A Saturday night on the town

On Saturday night I went out in uptown. I guess I should explain a little about going out in downtown Dallas. There are several areas that I have heard of: lower Greenville, uptown, deep ellum, and downtown. All of these areas are in dallas and have a different type of clientele.

I was invited to go to uptown with some new friends on Saturday night. I felt like a dork asking my friend what I should wear but I knew that it was a little ritzier than I was used to. I decided on a new shirt that was plum colored and jeans. I knew I needed I wear heels so I grabbed my cute tan pumps and ran out the door. My friend said casual and I was a few degrees above casual to be safe.

I had no idea that casual meant I needed to wear a dress and rock big heels. I felt underdressed. I really hate that feeling. But at least now I know and I guess I have to start shopping for dresses so that I will have something to wear. I was unprepared for this change I figured that all bars were similar. What a joke. I think tomorrow I will share with you some of the awesome things I experienced with my new friends and I'll try so grab a pic of my new shirt that is pretty cute if I say so myself.

The opening ceremony

Tonight was the opening of the 2012 London Olympic games!!! I didn't get to see all of it due to a scheduling conflict. I always love seeing what the host country brings to the table and the parade of nations is always neat to watch. I am a huge sports junky so for the next 3 weeks I don't know that I will have much to say other than did you see this game or that sport or some match. I am just so excited about the games.

Here are a few things I am excited to see:
Swimming, Ryan Lochte in case you were wondering I am free
Gymnastics, it was always my dream to be a gymnast. So close yet so far
Soccer I just love everything about it
The flag raising part of the medals. Gets me every single time
The greatest moments of the day clips. You know the ones where the great highs and lows are shown and it just makes you glad to be a human. I can't wait even though they make me cry.
Beach volleyball fencing archery truly I will watch any sport but weightlifting

As you can tell I am very very excited about these games and I will probably be busy until they are over. But I just can't wait to chant USA USA USA even if it is just me and the dog.

Go team USA!!!

Early to bed

There are a few things that are rather joyous and one of them is getting in bed after a long day. However, I find myself falling into the trap that the important point of the timeframe is lights out not when my eyes close. I don't think it counts when I get in the bed and play games or tinker around on the Internet. I have yet to figure out how to account for the time that I am going to spend reading a few blogs and checking Facebook.

I will be the first to admit that a part of my evening routine is to read that days texts from last night submissions. I find great joy in reading about other peoples lives but sometimes I want to be able to just get into the bed and go to sleep. I have heard of people who leave their phones in a different room. That is never going to be me.

I am not sure how to deal with this mentality and the irony that I am typing this in my bed on my phone is not lost on me. I guess I am just wondering what do you go to bed at lights out or electronics out and does it matter? At the moment I think it should now be electronics off not lights out and on that note I think I will get a little closer to getting some sleep

Mr. Gecko

Mr. Gecko

Over the last few weeks I have been watching my little friend, Mr. Gecko. I found him one Saturday in my bathroom and at first I was petrified and then I realized I will survive and so will he. To be honest I couldn't catch him and didn't want to pull his tail off... that would have sucked. So I graciously allowed him to live and then I realized that he would eat spiders and I don't like spiders.

I have seen Mr. Gecko a few different times. I saw him once in the living room and I just let him live and wander around the room. This morning I was walking out of the bedroom on the way to get coffee and I almost stepped on him. It was all I could take to not scream but I knew that my grandfather was still sleeping and I didn't want to wake him because hearing your granddaughter scream about a super small lizard running around in the house.

I am looking forward to our next meeting but I think all I will be saying to him is keep up the good work... I haven't seen as many spiders running around my bathroom in recent weeks. But he seems to be doing well since he is more white/pink than he is in the photo. I will try and get another pic of him so you can see his cute little face.

To buy the off brand or not?

As with everyone here in America I am trying to find small ways to save a few dollars here and there. Some of my favorite ways to save a few are pretty normal: brown bag it to work, buy clothes on sale, buy what I need not what I want, and buy the off brand when you can. I am in a season where I am not quite living paycheck to paycheck but by no means am I living large. So I am trying to figure out how to save a few dollars where I can but knowing that I don't have to eat PB&J all the time is also a relief.

I have been doing much of my shopping at Target and Walmart. I find that many of the Target brand items are pretty comparable to the brand name but I try not to buy anything too crazy off brand items. For the most part I try to buy staples off brand and buy things I am going to eat alone or without significant manipulation the brand name.

