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Antisocial

At dinner:

Josh: I should probably log into facebook. I don't think I've done that yet this year.
Allie: Josh...on social networking.

Allie's Tip from the Kitchen #41

I don't do a whole lot of cooking, but I do enough to have some very specific VERY important kitchen tips to share. Tonight's tip is brought to you courtesy of Knutson sunday dinner (which we are having here, inappropriately, on Tuesday night). Drumroll please....

Allie's Tip from the Kitchen #41
When cutting up something you really like for dinner (in this case dill pickles), always cut up twice what you need. Then you can snack while you prep....and NOBODY knows.

Tada! That's my essential tip from the kitchen. What's yours?

Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head.

Woke up this morning to this in my inbox:

Hi Allie,
We just posted an article, “50 Best Blogs for Marriage Advice.” I thought I'd bring it to your attention in case you think your readers would find it interesting.
I am happy to let you know that your site has been included in this list.
Either way, thanks for your time!
Cheers,
Abby Nelson

Here's the link: http://www.mastersincounseling.com/50-best-blogs-for-marriage-advice

We're number 20 which, quite frankly, completely made my day. (I have to admit that there was a brief pause in writing here while I did a gleeful dance around my livingroom.)

*deep breath*

However, in the immortal words of Fezzik - "Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head."

(Still...thanks Abby!)

Makeover!

I decided to do this as a video blog because it's so much faster than typing everything out. (Sorry, am feeling a little lazy now!)

Oh, and just as a postscript - I'd like to mention that I DID actually edit a .css file today, one of the ones that came with this theme! And I did it all by myself, successfully changing the font, without asking Josh any questions. I know that's like, the most basic programming ever...but I'm still super proud of myself!! (I even remembered to make a back up of the original file in case I screwed it up!)

So hey, we've all accomplished things today! Saturday NOT wasted!

Stay tuned for more news, and please...try out the new comments so I can see if they work or not!

Love!

San Antonio in Pictures

Notes. 7/27/10

Sometimes I give notes in my head as if I'm scripting out my life. Here are a few from today.

Driving home:

Dear very bad driver in the white nissan truck in front of me with the darwin fish-avec-feet decal - you're not making a very convincing argument.

Dear Katy Perry, on a scale of one to ten I like your new song about a negative three.

Finally - later tonight:

Dear self, before attempting to do yoga video, feed cat. Attempting cat pose while being headbutted by actual cat wanting food only leads to collapsing with laughter. This is not a valid yoga pose.

Strawberry Jam yo!

Setting: Cracker Barrel, end of the Sunday lunch rush. Girl is gleefully spreading strawberry jam all over her circle egg in a basket cutouts, glad that the waiter forgot to take the little bowl of jam away when he cleared the table from the last people. Happily, she takes a bite.

Allie: Man. You know what? I forgot how good strawberry jam is! I always buy raspberry. It's probably been years since I've had strawberry jam, but this stuff is the bomb diggity!
Josh: It's probably been years since I'VE heard anyone say "bomb diggity."

Lunch progresses. Conversations ensue. At least ten minutes later. Josh holds up a biscuit with jam.

Josh: Man. You know what this tastes like?
Allie: What.
Josh: The bom diggity.

:-P

24 hr vacation...

Josh was gone this weekend, away at a men's retreat in New Mexico. I’ve had the house to myself for 24 hours. I miss Josh, but I’ve absolutely enjoyed the space and the quiet...all to myself!

Josh, in case you’re wondering...here’s what I’ve been up to

1) I watched Romy and Michele’s Highschool Reunion…because I missed seeing it in highschool/college. The only characters I really liked were Heather and Cowboy/Casey. I’m glad it’s finally off my watch list and I really suspect I could have gone my entire life without seeing it.

2) I made an entire chicken dinner with stuffing, potatoes and green beans just for myself. I couldn’t eat a lot of it, but it was darn yummy. Half way through the afternoon it occurred to me that just because you weren’t here didn’t mean I shouldn’t have a nice dinner.

3) CoH – lots of it. Enough that my shoulders hurt so bad I had to biofreeze them before I went to sleep last night.

