peanut butter smeared on the side of the bath tub to convince Knuckles it's a good idea to get clean. I don't think we truly convinced him, but at least we overpowered him.
Cleaned the bath tub.
Back to work/email. Conferencing still not asleep. Listened with love in my heart as Aamir vacuumed the house.
Headed out of my office to get laundry going.
Heart neared bursting point when I heard Aamir cleaning the kitchen floors.
More work emails. Conferencing must've had a Red Bull.
Climbed into bed...and discovered it was made with clean sheets thanks yet again to Aamir.
Blogged.
Next up is setting an alarm for 6 hours from now when I'll get up and get ready to pick Travis, Ophelia and Sloaney from the airport. Rach, I'm bummed you can't come, too, but hope you make the most of your time alone!!

Facing Reality

2011-06-29T12:44:00.003-04:00

The reality is that Project 365 just doesn't work with my schedule. I'm still going to maintain a commitment to taking more pictures and including them here on the blog but it's sort of laughable to call those posts "Project 365", don't you think?

Here are some pictures I liked from our Bocce night on Monday...

Knuckles came to support the team. When I say "the team" it should be noted that he supported ANY team that showed him attention. We're going to have to work on that if he's going to be a part of this moving forward.

The sunset over the city was GORGEOUS! We sat on a restaurant patio (Knucky included!) and had dinner and laughs after Bocce Ball while the sky produced these colors. Makes me look forward to Mondays! Click on the pictures for a full-size view...

Oh...and we won! The comeback has commenced.

Project 365:76

2011-06-24T19:28:00.001-04:00

That bowl of goo from the other day? I made a batch of Flaxseed Crackers in my dehydrator and I gotta tell ya...they are DELICIOUS. Super, really delicious. Spicy and flavorful and best of all - fairly healthy!

Here's the recipe:

FLAXSEED CRACKERS

2 cups ground flaxseed
1 can diced tomatoes (I used about 1.5 fresh)
1/2 large onion
1 whole jalapeno pepper, with seeds (without if you want to tone down the spice)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
5 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 tablespoons black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil (I used Extra Virgin)
2 handfuls of raw spinach (I used generous handfuls)

Instructions

1. Add everything except the flaxseed to a blender and process until it's all liquid.

2. Pour over flaxseed and mix well; it'll thicken up as you mix.

3. Spread thinly on dehydrator sheets and very lightly salt and pepper.
4. Score the spread with a butter knife or spatula to make them easier to break apart later.

5. Allow to dehydrate for 4-6 hours and as soon as possible, remove from flexible dehydrator sheets and continue to dry on normal dehydrator trays for 48 hours or so total.

If I had to find a flaw, I'd say that they kind of stuck in my teeth after eating them but that just means more for later. Ha! Seriously, people - these are YUMM!

Project 365:75

2011-06-23T22:38:00.002-04:00

Project 365:74

2011-06-23T21:16:00.000-04:00

This counts for yesterday...power went out when I tried to post yesterday!!

This bowl of not-so-delish is at the moment turning into something SUPER delish...stay tuned!

Stubborn

2011-06-22T10:48:00.002-04:00

Has anyone ever heard the phrase, "like a bulldog with a bone?" It's rooted, deeply it seems, in reality. This little bulldog of ours is stubborn, stubborn, stubborn. (By the way, now that he's grown we're convinced he's not a full-blooded English Bulldog. We refer to him as "Frenglish" since we're pretty sure he's been mixed with a Frenchie)

I take probably too much pride in how well I housetrain our dogs. I am also probably too much of a neat-freak to own dogs, but I love them so I do my best to deal and one of the ways I do it is by training them to have perfect potty habits. Knuckles, though? Ugh. We don't have a lot of accidents around here anymore but it's only because I let him out regularly, whether he asks or not. BUT...when life gets busy, I really need for him to let me know when he needs out, lest I forget.

All that to get to this: Today we're in potty training boot camp. When we got up this morning (he sleeps on a pillow next to my bed), I ushered him into the kitchen but didn't let him outside. Instead, I brought his pillow out, rounded up my laptop and settled in to check my email while I waited for him to a) ask to be let out because he does know how, but chooses not to or b) start to have an accident which I could thwart easily on hard surface floors and usher him outside...ringing the bells on our door on the way so he'd figure it out.

That was 6:20am. It's now 10:45am and he still hasn't budged. He's been snoozing on his pillow since.

He might be stubborn but I am determined to out-stubborn him.