The other day I went into Walmart to grab a few groceries. I go there mainly because they carry the creamer that I love. But I digress, I wanted to have some yogurt this week. As I stood in front of the dairy case I wondered to myself... hmmm what do I want. I decided to buy strawberry and peach. Now what brand... I typically only eat Yoplait light. I don't like anything else but as I stand there I wonder maybe if I buy the great value brand I can save myself 12 cents for a four pack. This seems that those 12 cents are going to make a real difference. So I toss a four pack of each into the basket and finish my shopping. I am sure I saved a little bit more than 24 cents but who knows.

Let's fast forward to lunch the next day, I get pretty excited for my peach yogurt. I am going to be honest and say that yogurt was very very orange and I only ate three bites. It was one of the most horrific things I have in a while, it was tart and orangey and gross. I realized that I tried to save 12 cents and now I spent money on nasty yogurt.

I think the main point of this is to remind you that sometimes it just isn't worth it to buy the off-brand you should just buy what you know you will eat... gross yogurt. I hope that the strawberry is slightly better or at least edible. Do you try to save a few cents and end up spending more?

Eyeliner Review

As with every girl here in America I am constantly on the hunt for makeup that does what I need it to do in the least amount of time. I don't really care to spend my morning putting makeup on that is going to melt off before you can say what's for lunch. So I am constantly looking for something that is easy to put on and stays on all day long. Lately I have been trying to find a different eyeliner. The morning of my defense my eyeliner decided to melt pretty much all over my face, thank goodness Dawn was around to fix this monstrosity. So I though I would review the few that I have tried so that you can save your money.

First up: Maybelline Define-a-line

I have used this eyeliner for years and prior to my defense I really liked it. My only problem is that eventually it gets mushy and smears all over your face as you try to put it on. Also a little heat outside goes a really long way to melting what you did put on all over you and that is gross. But this does have the advantage that you can sharpen the eyeliner and put on a finer line or a thicker line, you do get to choose.

Second up: Revlon Color Stay Eye Pen

I saw this one at the store when I was hunting for a new eyeliner it looks perfect. It seems to be a pen that you uncap and draw a line on your eyelid. So far there are no screaming red flags until I open the tube and it isn't really a soft point it is the hardest thing ever. I look at the package, maybe I am supposed to soak this in water or something. Nope it looks like you just write on your eyelid. So that is what I do. Let me tell you how agonizing this was I thought I was going to puncture my eyelid, but I continue until I get to the end of one eye. As I look in the mirror there isn't a whole lot going on... this means that after all of that pain and agony I am going to have to do it again just to make it look like I am wearing eyeliner. I have tried this eyeliner several different times and every single time there is lots of pain and no eyeliner on my face. I guess I will hang on to this one in case someone has a helpful hint about how not to damage your eye with this one. I also would NOT recommend buying this one.



Third: Almay intense i-color

I have been a fan of liquid eyeliner for years really but some jerk face I dated told me that he hated that type of eyeliner and that my makeup made me look ugly and on and on. I listened to him and changed it up, but this really should have been cue thirty five or something that I should have dumped him but really hindsight is always 20-20 and at least we are no longer together and I really have nothing to do with him. Someday I might share some of the best stories but for now we just know he sucked. But back to the eyeliner, I found this one the same day I found the stab you in the eye one. I really like this eyeliner it goes on smoothly and doesn't tend to run all over your face. I was unaware when I bought this but it is a black pearl color so it has a hint of shimmer around your eye which I was a little skeptical about in the beginning but now I really love it. I find this type of liquid eyeliner better than some of the others the shorter wand makes it easier to control and I am less likely to get it all over my face. However, once it gets a little old it does get much harder to put on but I think that is because it dries out and then is nasty.

I hope that these reviews have helped you decide what you should buy when you are wandering through target or some store like that thinking hey I really need more eyeliner because really is one type enough? Let me know if you know how to use the stab you in the eye variety, I could be using it wrong or I should be because who wants to stab themselves in the eye to look beautiful? Well probably the people who don't eat to look pretty, that is so silly.

Wearing grown up clothes

One of the main things a girl wants when she grows up is to look beautiful at work. When I was younger I knew that I wanted to be one of those women who wears a power suit and heels to work everyday, the kind of woman who can get stuff done. I have no idea how I knew this as a child but I did and I looked forward to that day really until I realized that I wanted to go into science and in a more serious way realized that I have no fashion sense... crap. Regardless I have worked hard over the years to figure out what is my style and how does that work in my life.

My style is somewhat of a classic style and if you want a mental picture, think J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, to some extend Michael Kors clothing, but I love the look of an Oxford shirt and khakis and something with color. Here is the problem with my style, to date I can't really afford it on a daily basis. Another problem is that wearing cute stuff like that is great right up until the moment when you spill a chemical on it and ruin your expensive new outfit.

