Oregon rarely gets any snow where people actually live. There are some years where we will get a light dusting one day, and people play, but it's over by noon. Sometimes we actually get a full snow day with big chunky flakes falling toward an inch or so on the ground. This week we got some of that.
I took photos on my phone, which I will try to figure out how to upload to my computer. I'm not going to lie, there was kind of a lot yesterday. And it kept falling until mid-morning when the sun came out from behind the clouds and dried us all up. I don't mind it. We got to get out of work because Oregonians don't know how to drive on snow and ice and then by the end of the day it was gone.
The thing that baffles me is how school districts determine whether or not they're going to allow a snow day. Yesterday, nearly the entire state was shut down. All of the public and private schools, except for a handful, were able to enjoy the snow. One of those schools in the handful was in the district in which I work, which would have meant that I would have also had work. Luckily, our bosses have good judgement and allowed us to stay home anyhow. Last night, after nearly all the snow had melted and it wasn't snowing any longer, the district decided that today would be a good day to have a snow day. It is gorgeous outside: sun shining, no clouds, barely any snow... yet, they want a school day.
Like I said, I don't understand how a school district determines this, but I do know that it isn't always logical.
This give me a second day off. Yesterday I squandered my day on sleep. Today, I've been on a mission to get things done, though it's two and I haven't done much save for eat and shower. I have decided that I need to work on those pictures that are on this computer that I've been promising for MONTHS. It is out of control how much work I need to do, which is why I haven't done it.
I'm gonna do it.
Right now.
I'm going.
Expect them soon. SOONISH.
over and out.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
favorite things
I have a couple of favorite things right now. They are kind of all over the spectrum as far as categories go, but I am sort of a random person so it's fitting.
Jersey Shore - I first watched this show about two years ago, when it started. I heard a big buzz about it and decided that I would not give into the fad. But somehow things are OK when you do it to make fun of it. So Alex and I tuned in one day to see the disaster and ended up watching the marathon... just for fun, though, right? I've kept up lightly since then, but now it's turned into a full blown favorite. I DVR this show. It's kind of scary.
Now, I call this "trash TV" and I know that it adds no real value to my mind, but it is entertaining and a definite conversation piece. Also, and in their defense, they can be quite philosophical sometimes....ironic, right?
Moroccan Oil - This is not oil that you cook with, people. This is deliciously aromatic oil that you put in your hair to make it smell divine and, even better, feel like silk. It is worth its weight in gold, which is why it's so frickin' expensive!! I bought a bottle that was almost 4oz, I think, for $40. It ought to last a couple of months, so when you look at it this way, it's not as bad. Plus, I'm hoping that it will help my ends which will help me to get hair cuts less often. If you have the means to get some of this stuff, I completely suggest it. I got mine at the local beauty school shop.
Panic! At the Disco Pretty. Odd. - I loved Panic!'s first album. A lot. And so when I got this one the other day I was pretty excited to listen to it. It did not let me down. My favorite songs include "Do You Know What I'm Seeing?" and "When the Day Met the Night". Makes me so happy inside!
If you have liked their music in the past, or have heard "Nine in the Afternoon" on the radio, this album would be a good choice for you.
This are the things that have made me go "EEEE!!" when I think about them. When I get out of the shower, I'm so excited to put in my oil. When I get in the car to go to work, I'm so excited to put Panic! in my ear holes. When it's Friday morning, and I remember that I have the new episode of Jersey Shore on my DVR, I am like "OMG".
Obviously this is subject to personal taste. If you don't like trash TV, you probably won't like Jersey Shore. If you don't like Panic!'s genre of music, you probably won't like their album. And if you hate hair, then you will not like the Moroccan Oil. Use at your own discretion.
Note: This is not a paid advertisement and I am in no way affiliated with any of the above mentioned. These are my own personal opinions of these products.