UPDATE: Knuckles woke up around noon and continued to lounge on his pillow until about 12:30p when he sat up and started barking at me. I don't know if he wanted to play or wanted to go out, but I opted to believe the latter. I took him over to the door, made him ring the bells and then sent him outside to take care of business. He's been outside ever since. By the way, he has NO PROBLEM throwing himself at the door when he wants IN...but no desire to notify me when he wants out.

Stay tuned. I imagine you're waiting on pins and needles for my dog's potty update. I'm sure you are.

Project 365:73 - bocce!

2011-06-20T23:48:00.000-04:00

Today was the start of our summer bocce league. Our goal this week was to create a foundation upon which to build a comeback. Success! Yes, that means we *lost* but wasn't that a much more positive take on it? Here's Maggie, high-fiving our raging success...or maybe it was the lime-flavored vodka she was excited about? I know I was ready to high-five about both so the photo is sort of a toss-up. Go ahead, interpret it however you like - there's no wrong answer.

Project 365:72 - giddyup!

2011-06-18T15:05:00.003-04:00

I got back on the horse today...I participated in the Garden Gallop 5k in nearby Kennesaw. I'm no where near the runner I want to be but it feels good to keep working at it. If you remember I sprained my ankle a couple of weeks ago so the training I intended to put in got waylaid and my time was 2 minutes slower than the last one I ran, but there's so much entertainment to be had at a 5k race. If you ever have the chance to cheer on runners at a road race, I encourage you to give it a try. Or better yet - complete the race! I go into these things knowing I'm not going to be a feared competitor but I like trying to beat my own time and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing.

Today I watched a 2 1/2-year old run a mile. For real...he ran the entire mile (for the 1-mile fun run). I got beat in the 5k by oodles of kids under the age of 10. I got beat in the 5k by oodles of men and women over age 70. Yes, seventy. But you know what? It's fun, it really is.

P.S. - I picked this particular race because I liked the race logo and it advertised a relatively flat course. Clearly, I'm in this for all the right reasons.

Picture-less

2011-06-17T23:06:00.000-04:00

The blog shall remain pictureless today and I'm okay with that. Today was busy and tomorrow looks to hold the same, but I can handle that because it feels like I might actually be making progress in some areas. For instance, I have visual confirmation now that there is, in fact, an end to the emails in my work inbox. Where does one go to request that a miracle be certified? I think this qualifies. Call the Pope!

I ran out this evening to check a few items off my list of errands and while I wish I had checked a few more little boxes (yes, there is a list with boxes...c'mon, you know me by now), I'm happy with what I got done. Tomorrow's list still has a few pesky computer-related items but I'm looking forward to the kind of task items that don't require staring at a monitor all day - laundry, cleaning, some yard work if the weather holds, etc.

Because this post apparently can't possibly get any more boring, why don't I tell you about how I organized my pantry today? Well, I did. Sort of - I straightened it up a bit while I was chatting with my mom but I think that a review/purge/organize agenda item will get added to tomorrow's list. We've been eating a lot of meals at home lately so there's probably not much to do in the way of purging but it's another box I can easily check and I nerdily love that.

Despite what looks like a yawn-inducing day tomorrow I promise to have some fun stuff to write about when I sit down to blog tomorrow. Maybe even a picture...don't try to stop me now! I've gone wild!

(okay, I shouldn't promise that it'll be fun but it at least won't be a detailed recap of how I dusted the baseboards or anything).

Lastly, have you all noticed that I use the word "just" farrrr too often? I do. I've been trying not to for a couple of weeks now but I have to purposefully re-read my posts to ferret them out.

Project 365:71

2011-06-16T23:47:00.004-04:00

Cranky Knuckles laying near my feet. He gets pretttty ornery when the end of the work day approaches and I don't show signs of slowing. Of course, this picture was taken around noon which is when he thinks I should turn my attention to him and only him...for the rest of the day.

The other thing you should notice in this picture? The bedazzled computer power cord. It's an anti-theft feature - after market, of course - designed specifically to thwart the husbandly type from leaving home with power cords belonging to the wifely type.