I realized a few things about my new style and how to work this into my job...
-I don't have to wear jeans to work, I can but I don't have to.
-I can wear nicer things than before since I don't actually use any chemicals, just salt and that washes out
-I have a lab coat, with my name on it to wear on days when I don't want science on my clothes.
-Learning to mix and match the pieces that I do have makes it seem like I have more clothes
-I need new clothes, lots of new clothes
-I can look cute everyday, that is a choice and it is my choice...

To work on these things I have been trying to buy several new pieces a month and fill in the holes in my wardrobe, it is a little weird to buy stuff and not really have to worry about how this is going to work out I can buy it because I like it and I love how it looks on me. I bought an 18 pack of hangers and I hope to need to buy more soon... this is how I measure my closet. For a long time I bought new clothes and no hangers but not I need hangers and clothes, I feel like such an adult. I will be sure to post pics of my new favorite pieces but rest in knowing that for now I love looking in my closet and saying what do I want to wear today... so many good choices.

Morning Glory

While I was a student at A&M I read the newspaper, the Batt, regularly. I often grabbed a copy on my way to my first class and always worked on the crossword puzzle or saved it for one of my less intensive learning days. In addition to the crossword puzzles there were some relevant articles, one that has really suck with my through the years was the one about where do you poop on campus. I am sure there were other favorites such as: where to eat, where to nap, where to do lots of things. But I remember the pooping one, because although I hadn't realized it I had found my own special place, I have no idea what the building was called but it was near Rudder and if the timing worked out I definitely stopped there to take care of business.

I find that my body likes routine, when I was on staff with Pine Cove my second summer I realized that I pooped every morning at 10AM on the dot. It was scary when I realized it then I realized there was some comfort in this because I knew when I needed to be near the bathroom. My body still loves a good scheduled poop in the morning.

As I have moved here to Texas my morning routine is totally fouled up I am still trying to find both the time and place. I am sure that over time I will figure out when and where to take care of my morning business. At the moment, I am taking my morning moments in a building that I walk through on my way to my office. The main downside of this stop is that there isn't any internet so I am stuck either thinking or sitting there and playing sodoku on my phone. I am not going to lie these are not my most favorite things to do while I am just sitting around but hey it is what needs to happen.

I am sure that if you are new to this blog you probably won't be back but for the rest of you I am sure that you are just thinking... this is exactly like Hannah... haha I am so strange. Oh well I bet this has made you wonder where you enjoy your morning glory moments and if you wish that you had internet or maybe a magazine. Oh well it happens... enjoy your morning glories gang!

My Dream Apartment

So sometimes the best first step is to know the correct direction to take, so in that light I have been trying to come up with the amenities that I need, want, or are a bonus in my apartment. I am sure that once I find a place all of this will just go right out the window but at the same time at least I will know what I am looking for. Here is the current list:

Needs:
-pet friendly
-two bedrooms
-close to the interstate or a major highway
-walkin closets
-patio
-nice kitchen with lots of counter space and cabinets
-washer dryer or hookups
-lots of grass nearby
-fans in every room
-rent to be under 1100: hopefully that will include any of the extras water, trash, sewage, etc.
-large bedroom, with lots of space

Wants:
-Washer dryer in the unit
-first or second floor apartment
-separate dining space, not a whole room but a space for a table
-gym on the property worth using
-pool, preferably a saltwater pool
-separate storage space
-close to work
-a large garden tub

Bonus:
-dog park, I didn't even know you could get this
-Second bathroom
-built in storage, like shelves
-recycling, gotta be green
-window seat

I am sure there are more things that I need or want but this a good start and it is helping me look for an apartment... I am getting excited about having an apartment soon. I'll keep you updated on my hunt for the perfect place, hope I can find it before football season starts.

Apartments

On Sunday I went and looked at several different apartment complexes, here are the adventures that happened on that journey...

The first complex showed me a one bedroom with an office (think small room). When I walked in the door the guy was super skeptical about me but after a few minutes it seemed like this might be a nice place. Here are a few things I loved about the place: assigned parking, dog park, elevators, gym with classes, and a really really secure feeling about the place. Things I didn't love: there was no grass near the apartments, mirrored closet doors and it wasn't a walk-in closet, odd shape in the living and dining room, the linen closet did not have a door, and the kitchen was a little off. It was a good place to start it reminded me of the things that I wanted and the things that just might be deal breakers.

The second complex... I didn't even go inside I just drove by and realized that it was super super ghetto. It was a horrible looking place I have no idea what they took a picture of on their website but that was NOT the place that I looked at. It looked horrible and I realized that I don't actually have to do inside any place that makes me feel bad when I drive up. It was not good.