Jersey Shore - I first watched this show about two years ago, when it started. I heard a big buzz about it and decided that I would not give into the fad. But somehow things are OK when you do it to make fun of it. So Alex and I tuned in one day to see the disaster and ended up watching the marathon... just for fun, though, right? I've kept up lightly since then, but now it's turned into a full blown favorite. I DVR this show. It's kind of scary.
Now, I call this "trash TV" and I know that it adds no real value to my mind, but it is entertaining and a definite conversation piece. Also, and in their defense, they can be quite philosophical sometimes....ironic, right?
Moroccan Oil - This is not oil that you cook with, people. This is deliciously aromatic oil that you put in your hair to make it smell divine and, even better, feel like silk. It is worth its weight in gold, which is why it's so frickin' expensive!! I bought a bottle that was almost 4oz, I think, for $40. It ought to last a couple of months, so when you look at it this way, it's not as bad. Plus, I'm hoping that it will help my ends which will help me to get hair cuts less often. If you have the means to get some of this stuff, I completely suggest it. I got mine at the local beauty school shop.
Panic! At the Disco Pretty. Odd. - I loved Panic!'s first album. A lot. And so when I got this one the other day I was pretty excited to listen to it. It did not let me down. My favorite songs include "Do You Know What I'm Seeing?" and "When the Day Met the Night". Makes me so happy inside!
If you have liked their music in the past, or have heard "Nine in the Afternoon" on the radio, this album would be a good choice for you.
This are the things that have made me go "EEEE!!" when I think about them. When I get out of the shower, I'm so excited to put in my oil. When I get in the car to go to work, I'm so excited to put Panic! in my ear holes. When it's Friday morning, and I remember that I have the new episode of Jersey Shore on my DVR, I am like "OMG".
Obviously this is subject to personal taste. If you don't like trash TV, you probably won't like Jersey Shore. If you don't like Panic!'s genre of music, you probably won't like their album. And if you hate hair, then you will not like the Moroccan Oil. Use at your own discretion.
Note: This is not a paid advertisement and I am in no way affiliated with any of the above mentioned. These are my own personal opinions of these products.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
favorite recipes from this week
Alex made us Fettuccine Alfredo for our Valentine's Day dinner. This was the first dish that he made for me when we first started dating, and has made it a couple of times since. It has never come out as good as it did last night.
Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz (half a brick) cream cheese
1/4 cup (2oz or half a stick) butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Melt butter and add garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When you're just about ready to eat, turn it up to med-low heat to thicken. Serve over fettuccine, or whatever pasta you like.
We also made green beans. They rocked! Did you know that adding wine makes them better? True story.
1/2 lb fresh green beans
3 cloves of minced garlic
olive oil
1/3 white wine (we used riesling)
Heat the oil with garlic on medium heat. Add green beans and stir to coat them with the oil and garlic. They will start to get brown/black on some parts. Add some white wine and cover. When the wine dries up, add a little more and cover. Continue until your desired tenderness is achieved.
The other thing I love right now is fresh oatmeal. You know, the giant thing of oats that you pick up at the store when you want to make oatmeal cookies? Those ones. Not the ones that come in packets.
Around the house we've been kind of following a sort of diet to help us eat better and hopefully lose weight. It's kind of a combination of two ideas that we got from two different books. I won't go into it now. But, one of the books has recipes and one of the breakfast ones is chocolate oatmeal. It was just OK, but a bit too chocolatey for me. So, this morning, I decided to do something different.
Blueberries and Cream Oatmeal
1/3 cup oats
24g scoop of Muscle Milk's blueberries & cream powder
1/2 cup of water
Mix the oats and powder together before adding water. Microwave until oats are cooked (1-2minutes).
Eat it!
You can do this with any protein powder, I'm sure, but this one is my favorite so far. Tastes just like the blueberries and cream oatmeal that you get out of the packets. The only difference is that this is better for you (more vitamins, less sugar).
Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz (half a brick) cream cheese
1/4 cup (2oz or half a stick) butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Melt butter and add garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When you're just about ready to eat, turn it up to med-low heat to thicken. Serve over fettuccine, or whatever pasta you like.
We also made green beans. They rocked! Did you know that adding wine makes them better? True story.
1/2 lb fresh green beans
3 cloves of minced garlic
olive oil
1/3 white wine (we used riesling)
Heat the oil with garlic on medium heat. Add green beans and stir to coat them with the oil and garlic. They will start to get brown/black on some parts. Add some white wine and cover. When the wine dries up, add a little more and cover. Continue until your desired tenderness is achieved.
The other thing I love right now is fresh oatmeal. You know, the giant thing of oats that you pick up at the store when you want to make oatmeal cookies? Those ones. Not the ones that come in packets.
Around the house we've been kind of following a sort of diet to help us eat better and hopefully lose weight. It's kind of a combination of two ideas that we got from two different books. I won't go into it now. But, one of the books has recipes and one of the breakfast ones is chocolate oatmeal. It was just OK, but a bit too chocolatey for me. So, this morning, I decided to do something different.
Blueberries and Cream Oatmeal
1/3 cup oats
24g scoop of Muscle Milk's blueberries & cream powder
1/2 cup of water
Mix the oats and powder together before adding water. Microwave until oats are cooked (1-2minutes).
Eat it!
You can do this with any protein powder, I'm sure, but this one is my favorite so far. Tastes just like the blueberries and cream oatmeal that you get out of the packets. The only difference is that this is better for you (more vitamins, less sugar).
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
update
life is really hard sometimes. it's difficult to figure out the right things to do at a moment when a decision is required. especially when those decisions involve other people, the people dearest to you.
I haven't written a lot lately because Alex and I have been going through a lot of changes. It started with deciding to take a very expensive trip back home for the holidays, forgoing Costa Rica, and has ended with our separation.
Alex and I are back in the states, as you might have heard or seen, and we're not going back to teach in Honduras. We are living apart right now because we need to decide if staying together is the best thing for each of us. It's a difficult decision to make, but we're talking and trying to make the best choice for each of us and our relationship.
I've been thinking about renaming this blog for sometime now. Maybe I will do that in the wake of our separation, even if we do end up staying together. Mostly, Alex hasn't contributed to this blog like I have, and really, though it's about our life, it's really only my perspective. So, we shall see but don't be alarmed if you do notice a change in the future.
In other news, Alex and I both have jobs, which is amazing to me given the economy's state. They're not full time jobs with benefits, but we're working which is what really matters. Coincidently, or not so coincidently, they are both with the Boys and Girls Club in Lebanon, though he's working at the main club and I'm at the brand new Teen Center. Pretty exciting, right?
Anyway, I will try posting on here more frequently now that the air is clear.
I haven't written a lot lately because Alex and I have been going through a lot of changes. It started with deciding to take a very expensive trip back home for the holidays, forgoing Costa Rica, and has ended with our separation.
Alex and I are back in the states, as you might have heard or seen, and we're not going back to teach in Honduras. We are living apart right now because we need to decide if staying together is the best thing for each of us. It's a difficult decision to make, but we're talking and trying to make the best choice for each of us and our relationship.
I've been thinking about renaming this blog for sometime now. Maybe I will do that in the wake of our separation, even if we do end up staying together. Mostly, Alex hasn't contributed to this blog like I have, and really, though it's about our life, it's really only my perspective. So, we shall see but don't be alarmed if you do notice a change in the future.
In other news, Alex and I both have jobs, which is amazing to me given the economy's state. They're not full time jobs with benefits, but we're working which is what really matters. Coincidently, or not so coincidently, they are both with the Boys and Girls Club in Lebanon, though he's working at the main club and I'm at the brand new Teen Center. Pretty exciting, right?
Anyway, I will try posting on here more frequently now that the air is clear.
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