Friday, March 30, 2012

My Husband's Birthday


Well my husband's birthday has come to an end and I feel so badly because I didn't think it was a grand enough celebration. Although when I asked him which birthday was his favorite over the years he said this one, because of his girls and all the things he finally got to buy. I honestly didn't really do much this year which I feel terrible about but it was for 2 reasons; first of all we have a lot going on right now and it was just hard to plan anything and also I feel kind of odd spending money on him, I know the money he makes is "our money" but at the same time it is the money that he makes so I figured he could just spend it as he so chose this year. The big thing he wanted was an iphone which I've been adamantly against but finally conceded. I did get him some treats, he 'juices' too (drinking mostly juice and eating little solid foods) so we rarely if ever have sweets, meat or 'spirits' in the house.
Sunday my mom, step dad and sister took us out to dinner at the Olive Garden (this is a joke in my family, we literally celebrate everything at the Olive Garden. I think we just keep going there now because it's become so hilarious). There was this guy sitting behind us who kept singing opera to his girlfriend, he had an incredible voice so we actually got him to come over and sing Happy Birthday to my husband. It was very humorous to watch him be serenaded by a young, hip guy.


Daddy took the day off work, went shopping and then the three of us went out to dinner at Red Lobster, came home had some cake and watched The Sitter. It was a nice day, anti climatic, which is more of his speed anyhow. It is I who likes the hoopla.



And next year he will be 30 so he shall have the big party then. I personally want the type of birthday he had this year next year on my 30th and the BIG CELEBRATION to be one which is celebrating my final year in my 20's!


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

My Husband's Birthdays Passed


                 

               This was Joel's 22nd Birthday, I had a little surprise party for him at Mr B's with family and some friends.

23rd 
This was Joel's 23rd Birthday. I 'hired' someone to find his friend from the Army, Caleb, whom he had not spoken to in years. He was living in Iowa, so I called him, having never had met Caleb, and told him I would pay for his ticket, food, drinks and pick him up from the airport. I had my mom pick up Joel and drop him off at Mr B's where I was sitting at the bar with his buddy from the army. 
He was only here for two nights and one night we got a limo and went to a comedy club. It was an incredible surprise and incredibly expensive, I think that's why there are no pictures of Joel's 24th birthday...I couldn't afford film. 
25th 

26th
26th
Ok, well for his 26th Birthday, I had a little get together for him at Mr B's and I am only just now realizing how often we went to that bar. There were a few of our new friends from Krav Maga, his co workers and my family. I remember I was very sick and miserable.
27th
This was taken at Big Boy with my family, I was pregnant so we did not go to Mr B's. 
28th
Joel's first Birthday with his daughter. We were living in a hotel suite in Chicago last year that I had decorated, the staff sent up the cake. We had dinner at Benihanna Japanese Steak House, then we had a drink in the executive lounge. I had bought a few gifts from in Michigan and then had to keep them hidden in the hotel room for weeks. I love this picture!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

LIFE LIST: BUY MEAT FROM A BUTCHER

For the record-this was over 50 POUNDS AGO!


When: June 2011


Where: The Meat Shoppe


Why I wanted to do this: I know this LIFE LIST item seems a little dull and you find this even more perplexing...my sister took me to do this for my 28th Birthday. Years ago I was having a conversation with my grandma about my Aunt Marjorie who is shall we say....blue-blooded. My grandma who grew up with next to nothing would refer to my Aunt as being 'born with a silver spoon in her mouth'---I find my Aunt's brahmin mannerism to be dazzling! She is polished, refined, cultured and well educated. My Aunt Marjorie perfectly reminds me of Emily Gilmore from the show 'The Gilmore Girls' or Countess LuAnn DeLesseps. Where I have never spent a lot of time with this Aunt, I have always wanted to but found her a little intimidating. I am currently trying to spend more time with her, I find her fascinating to talk to, I love the way she speaks and the things she says. I remember years ago my grandma said 'you know Marjorie-she buys her bread from the baker, her cheese from the cheese shop and her meat from the butcher' I was probably in my early teens when she said this and ever since I have wanted to emulate that 'just so' lifestyle. Many times I have tried to buy my baked goods from a baker in lieu of getting them at the grocery store but it is a lot more effort. Maybe if you lived in a city where there were more small business like this and you could just pick up your loaf on the way home it would be easier to work into your routine.