The third and final place: At this point in the day it was starting to look pretty stormy but I figured if the office was open I would be able to see an apartment. I walk in to the office and there are two girls sitting there and I start asking my questions and she answers them but doesn't seem really happy about it. I finally have asked everything and thought I would get to see an apartment and then she tells me they don't show apartments when it is raining. Oh really, I have seen many apartments in the rain. I think these two girls decided that they didn't want to get wet so they said nope we won't show apartments I mean who will know. I know!

So I may not have found an apartment but I did find more things that I want and things that I don't want. I will be sure to keep you updated on how this is going for me. Wish me luck on finding the right place.

A new ice cream flavor

I am one of those people who loves ice cream, and I really love Blue Bell ice cream. If you don't know this ice cream is made in Texas and I grew up with it. Every other brand of ice cream tastes like imitation ice cream, this is one of the few things that I really missed when I didn't live in Texas or really the south. I tend to be a vanilla kind of girl, so sometimes I like to branch out and try different flavors. Yesterday when I was grocery shopping I saw this flavor... Krazy Kookie Dough.

The carton is what sold me, I think

The description says something like cake batter ice cream with sugar cookie dough and sprinkles. To be honest there is nothing about this that says not going to be amazing. I am very excited about trying this one. I had seen this in the freezer for a while, so it was really just a matter of time before I got it. Once I made it home it took all of my limited self control to not just eat it right away I waited until after dinner (left over pizza). So I grabbed a spoon and popped the top off, and this is what I saw...

The ice cream... looks a little yellow

So once I start eating this ice cream, I feel as if I have been mauled by a sugar monster. I love sweet things but I felt as if I was drowning in sugar. I will admit that I only had a few bites and realized that I couldn't eat it at that moment. But I was still in the midst of a sugar craving, luckily I had also purchased a box of strawberry fruit bars.

yummy and healthy, or maybe we should say healthier...

 I may not have had a really bad for me dessert but I was able to eat a fruit bar, they are almost healthy. I totally recommend these to everyone I know, they are better than the Eddy's ones. I have no idea what I am going to do with that pint of sugar. Who knows maybe it will be better tonight, probably not. Oh well at least now I know it is too much for me.

Apartment Hunting

If we are going to be honest and I really try my best to be honest about my experiences here in Dallas, I am equal parts excited and terrified about apartment hunting. I am excited to get into a new place and be able to decorate. However, I hate looking for apartments. I really hate it, I almost loathe looking for apartments. In Dallas there are a million different apartment sites to look at and try to find apartments and they are all different. But my least favorite part is to find a place that I like and look at the online reviews and realize they are horrible, just horrible.

So I at the moment I have a page in a notebook with my needs, wants, and bonus items. It contains things like 2 bedrooms, dog friendly with lots of grass, a patio, a pool, a dog park (this is a bonus item), a million other things. It is so hard to find a place that I love online because it is hard to know what it is really like. I will share the list with you soon... hopefully.

In hopes of finding a place before the first aggie football game kickoff I am starting to execute my new plan, start looking at apartments. I plan on looking at two places this weekend, maybe more if I see someplace that I want to go to. But I think if I start looking I will be able to figure out what I really want and what is something I can live without. Don't fret I will tell you all about my adventures in this hunting business soon. Who knows I might just hire an apartment finder and see what happens. There are so many choices and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

I am looking forward to being able to put down roots and finally feel like I am here to stay. It is hard to live without all of your stuff it might be junk but it is my junk and I want it back. Maybe I will call house hunters and see if they do american apartment hunting... that is an idea! I'll be sure to look into that one ASAP. Wish me luck in my apartment hunting, and let's hope for the best!

Publish or perish

In science one of the main tenants is that to survive you must publish or perish. I know this is a hard concept, you have to have lots of papers to be considered successful and the level of journal matters. It means that you can do great work and it may or may not be accepted by your peers.

For the first several years in grad school it was difficult to actually get anything ready to publish. So for years it was, how many papers do you have? None, I have none. Thank you for reminding my that in the eyes of my peers I am totally worthless. This is only somewhat true, it does take a while to get things published but until something gets in print it just seems like you are not really a scientist.

Now when people ask me, how many papers do you have? I say five. Then the follow up question, how many are you first author on? I again say five. Now I sound like a pretentious jerk, five first author publications... And lets be real, I still have two more that I am working on...

The first time my name is first all alone, AMAZING

Yikes, I think I did well in grad school. I will be honest every time my name is in print I get a little bit more excited. There is nothing more awesome than reading the statement... Malcolm, et al. I just get very very excited.

Well I should actually do work but I just love being in science and I love getting things published!