4) Slept in the spare room. I don’t know, I just like that room. It’s relaxing. And I rarely get to sleep in there. Also our big bed is a bit too big when it’s just me in it by my lonesome.

5) I invented garlic bagel crisp bruschetta…and ate about 15 of them for lunch.

6) I ate lunch watching Eddie Izzard’s Unspeakable. It was unspeakably funny...I almost spit out my bruschetta probably about 16 times.

7) I went to Bath and Body Works and finally spent the gift card your sister bought me but I’ve never been able to spend because I didn’t have enough time in the store to figure out what I want. Today it took me 45 minutes ...long enough to decide. I now smell fabulous.

8) I walked around the mall. No reason. I still detest the mall...but it occurred to me that I just never ever go there when you’re home. You’re not home, so I went. Also I got lost trying to find the bath and body works store...but still, let’s pretend that was an intentional trip shall we?

9) I took a completely unnecessary bath so that I could try out the stuff I bought at the store.

10) I made everything soup for dinner. When it’s just me that has to eat something, I get a lot more creative in the kitchen. Start with a can of chicken noodle soup. Add everything. Frozen veggies, chopped up potatoes, pastrami, leftover chicken from last night, more noodles. Spices and a bay leaf. I don’t even know why a person is supposed to add that last one…but they always say “and one bay leaf” in recipes. (Remove before serving.) It’s been simmering on the stove for 20 minutes now so we’re about to see how that turned out.

Basically, it’s quiet and the house smells awesome. I also smell awesome thanks to bath and body works. This...has been a completely lovely 24 hours. Yay for vacation time.

In other news...it’ll be nice to have my husband back here soon.

Love,
Me

I'm out of feet.

Pretty much the only good thing about making a complete FOOL of myself at work is the joy I get blogging about it later. To that end, this week I have managed to stick my foot in my mouth not just once....but twice.

To set the scene. The date is Monday, June 21st. The time is some time in the afternoon, after four. Your heroine is somewhat tired, somewhat frazzled and desperately trying to get people signed up for orientation class which is taking place the following day. To this end she has a list of people who are new, sitting beside her phone and ....

*curtain rises and a man enters. He is a married baptist minister, middle aged, good tempered with a nice smile The receptionist looks up, looks down and scans list of patients to get signed up for orientation class and realizes this man is on it. Puts on most charming smile she can muster, looks up again*

Me: *brightly* "So...what are YOU doing tomorrow night at six o'clock?"

Him: *terrified awkward turtle look*

Me: *realizes it sounds like I'm trying to ask him out, turns red, more awkward turtle* "...uh...because we have orientation class tomorrow night and you haven't been yet and ... "

*Everyone else in the office supportively burst into laughter*

Me: *put patient's folder over her head like a tent* ...I AM SO NOT ASKING YOU OUT TO DINNER.

Him: *jokingly* Well....I feel younger already.

Me: *mumbles to self, still under patient file tent* "oh...I have GOT to find a better way to word that."

And if that wasn't enough for this week....I followed that with this earlier today:

*Curtain rises, Male patient, in late forties passes turbosonic ad on wall. Turbosonic ad says something about "let us help you fit into your itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini" It's catchy, it's cute, it gets noticed. Good ad. Male patient comes to the receptionist's window to check out.*

Patient: I want y'all to get ME to fit into an itsy bitsy teeny weenie bikini.

Me: *deadpans* Kenny, you are NOT the first man to want to get into an itsy bitsy teeny weenie bikini."

What I MEANT was...you're not the first male patient I've had make that JOKE about fitting into a bikini. But....that was not exactly what I said.

I'm failing at words this week. So yes, open mouth, insert foot. Twice. I hope it doesn't happen again because frankly I'm out of feet and the thought of putting someone else's foot in my mouth is revolting. Luckily I only have 1/2 day left in the work week. There's no way I could embarrass myself in a half day....right? Right?!? Jinx.

Stay tuned.
Allie

One of us has a gift for overstatement

It's a pretty basic equation:

1 kiddie pool + texas + 2 hours = 2 sunburns.

4 Hours later....

Josh: So...um...my shoulders are pretty warm.
Allie: Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can light fires with my legs.