Cost: $20 for a large rump roast and seasonings.


How I paid for it: It was my Birthday gift!


What would I do differently? I think if we had talked to them earlier in the day they would have let me go in the back and chop some meat.

Will I do it again? I am certainly going to make more of an effort to shop at local business.


Something I would recommend? The importance of buying from small business lies in that you receive a higher quality item and impecible customer service. I do shop at Costco, honestly you just can't beat their prices, but it is a little unnerving that you can purchase your wedding gown, funeral casket, linolium and red meat in the same store. When I was at my flower shop, I really enjoyed that personal relationship with my customers, it was five years ago but I still remember their names and I could still make that perfect arrangement that fit their personality. I miss being part of the small business world, for that is certainly where my heart lies. Nearly every job I have had was at a small business. They are quaint, charming, and I have made many long lasting friendships through my small business jobs.


Good gift/surprise? Well, for me it was! But I don't know how many others would appreciate a gesture such as this. It was a perfect gift from my sister, there is no one I prefer to purchase my red beef products with than her...also, she is one of the few people who got this one and thought it was 'sweet'.


Life changing? If we continue to do all their shopping at large chain stores we aren't going to have these precious small businesses left. I know it is a real treat to walk into a large store with every item you could possibly need, stand in a line with your tampons, window washing solvent, six pack, baby wipes and foot powder then when you reach the counter the expressionless cashier doesn't great you-scans your items (that is if you do not have the luxury of doing it yourself, which there should be labor laws against- if you have to 'check yourself out'...shouldn't we get a discount?) -one of my personal favorite moments is when the glossy eyed cashier doesn't even feel the need to tell you how much they cost...and really why should they waste energy using their vocal cords when after all the number is digitally displayed right in front of you. They haphazardly slop your items into a fetching lite brown plastic bag that, fingers crossed, will end up in a landfill one day-which is great because in the long run it will open up more job positions needing people to transport garbage to different locations. And then, at the end of it all, you get the joy of walking away thinking 'i can't believe how long I had to wait in line to be treated like crap for patronizing their store which gives that a-hole a paycheck!'  I know it would be really difficult to give all this up if God forbid the local businesses were to reclaim the retail industry, so let's pray that these dear moments in our lives ARE NOT CHANGED. I know I have a fairly bad attitude about this but it makes me so angry to spend my money at places where the employees can't even show you respect or kindness. I love that I have moved to a small town now and I can put my daughter in the stroller and walk her up to the corner store and pick up some gourmet, locally made products. Honestly it's not financially feasible to purchase everything from small business but there are certain things that I try to specifically buy them.

Christmas Decorations

This one is totally more for me-here are my Christmas decorations, this is my last year in this apartment so I wanted to have some pictures of what it looked like. 

Sunday, March 18, 2012

I'm just gonna live life this week


"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." 


I have accomplished so much this month! And this week should be good too, I plan on updating the aesthetics of my blog, I'm working on a translation (French to English), I want to finish a book I'm reading, I have my orientation to mentor kids which I am very nervous about, I've been working on my castanettes each day (although I never get better) I've been walking every day, A LOT ( today I walked 8 miles!) And I was going to go to a pow wow but it's much farther  away than I thought so I haven't yet decided if I'm going to be able to or not-way too far to take the little one and I don't think I want to leave her for that long. I also plan on having several more arguments with my 'relatives'.... thank God I don't have a full time job, I just wouldn't have the time to squeeze in all these altercations! I also have a few 'business' matters that I HAVE  to attend to-can't all be fun! Tomorrow I am excited to see a friend I haven't seen in over 2 years! To a productive week!