Illusions of a single serving

I have long been enamored with the idea of a single serving of something delicious because for a long time I have lived alone and there is nothing like baking a batch of cookies, a cake, or a pie and knowing beyond all doubt that I am going to eat the whole thing. I have learned to cut recipes in parts and then use that to my advantage or sometimes I would take stuff up to my office and just let them eat it. But I really really love to bake and I love home cooked sweets, now don't get me wrong I also love having someone else make me something yummy but if I make it at least I know what is in it.

I joined pinterest several months ago and I am not going to lie when I saw the pins for brownies in a mug or a cake in a mug I was intrigued. So I first made the brownie and it was way too bitter for me, I chalked this up to getting the amount of cocca powder slightly wrong or not having any ice cream to slather on top because ice cream makes everything better. That one was horrible so I moved onto a vanilla cake in a mug... there are no words for how inedible it was. It was like chewing on a sponge with no flavor. After those two experiences I vowed to never make anything in a mug again. EVER.

Then out of the blue I found a pin for a single serving of chocolate chip cookies in a mug, you can find the original recipe here. It was the picture that drew me in, this looks just like a cookie cake. I will admit that I thought about making this for about a week until I was home alone and looking for something to do, that is not a good combo.

So first I get out my ingredients, I was convinced that this was going to so yummy that I was going to be able to share my adventures with you so I took lots of photos. Since I took all of these photos I am going to share them with you.

All my ingredients, yes I used real butter I figured this recipe would need lots of help.

So at this point I follow all of the directions, that I am not going to reproduce since you can look them up yourself if you are sure that you want to. But after I mixed everything together in this little ramekin thing. I did taste it at this point, it does taste like cookie dough. It wasn't as amazing as some that I have had but it was good enough that I didn't toss it right then and there.

After mixing before microwaving, looks like cookie dough

 So I pop this sucker in the microwave and give it a minute.. maybe that was too long but I peaked at 40 seconds and it didn't really look like the picture. So after 60 seconds of waiting... I was pretty pumped at this point, also since I made it in the dish that I cooked it in there wasn't a whole lot of clean up just putting stuff away.

At the end of the cooking

 So I pull the cookie out of the microwave and look at it. This doesn't look like the picture online but then again when you cook out of a magazine it never looks like the pic so I wasn't overly concerned. I grab my fork, which was not far away. I take the first bite expecting to be so satisfied with this cookie... I wasn't satisfied at all. It tasted like flour with chocolate chips in it. So I started eating in the corner so I taste a little from the center... still not awesome.

Plan B: add bluebell homemade vanilla ice cream

So I moved onto Plan B, add ice cream. Now that I live in Texas there is always Bluebell vanilla ice cream in the freezer and I added a little of that to the top and let it melt a little. I figured this was the best hope for my single serving disaster. Well it wasn't any better, it was actually a little worse. Now it was good ice cream with crunchy flour and chocolate chips. I just ate the ice cream.

So I tell you this not so that you can fix this recipe but so that you can not try it. Learn from me, there is no such thing as a single serving that you can make in the microwave. Maybe you could try it in a toaster oven but I think I am done with these single serving items. I have learned that people who eat these and say how yummy they are must be on a diet or something. This was horrible I would rather make cookies.

Working from home...

For work I am currently writing a grant, essentially an application for money from the government. This grant is a short grant, 6 pages of science, now keep in mind it isn't 6 regular pages: 12 point font, regular margins, and double spaced. Nope this is 6 pages of 1/2 inch margins, 11 point font, and single spaced. This is like writing about 10-15 pages of regular text, I have to keep this in mind when at the end of the day I only have 1/2 a page written. My grant is starting to come together, I am pretty close to getting everything done and it looks like I am going to actually make the deadline of July 25 (it is going to be super close though).

Since I live 45 minutes from my office my boss said that I can work from home... this is both glorious and horrible. I love that I am wearing my gym shorts and a T-shirt and getting a chance to hang out with the dog today. I hate that I want to do lots of things instead of working on this grant. I have no quite figured out how to master this from home stuff. I worked from home one day last week and I was pretty productive I just sat in the dining room and worked for a while. I think that is where I am going to end up today, at the moment I am on the couch (this doesn't work, not even a little). I cleaned the house this weekend so I am not trying to do that at the moment but I do have my laundry going and there are a few odds and ends that it will be nice to get around to today.

At the moment I am not sure that I could ever work from home on a permanent basis because I think I like to go to an office and get things done. I really enjoy feeling like I was productive and I just don't think that sitting around the house working is ever going to feel like work it mostly just feels like a party... I am sure I could get used to this but it just takes so much more self-discipline and I don't think I have enough for this. Sometimes I can get around this by working in a place with a witness, starbucks or a library where someone can see that I am just playing on the internet not working.

