100 Questions - Insomnia

(for the record, tofu completely grosses me out!!)

Time begun: 1:42 am

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? My bedroom door itself is open, but the bathroom door (leading to the living room) is usually closed.

2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels? Sometimes they have miniature bottles of actual brands.

3. Are you afraid to fly? Nope

4. Have you ever stolen a street sign before? Nope

5. Do you like to use post-it notes? Yes, I use them several times a week- at home, at school, in the car

6. Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? I never have been a big coupon-user, but I am slowly getting into the system (stressful economy!) I can spare a few minutes to cut paper & save myself some money. No excuse not to!

7. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? Which one am I likelier to survive?

8. Do you have freckles? Just a couple

9. Do you always smile for pictures? Usually, when I know there is a picture being taken.

10. What is your biggest pet peeve? Dishonesty, Manipulation

11. Do you ever count your steps when you walk? No- but the house I grew up in had 18 steps on its stairs.

12. Have you ever peed in the woods? Only when camping, and sadly, it has been a few years since my last opportunity.

13. Do you prefer the beach or mountains? I have regular access to mountains, so I would say beach!

14. Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing? Sometimes- but only when alone!

15. Do you chew your pens and pencils? Nope

16. Favorite reality TV show? I don't really watch any regularly anymore. I love Travel Channel, though.

17. What size is your bed? Full

18. What is your Song of the week? "One Song Glory" -'Rent' musical

19. Is it okay for guys to wear pink? Sure, why not?

20. Do you still watch cartoons? Not really.

21. What's your least favorite movie? I absolutely, absolutely hated "Sideways." There are others.

22. Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? In the bank. :)

23. What do you drink with dinner? Trying to drink more water & milk on a regular basis.

24. What do you dip a chicken nugget in? Ranch dressing.

25. What is your favorite food? Anything of the Thai food category, Cheese enchiladas, Irish cheddar & aples, Starbucks' caramel macchiato...

26. What movies could you watch over and over and still love? "Roman Holiday," for starters.

27. Last person you kissed/kissed you? Sweet Sayde, my dog.

28. Were you ever a boy/girl scout? Yes, until sixth grade.

29. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? Uh... no!!

30. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?

Wrote out a reminder note to a student last Friday.

31. Can you change the oil on a car? Nope- I prefer someone trained does it.

32. Ever gotten a speeding ticket? Ugh. Yes.

33. Ran out of gas? Never since the day I came frighteningly close to it almost happening, when I was at least 4 miles from a known gas station, in the middle of the desert in May.

34. Favorite kind of sandwich? BLA(vocado)T, Monte Cristo

35 Best thing to eat for breakfast? Bagel with cream cheese, apple & cheese, breakfast burrito, bacon on special occasions

36. What is your usual bedtime? Sometime between 10 & 11 typically.

37. Are you lazy? Definitely sometimes, that is for sure. Its important to let one's body & mind rest & relax.

38. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? Dead bride, Dorothy (Wiz of Oz), jester, 20's flapper, Venetian gondolier...

39. What is your astrological sign? Pisces

40. How many languages can you speak? Just English ("Yo quiero Taco Bell?")

41. Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Nope- I'd rather get mags from bookman's very cheaply

42. Which are better legos or lincoln logs? I like them both

43. Are you stubborn? I can be

44. Who is better...Leno or Letterman? I don't watch either, as I do not find either to be entertaining in the least little bit.

45. Ever watch soap operas? Not anymore, but did watch "Days of Our Lives" many years ago.

46. Afraid of heights? Not really, unless it is windy or weather-y.

47. Sing in the car? Almost every time I drive (again, when alone)

48. Sing in the shower? Sometimes (really depends on my mood, I have to be super-excited, etc)
49. Dance in the car? Not often- I'm usually driving myself around & need to be focused.

50. Ever used a gun? No- and I don't plan to anytime soon, either!

51. Had picture taken by photographer? Yep

52. Do you think musicals are cheesy? Not usually, I actually enjoy them a lot!

53. Is Christmas stressful? It can be. Mostly its overwhelming when people lose sight of the important things and get so focused on the unimportant & irrelevant. Or when money is low...