My Perfect St Patrick's Day 2012

I just love St Patrick's Day!!! I find it so incredible that on the same day each year people all over the world wear the same color, it is completely acceptable to look and act as ridiculous as possible and people call in sick to go to the bar early in the morning. How much fun I have had over the years on St Pats! My antics include closing my business early to meet up with friends at the bar, standing in line for over an hour in the freezing cold, drinking at work, skipping class, convincing people I barely know to skip class with me, drinking during class, going to the pub well before noon, and taking the day off work because I had to get a 'physical'. I think it's just an all around fun, light hearted, entertaining day. 


 I have been celebrating all week and I topped it off today by going to my favorite Irish pub GUS O'CONNORS in Rochester. There was a $10 cover but it included all your food so it was a really good deal in my opinion, not to mention I love nothing more than having meat links, baked beans and potatoes for breakfast. We didn't stay long because Shannon had to go to work at 10h30- we arrived at 8h A.M. Shannon doesn't drink which is probably for the best that I went with her as each beer with tip cost $8 dollars!!! Had I been with a drinker I'm sure I would have been easily swayed to spend way too much money. We parted ways and I walked around town a bit conversing with all the small business owners (LOVE small businesses!!!) 
p.s. I loved that so many people though I was a natural redhead today! 


Standing at the top of the stairs when I arrived home was the prettiest Scottish princess and I just had to show her off so I took my daughter and husband back downtown where I had just come from to introduce her to all the people I had just been bragging to. It was such a nice day! My goals for next year are to oil paint a leprechaun, play and post some jigs on my fiddle and wear the most exquisite outfit! I hope you all took some time to just act a little silly today.


Every year we make corned beef and cabbage and this year I noticed a pattern-each year my husband incorrectly makes this meal. The first year he bought sliced corned beef deli meat...and then cooked it in the crock pot. One year he forgot to add the seasoning. (This wasn't his fault) but the year I was pregnant the smell made me so sick I had to throw away the entire meal. And then this year, he forgot to add the carrots and I'm not sure how he managed this but the potatoes took two days to cook...the entire roast was cooked through but tiny potatoes-hard as a rock. I would make it myself but I'm intrigued to see what he will do to it next year. My husband excels at everything he does although he is no match for salted meat and tender vegetables. 

SHAMROCK SHAKE-Z went nuts for it!

AS IF SHE WOULD SHARE
GROUND ZERO
GREEN EYESHADOW

GREEN NAIL POLISH. BRACELETS. MY GRANDMA'S CLOVER RING
GREEN TOES
IT WAS SO WARM I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO WEAR 'EM
BABY LEPRECHAUN SOCKS

AWESOME GREEN NECKLACE I GOT AT AN ANTIQUE STORE 
GREEN BROACH I GOT FROM SOMEONE...CAN'T REMEMBER WHO

GREEN SCARF I MADE
OPENED AT 7H A.M. - GOT THERE AT 8H30 A.M.
MOMMY GETTING READY AT 7H A.M.

MY OLD FRIEND SHANNON- A GOOD SPORT...SINCE SHE'S IN A.A.
$6.50 GREEN BEER 
22 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP

IN LIEU OF MY MORNING COFFEE
LIVE IRISH BAND AT GUS O'CONNORS
ON EVERY OTHER DAY OF THE YEAR, IT IS THE MOST AUTHENTIC IRISH PUB
SHAMROCK COOKIE
OLD VILLAGE BAKERY
ST PATRICK'S FANATICS
HAD TO PARADE HER AROUND TOWN
OVER 100 PEOPLE IN LINE JUST AN HOUR AFTER I LEFT
GUS O'CONNOR'S
THE PARK
AND OF COURSE- GREEN JUICE!
3.17.2011
3.17.2012
IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

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