Project 365:70 - Bolognese Stuffed Bell Peppers

2011-06-15T19:06:00.050-04:00

We had stuffed peppers for dinner tonight; the first time I've ever made them and the recipe was deeeelish! Here's what I did:

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked white rice (I used Basmati because I had it in the cupboard)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 stalk of celery, minced
1/2 carrot, minced
1/2 pound ground beef
2 cups prepared pasta sauce (I mixed two kinds because I had some to use up. I did about half with Four Cheese Pasta Sauce and half Spicy Tomato & Basil)
1/4 cup red wine (I used Pinot Noir because I had some open)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 packet of Italian Dressing & Recipe Mix (I use the first one in the list - "Italian". Found near the bottles of salad dressings in the condiment aisle at your grocery store)
4-6 bell peppers, stems and seeds removed cut in half

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Prepare the rice according to package directions and set aside.
Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add carrots and celery; cook until tender.
Add ground beef and Italian Dressing & Recipe mix; cook until brown and crumbled.
Drain beef mixture if there's excess liquid
Add pasta sauce, wine and red pepper flakes; simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in milk, half of the Parmesan cheese and rice.
Simmer for 5 minutes more or until liquid has absorbed.
Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and fill with the beef mixture.
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven; serve hot.

For reference, I got the inspiration for this meal HERE but modified as noted above to work with the ingredients I had on hand. If you mix-and-match my recipe and the other, I'd use either the Italian seasoning mix or the pancetta, but not both...I'm guessing it'd be too salty if you did both. I substituted in the seasoning mix because we're not pork eaters in this house but I still wanted the savory flavor it adds.

I also think you could "hide" more veggies in this if you mince more carrots and celery or even onions. Obviously, if you have a veggie-averse person in the house maybe stuffed peppers aren't all that appealing anyway but the stuffing could wrapped in a tortilla wrapper or something, too. Or heck, eaten as a skillet meal without a "container." I had more stuffing than peppers to hold it tonight so I'm going to wrap mine in a lettuce leaf tomorrow for lunch.

Project 365:69

2011-06-14T22:16:00.010-04:00

A set of beads I've been working on...imagining a three-strand necklace with matching bracelet:

Three

2011-06-14T06:44:00.078-04:00

Today marks three years of wedded bliss to a man I'm incredibly proud to call my husband. I know that's not a monumental number but I'm still monumentally thankful that God brought us together. The way it all happened is downright divinely appointed. I mean, who would have thought that a man born in India and raised in Toronto would run into a small town girl from Michigan when both were living in Colorado?

Meeting Aamir, working for him and seeing his integrity at work, getting to know him and being loved by him is, to me, clear evidence of God at work in our lives. In 2006 when we met, I wasn't thinking of dating him - I only wanted him to hire me for a promotion at work and he did.

For months I worked for Aamir and every day marveled at his poise, confidence, professionalism and business sense. I asked a co-worker, "how old is Aamir?" and when she told me he was less than a year older than me I was stunned. How had someone my age become so wise?? My admiration for him grew, but I still thought of him only as my boss (albeit a handsome one).

About six months after I started working for Aamir, I went through a breakup with a long-term boyfriend. When I told Aamir he kindly offered me the day off and I declined, determined not to let it get to me. He checked in on me via instant messenger the next day and told me not to worry, that I was an amazing, intelligent and beautiful woman and any guy who let me go wasn't very bright. It was nice to hear - but the sort of thing generally said to console a girl after a breakup - I didn't think anything of it.

A couple of months later, Aamir and I exchanged instant messages one Sunday when we weren't at work. It was a first - he'd never contacted me outside of work and I just knew he was interested (I'd seen him outside of work in group settings but I'd never contacted him directly). Dinner plans ensued and my roommate set to work prettying me up for the night. She had weeks earlier declared that we would be together one day when we were out with a group of folks from work - including Aamir! (I was mortified!).

That Sunday we had dinner and Aamir expressed to me that he was interested in dating me but obviously we had to explore the situation quietly since he was my manager at work. Three days later he predicted that we could get married and be happily ever after - he said he just knew - but I was still reeling from my breakup. I was interested, but not that interested. Exactly five days after we had dinner Aamir told my closest friend that he loved me...then told me that he loved me.

Eleven months later we got engaged and we were married on June 14, 2008 - nine months after we got engaged.

Insert huge, face-splitting grin here.

Love you, Aamir!

Project 365:68

2011-06-13T23:37:00.015-04:00

It's been a tiring couple of days so I cut myself more of the Project 365 slack I allowed last week. Today, though, I took time to sit in a chair in the backyard reading a book on my Kindle and watching the glow of the afternoon sun paint the trees behind our house with warm yellows and feelings of tangible peace:

Project 365:67

2011-06-09T22:06:00.002-04:00

Female Robin:

Project 365:66

2011-06-08T23:51:00.006-04:00

Couldn't resist taking these while I worked tonight. Poor Knucky was having a rough time getting cozied up in his toy bin (after he emptied all toys, of course).

Too Tired

2011-06-07T23:44:00.000-04:00

I'm just too tired to post. My job demands at least 12 hours a day and on top of that is puppy care, housework and all the other responsibilities of being an adult. I'm giving myself a free pass from blogging for a few days, even though that means no Project 365 posts. I'll try to catch them up at the end of the week and note which pictures are from which day. No guarantees.