Well I guess I should get back to folding my laundry, playing with the dog, organizing my makeup, and I guess writing my grant... hahaha this has got to be productive... I need this to work today.

I really love my job today...

Junk Mail

I really love getting email and playing around on Facebook but I don't know what you see when you look at the right side of your Facebook, but I have singles ads. I get ads from every single dating site and then some from things like married women looking for studs... I am not really sure how the entire world of advertising knows that I am unmarried, I am sure that it has to do with Facebook. Most of the time I find the ads hilarious. Case in point: when I use pandora the side of the page has lots of cute guys saying things like click here to meet cute singles in your area... really that super hot guy is single and happy that you are using his photo to advertise?!? Perhaps they are really single but I am sure it is somewhere very far from here since these are the same guys that were on the side in St. Louis.

I know that I have often thought about doing a dating website or at least looking around on one if I am not meeting lots of people here in Dallas. I just don't want to feel pressured into by my junk mail and ads on the side of my screens. I know that I am still single do you really have to point it out to me every stinking day?!?! Give a girl a break and send me some ads for something else like shoes or cooking.

I know that junk mail is part of life at this point and I am just glad that they are unable to call my phone and say something like... hello incomplete single person we have people waiting to meet you... press 1 for preppy, press 2 for rugged, press 3 for super nerds (who knows who would press this), and press 4 for other. That would be horrible and kinda fantastic at the same time, it would be horrible to hear it everyday but super fun to play around on after a few cocktails.

Being single in my late 20s is a little hard I feel as if I missed the boat or something but it is made worse when people say things like: don't you feel incomplete, I don't know how to function alone, maybe you would get more dates if you lowered your standards, or some other inane statement about their stinking feelings about my singleness. Those statements make me feel like a freak and are really hurtful and if we are being honest somewhat damaging to my self-esteem. I think that it is hard to wait for the right man but I refuse to settle for a marriage that I don't want to man I don't love just so other people are comfortable around me.

Well what I thought would be a light hearted statement about junk mail is now a little more serious... yikes. Remember it sucks to be single but it sucks more to be in a relationship that sucks.

The day that never ends

Most mornings when you wake up you have an inkling of how the day is going to go and on Thursday when I woke up I was a little crabby and it seemed that everything started on the wrong foot, it was one of those moments where I felt as if I was just running into every single obstacle known to woman. I won't share all of my trials for the day but here are the highlights.

I woke up not ready for the day and a little out of sorts since my Thursday felt like a monday, when I took the dog out for a little walk she decided that we had to walk around the block 3 times before she would poop. Seriously 3 times, it was hot and humid and by the time I was done I knew this was going to be a long day. But we get in the house and I start making my lunch, I didn't want what I had and I didn't really want to spend money on a mediocre sandwich at work. I love when it seems to take forever to get out the door, it took me an eternity for a variety of reasons I won't share at this moment.

I finally get in the car and out the door, I know better than to call anyone because I am really really crabby at this point which is fine at least I know it. I get to work and go straight to the library because I just couldn't stand to look at anyone. I was remarkably productive in that time but it wasn't perfect or nearly as much as I wanted but I did get several pages written and that was glorious. I finally went up to my office which was good.

I had a doctors appointment in the afternoon for what I thought was a verbal communication and more of the hey lets schedule those procedures that I need to have done NOT a surprise let's have another biopsy. Really, I went to the doctor and it was like nope lets have another just to see if the results are the same and most likely you are going to have to have surgery to remove this nasty. Holy f-word, surgery.

At this point all I can here in my head is this quote that I have seen on pinterest often over the last several weeks...

Sometimes life just hits you with its best shot...

At this point I go back to my office since I left my laptop there and I just want to go home but I have to talk to the boss for a few. By the time I get out of the office it is almost 5 and all I want is to drink heavily... cue to going out to dinner. Sometimes I just want to say I am going to sit in my room alone with my dog and this bottle of vodka so don't bother me. But it is not about me it is about loving the people in your life for the time that you have them.

I am going to be honest if I had known that was in store for me yesterday I would have never gotten our of bed. In science you have to know when to just throw in the towel, in life you don't get to throw in the towel you have to keep going until you can get a drink or back into bed... I am looking forward to a new day today.

Happy Birthday America!

Today is the fourth of July, the birthday of America. I am not typically super patriotic, although my kitchen is done in red, white, and blue (but not flags... really no flags). I do love the sense of American's pulling together to root for the home team or to celebrate some portion of our heritage. I find this summer to be a little more American than usual because the Olympics are coming. I absolutely love the Olympics, I will watch just about any sport since they are the best that a country has to offer. In the last winter olympics I would watch the curling events on my laptop at work and I loved it. I got the scoring and how you really had to focus so you could get everything to work.

