Five Good Things

1.) I made lentil soup last night and it is amazing, particularly as leftovers.

2.) My favorite Buckeye made a random trip to my tundra last Saturday, so I got to see her!  It was wonderful and almost makes me want to visit Ohio so that we can spend more time together.  (Of states that I have visited, Ohio is my least favorite.)

3.) I will be home from work by 4:30pm tomorrow and have the whole evening free.  Granted, I’ll probably use it to do practical things like laundry and sweep the floors, but that’s still better than 11pm laundry.  The probability is also high that I will relax on the couch, eat my leftover Chinese takeout, and watch TV.  50-50, probably.

4.) I found a check that I thought I lost.  It is only a little old, so it is still good.

5.) One of my good friends received an acceptance to her top-choice graduate school.  As an added bonus, the school is in the town I’m moving to in the fall!

No Smoking, Yes Chestbumping

On Friday night, I spent a spontaneous and spirited moment as a public-service announcement.  I left a bar (with my friend – “Safety is no accident!”) and there were two guys smoking outside of it, with their non-smoking friend.  Being me, I probably said hello and must have made some comment about smoking or something or maybe Friend did, because one guy spiked his cigarette into the remnants snow.*  The other guy said, “Well, I haven’t had a cigarette in five weeks.”  To which Friend said, “Well why start now?”  But!  I promptly quipped, “George Bush wants you to smoke.”  Well!  He threw it right down and smiled.  So, I cheered him “YEAH!” and we immediately knew we had to chestbump for that.  Then I chestbumped his buddy who previously threw down his smoke.  And then I chestbumped the guy who doesn’t smoke, because hey, non-smoker!  The last guy told me he was going to go all in for our bump.  I embraced it, committing my total mass as well, and did not vomit all over him.  And then we had a happy walk home.

The End.

*Littering is a secondary issue

Five Good Things

1.) My produce market randomly had a fantastic selection of prime produce yesterday.  Mango, blueberries, peaches, asparagus, and CORN ON THE COB all will be devoured by me this week – in addition to the usual spinach, apples, and grapefruits.  I am pumped. 

2.) The antithesis of produce and my guilty pleasure, Stouffer’s mac ‘n cheese, is on sale at Walgreens this week.  I clipped a coupon for that too.  For some reason (my Scottish background?) I feel LESS bad about eating (delicious) crap when I buy it on sale.

3.) More on this later, but I had a major haircut and do not feel frustrated with the change.  I feel like I have a lot less hair.

4.) Fraggle Rock is on On Demand.  Heck yeah, I’ll dance my cares away.

5.) My new book club starts soon.

Currently Reading…

One of the great things about my job is that it allows me a fair amount of “my choice” reading time – on the clock.  Because I’m a huge dork, I’m currently reading (yet another) book about Tudor England: The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir.  Yesterday, I got sidetracked and did not put my book away before getting the peanut up from her nap.  (Aside: Really glad I’m a huge dork.)

Ever aware, Peanut spotted it and asked me what was on her coffee table.  I make it a point to be as honest as possible with the kids, but also know my audience, so simplified my answer.  “That is the book I am reading.  It is about those two girls, who are princesses, and their brother, who is a prince.  The other girl is their cousin.”

one prince, two princesses, and their cousin

Peanut nodded and moved on to her own books…which just so happen to also about princes and princesses.   D’oh.  Whatever.  My prince, princesses, and their cousin are cooler.

Aside #2: I am aware that Jane Grey was the grandniece, not child, of Henry VIII and her inclusion on the cover bothers me.

Five Good Things

1.) After a couple of consecutive weeks of failing to post a 5GT on Monday, I’m back on track.

2.) I went puddle stomping at work today. 

3.) There were puddles (for stomping) because the snow is melting, which is great both because it is getting warmer and also because it is easier to get down my street with smaller banks down its side.

4.) Free beer (class) tomorrow! 

5.) I bought amazing asparagus; I am going to eat it alllllllll up.  (And then, well, you know.)

Big Flats Beer: A Review of a $.04/oz Beer

Big Flats Beer in a Festive Coozy...MADE WITH LOVE!

When my friend Suzy read an article about Walgreens adding a store brand beer, she knew two things: she would be trying it and she would be alerting me, so we would try it together.  My friend Suzy is clearly brilliant – working towards her Ph.D. at a top institution, obviously. 

We are (usually) lucky to live in an area where alcohol is easily and readily available to people of legal drinking age.  Seriously, The Target sells The Spirits, so a person could hypothetically add a couple of handles of Smirnoff and a few suitcases of Bud Light to a Club Wed registry.  Thus, our local Walgreens is one of the many licensed to sell beer, including Big Flats.  At a pre-tax price of $2.99, we licensed ourselves to buy.  Actually, that is an untruth.  Suzy and another friend, Pete-ah bought the beer; I brought brownies I made from a box and craft supplies.  Crafting is a panacea of sorts, so it seemed like a good idea to have at the ready since we were a bit skeptical about chain-pharmacy beer.

I Was Wrong.

I admit it: I was wrong.  I thought that the Budweiser commercial continuance would get all sassy and feature a woman.  (Come on, Bud is owned by InBev, so it’s European – shouldn’t we get a racy commercial?!?)

Nope, it features Cowboy Scraggles, who turns into Cowboy Singalong with a Bud…with a 1971 song, you know, Nixon-era.  Perhaps this was a tribute to bad karaoke?  Budweiser, please focus on the Clydesdales or revert to the frogs.  If you need to shake things up, this is not the way to go.  Nobody in my viewing group was impressed.  Had you gone with a sassy broad?  Well, you might have captivated half the room…

If you want to see the commercial, you can find it here

Five Good Things

1.) I’m not dead or severely diseased…I was just on hiatus.

2.) Despite SNOWMAGGEDON!, there were no reports of boils, frogs, or rivers turning to blood.  (Rivers did turn to ice.)

3.) I have mornings off today thru Friday  It’s a special treat and great as I am totally salaried.

4.) I bought a KitchenAid miniprep food processor.  This is an appliance I over which I have salivated for a very long time.  Tonight, I decided that instead of salivating over one, I should instead just buy one and use it.  I went for the 3 cup option as it was on sale and most of what I want to use it for is small prep.

5.) My big haircut is booked and less than two weeks away.  I am donating the hair I am cutting off, so it will be 10″+.