PS...this sprained ankle is making me angry. How long until the darn thing stops swelling? I need to be running. Not that I have time for that, either.

Project 365:65

2011-06-05T22:26:00.001-04:00

(L-R) Jamie, Jennifer, me, Shannon, Maggie and Jenna

I'm cheating today and I don't feel a bit guilty about it. I met up with the girls for brunch today (in celebration of Jennifer's upcoming wedding!) and we got this picture outside at the Georgian Terrace. I'm in the picture so clearly I didn't take it but I quite successfully handed my camera to a stranger and instructed him how to push the button down so it counts. *pat, pat* (on my back).

I wish this next one had turned out better (not blurry), but I all pats on the back (self-indulged or otherwise) are hereby revoked because this picture could have been SUPERB what with all us supermodels if not for the lack of instructional clarity on my part to the waiter. Sometimes my big ol' camera confounds people. Sigh.

(L-R): Jennifer, Shannon, Maggie, Jenna, me, Stacy, Jamie

Project 365:64

2011-06-04T23:32:00.000-04:00

Project 365:63

2011-06-02T23:09:00.000-04:00

I saw this Eastern Phoebe a few weeks ago but didn't manage to get a great picture of him/her - not even clear enough to be able to identify her back then. I got one today, though, and was intrigued to find out this tidbit when I checked it out in the bird book I use: "...often seen on the end of a dead branch"...that's exactly where I saw her today!

In Flight

2011-06-01T22:46:00.000-04:00

I didn't even realize I had this picture until I offloaded my memory card tonight, but I think it's pretty cool.

Project 365:62

2011-06-01T22:43:00.000-04:00

Love the first blushes of color on the year's produce (these are actually wild blackberries that grow behind our house).

Project 365:62

2011-05-31T23:06:00.002-04:00

Knuckles may have been involved in the Ankle Incident of 2011, but he got what was coming to him today. Probably no need for me to explain what procedure he endured. He remained in this position for a good long while before his muscles gave out and he very gingerly laid down on his fluffy pillow. Silly doggie.

Hmm...I'm suddenly aware that now Knuckles suffers from infertility as well. Figures, eh? Ha!

PS...I did not actually sign him up for this little procedure as payback. That would have been dumb since I've had to lug him up and down the stairs several times, load him in and out of the car and in general tote him around like we're conjoined for the past 6 hours and that's not fun on a sprained ankle.

Project 365:61

2011-05-30T23:01:00.000-04:00

This beauty survived Knuck's landscaping efforts:

Project 365:60

2011-05-29T22:48:00.001-04:00

It's been an eventful day. Well, actually, it was only eventful for a few minutes and then it got very boring for several hours. At about 9:15am, I ran outside...in my robe..AGAIN (I think I have learned this time)...anyway, I ran out to beat the tar out of Knuckles. Correction: I wasn't running, I was walking stealthily and I wasn't going to beat him, I was going to scare the snot out of him by blasting an air horn behind him while he was lost in the art of re-landscaping. Just as I was about to unleash the fury of the air horn, my ankle gave way mid-step and I rolled it to the side bearing all my weight on it at once. I toppled, I hollered, a neighbor came to my rescue along with Aamir. Humiliation and a trip to the ER ensued. Thank goodness for my Kindle. I can't imagine all that waiting without it! Aamir entertained himself by alternating between attending to his iPad and laughing at me, while I worked up fake tears to thwart his laughter and read a book on the Kindle.

End result was my ankle doing the impression of a golf ball dispenser and an air cast with instructions to ice and rest it. Sprain.

Sing it with me now! "One of these things is not like the other! One of these things does not beloooonnnng...."

Project 365:59

2011-05-28T23:48:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know I missed a few days. I worked 22 hours straight on Wednesday/Thursday. I get a free pass.

Here are two of my favorite women - Meher Auntie and Rubab Khala:

We went to Rubab Khala and Ali Uncle's house to celebrate their son's graduation from high school. Shaaz is one of those kids who is equally liked by his peers and adults...really cool kid. Here he is with his younger sister, Sunya:

Project 365:58

2011-05-25T22:19:00.000-04:00

Today's picture is severely lacking in quality, but it's something. I saw these two red-bellied wood peckers smoochin' in a tree in our neighbor's yard. I couldn't get zoomed in enough to get it in focus so this'll have to do for today. The one higher up on the tree is a male and the other is the female...this is the first time I've seen her around.