I love the moments when American's chat U-S-A.. U-S-A it is probably one of the most beautiful things to me. I love the moment when our flag is raised and we as a country celebrate our athletes. Two summers ago was the men's world cup soccer event and a friend and I went up to a bar to watch part of the game. It was amazing to see so many people out to support and event they won't watch 99% of the year. I love watching soccer games, really you are going to run around for 90 minutes and still have strength for more if there is a tie?!? Amazing.

But this summer there isn't a world cup, there was the Euro Cup and I didn't catch a whole lot of that. In a few weeks the Olympics start and I will feel like a true American. I cannot wait for the swimming and the gymnastics, they are amazing. I am sure that I will get into something crazy like fencing or maybe archery but it will all be glorious. I love hearing the USA chat and getting a little misty every time our flag is raised and we hear the star spangled banner play over the sound system. I am just so excited for these games. The other night I watched the majority of the clips for the best 30 olympic moments that is going to be on NBC at some point, I will admit I was so proud to be American in those moments.

Well I can't wait for the games this summer, but today is America's birthday! So happy birthday America, I am glad that I live here where I can be free to do what I love and worship a God I love. I have no idea what I am going to do to celebrate the Fourth but I am sure it will be fun. I hope to spend some quality time with the dog and then do some work (I really am a workaholic, this sucks) but my main goal is just to enjoy this day off.

Happy Birthday America I can't wait to chat USA here in a few weeks. GO TEAM USA!

A Sunday Lunch Adventure

I am going to be honest and say that I probably have some of the best date stories of anyone I know. Now, we should keep in mind that I am one of the only single ones left so of course my stories are the best but to be honest some pretty random things happen to me. So as I begin to date here in Dallas I think I will try and share some of the best stories, so boys don't screw up or it will become public knowledge. I will try and share the good stories too (when that finally happens) but mostly these will be the ridiculous things that happen when boys try to hit on me.

I like to think I am a nice girl and I like to give everyone a chance. If you ask me out, most likely I will say yes. However, that doesn't mean that I want to be there it just means my southern charm is ruining my life. I am not sure how I am attractive to some men, they often like to tell me I am funny in those moments I am not really joking I want to do whatever it is that I said I would do. Now enough about that usually happens it is time for my adventure from Sunday.

As you know I live with my grandfather, his neighbors across the street are really nice and I tend to enjoy dinner with them. I usally seem them once a week for a meal, often we eat lunch on Sunday after church. Our plan was to go to Church and Sunday School and then meet the neighbors for lunch at this restaurant. They called on Saturday and said why don't you come to the house and Hannah can meet our grandson. As I am super nice I say that would be great and fun and all of that.

Cue Sunday Morning: as I am getting ready for church I cannot decide what to wear. I couldn't decide on something moderately cute (this assumes the meet is a bust) or to be a knockout (this assume the meet is amazing). I opt for my new maxi dress which I think I look phenomenal in but I don't know it is drop dead gorgeous or not. Now on the way home from church I ask about this kid. Here is a brief synopsis of what I hear: he does radio, he went to arlington high, and my late-grandmother thought he was a huge nerd. In this moment I realize that this is going to be a HUGE bust of a meeting but I try to pull on my big girl panties and smile.

Once we get to the house, as I walk in the door and get my first look at this kid... it was not love at first sight it was agony. I realized this was going to be a long long lunch, I considered fake throwing up but realized that was a little too much (maybe next time). So I am not in love with his looks, he was wearing a light gray or off white linen suit with a green T-shirt and some brown shoes with no socks. Now I personally love a man in a suit but you should wear the suit it shouldn't wear you.

During lunch it was OK, I don't think a one on one date would be a good idea. It would be very very bad but who knows. I think the worst part was that he doesn't like dogs, he called Lily a pet?!?!? Uhh... she is a fur-child and very much loved by me. That was really the nail in the coffin... no dogs no date. But I haven't shared the best part of the day with you yet, at the end of lunch he gave me a business card. I was a little shocked I mean really is this a professional meeting? I put the card in my bag and said it was nice to meet you and left. Later I realized it was a personal business card with his home info and I realized he handed it to me and said you should Facebook me?!?!? REALLY?

So I guess I have learned a few things about dating:
-Business cards are the new way to say I like you
-I have very high standards
-I like really well dressed men or a good southern cowboy
-I also want someone who can keep me amused and gets my snarky comments

Don't worry there will be more stories like this... I just know it.

Keeping it real and single!

My hopes for the month of July

Well I am about to wrap up my second month here in Texas and I am adjusting nicely although this heat wave might be a little bit much but I am getting used to it. I am really loving how nice everyone is here and how much that just seem to enjoy being who they are. I thought I would mention the things that I have learned so far, things I would have done differently, and the things I want to do this month.

Things I've learned:
-If you like your job and allow it to just be a job it doesn't quite seem like work at all.
-It is just plain hot if the temp is above 85, it doesn't matter if it is 20ºC cooler than yesterday it is still going to be hot.
-Adjusting to a new grocery store is hard work, it takes so much longer to find simple things like pepperoni
-Living in a big city involves lots of driving, all the time.
-Trying to make friends when you don't go to class is hard work.

Things I would have done differently:
-I would have packed my title in my temporary boxes.
-I would have picked up my medical records.
-I would not have brought so much of my bathroom stuff to my temporary housing.
-I might have tried to bring a cookbook or two, trying to recreate loved recipes without them is very hard and mostly unsuccessful.
-I would have brought more small storage bins, the type you can put under the counter to hold things.

Main goals for July:
-Figure out what I want in an apartment
-Look for an apartment and hopefully get close to signing a lease (at least decide on a property)
-Spend more time with Lily
-Post on here between 4-5 times a week (hopefully not all on the same day)
-Get in touch with additional old college friends and try to expand my friend group
-Continue to set good work boundaries, not staying too late and not working more than one weekend a month.
-Get all of my healthcare stuff figured out.

I am sure there are more goals and things I wish I could change but at the moment I am really happy with life here in the Big D. I am looking forward to what is coming up next for me and how amazing it is going to be. I hope that I am able to get lots of things done around here.

Hope you are enjoying your July!

Blueberry scones... breakfast of champions

One of my favorite breakfast items is scones, over the years I have tried many different recipes from many different sources and none of them really ever tasted like the ones at Starbucks and let's be real those are the most delicious things you have ever put in your mouth until you make these scones. I found this recipe on google, I will try and find the original link but as my paper copy is covered with batter and in some places is a little hard to read it may be somewhat difficult to find it.

These are a little labor intensive and I will try and indicate what tools I use and if you don't have that tool how you can work around it. I hope that you enjoy these scones as much as I do. I wish I could make these more often but there is lots of butter (which makes them amazing) and as I am trying to not get fat these are typically a once a month or every other month delicacy. Well with all of that lead up I hope that someone at least makes these.

Amazing Blueberry Scones

Ingredients:
2c flour plus 2 Tbsp., plus 1Tbsp.
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
3 Tbsp. Sugar
1/8 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter plus 1/2 Tbsp
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 c half and half cold (you can use fat free here)
2/3-1 c frozen blueberries

Directions:
-Heat oven to 425
-In a small bowl mix the blueberries (I like lots so I add closer to a cup of blueberries) and one tablespoon of flour, swirl until all of the blueberries are coated in flour and return to freezer. This keeps your batter from turning blue.
-In a large bowl mix the remaining flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt
-Get the butter out of the fridge and cut into small bits and add to flour mixture
-Cut butter into flour mixture. I tend to use a pastry blender and this makes really uniform butter chunks, however in a pinch I have used my hands. I scoop up the flour and butter mixture and rub it between my hands until there are no chunks left. The one thing I really must insist on is that the butter is cold so that it doesn't melt into the flour that will NOT work.
-Add vanilla and half and half, stir until mixed but try not to over mix there should be some lumps but no visible dry flour. I tend to use good vanilla, I think that is part of why these taste so fantastic. I opt for Mexican Vanilla (purchased at a mexican market) but I think any real vanilla will work, don't go for imitation vanilla.
-Stir in blueberry mixture, again everything should be incorporated but don't over mix.
-Plop dough into a scone pan that has been sprayed with pam or some other grease substance. If you don't have a scone pan you can just make drop scones on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. At this point your dough should still be cold to the touch
-Cut the remaining 1/2 Tbsp of butter and place a small pat on top of each scone. If you have non-salted butter this would be a great place to use it but I never have it so I use my salted butter.
-Place in oven for 15 minutes if you are using a cookie sheet. I found that with a scone pan it takes almost 20 minutes for the tops to get browned.
-Enjoy them warm
-If you have leftovers I find that storing them in the fridge is best otherwise they mold quickly on the countertop

Other helpful hints:
-If your scones are tough you over mixed, just stir less next time
-If they are blue, add a little more flour to the frozen blueberries
-If the tops taste really salty you put too much butter on the top, this I learned from experience you really just want a little piece
-I have used fat free half and half and the scones turned out fine, I haven't ever used margarine I just don't think that would turn out as well.

Let me know if you try this recipe.