54. Ever eat a pierogi? Love them! My favorites are the cheddar & onion flavor.

55. Favorite type of fruit pie? Strawberry rhubarb, though I admit it has been a long time.

56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? Teacher. (Never wavered!)

57. Do you believe in ghosts? Not at all.

58. Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? Yes, from time to time.

58. Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? Yes, from time to time.

59. Take a vitamin daily? Yep.

60. Wear slippers? As soon as I walk into my front door & take off my regular shoes.

61. Wear a bath robe? Yep.

62. What do you wear to bed? Tonight, a henley thermal and yoga pants

63. First concert? Five Iron Frenzy & Reliant K. One of my college roommates' brother was involved with their tour somehow.

64. Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? Target whenever possible. I loathe Wal-Mart!

65. Nike or Adidas? Neither? I like Rocketdogs!

66.Cheetos Or Fritos? Cheetos unless I have bean-dip to go with the Fritos

67. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? Salted & oiled pumpkin seeds instead?

68. Ever heard of the group Tres Bien? Nope.

69. Ever taken dance lessons? Yes.... blush. I sucked at it, big-time.

70. Is there a profession you picture your significant other doing? Not my official SO by any means, but could see him doing EMT or Police work. (He is a firefighter with training in emt)

71. Can you curl your tongue? Yup.

72. Ever won a spelling bee? No... I can't spell out loud very well. I have to see it written or write it myself.

73. Have you ever cried because you were so happy? On a few occasions, yes. My best friends' wedding, and my parents' wedding.

74. Own any record albums? Actually, yes. Someone once scored a record of "Sound of Music" soundtrack at a garage sale once, and gave it to me.

75. Own a record player? No- can't listen to record in #74.

76. Regularly burn incense? Never have. It tends to give me a headache.

77. Ever been in love? Yes.

78. Who would you like to see in concert? Josh Groban-again, John Mayer, and anything BROADWAY! (Rent, Lion King -again-, Les Miserables, etc.)

79. What was the last concert you saw? Unprofessional- the students' christmas concert in December. Professional- Josh Groban, last March, with my cousin Jenny.

80. Hot tea or cold tea? Cold, please. Even better- Thai iced tea!!

81.Tea or coffee? BOTH!

82. Sugar cookies or snickerdoodles? I love me some snickerdoodles! So fun to bake, too.

83. Can you swim well? I'm okay... I don't think I'll be drowning any time soon.

84. Can you hold your breath without plugging your nose? Yes, though I don't do this.

85. Are you patient? Usually. Sadly, my patience gets all used up at school sometimes and I have very little left for my family/friends at times... Working on that.

86. DJ or band, at a wedding? Depends on the "vibe" of the wedding.

87. Ever won a contest? Not really, that I can remember right now.

88. Ever have plastic surgery? No- and never will.

89. Which are better black or green olives? Green, and straight out of the jar with a fork, please.

90. Can you knit or crochet? Crochet, yes. It is a fun, mindless, relaxing, productive, inexpensive, and time-consuming hobby.

91. Best room for a fireplace? Master bedroom.

92. Do you want to get married? If I meet the right man, perhaps so, yes.

93. If married, how long have you been married? N/A

94. Who was your HS crush? There were a couple...

95. Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? No- what purpose would that serve?

96. Do you have kids? If my dog counts, I have my Sayde.

97. Do you want kids? Obviously not today - but very hopeful to have some in the future.

98. What's your favorite color? Red, like a deep red wine color.

99. Do you miss anyone right now? Yes. Sigh.

100. Did you watch Next Great American Band on FOX? Watch the what? No?

Time finished: 2:18am

Thanks for the day off of work, Abraham Lincoln!!

New layout- wanted something that hinted at spring! (At least online, if not yet outside!)
A very, very fun 3-day weekend was had.
I spent time in Flagstaff, Prescott, Scottsdale, and eastern Phx.
Went to Fashion Square & the Renaissance Festival.
Spent time with my beautiful sister.
Pictures coming soon... most likely!
Went to Trader Joe's.
Got some delicious Asian Pears!!

For now... bedtime. I will be glad to sleep in my own bed tonight.
Gotta return to work in the morning!
I am determined to do this with a smile. :)

Beautiful day made even more beautiful with the cancellation of school!!

TGIF!!

How to Make Hungarian Mushroom Soup*

How to make Hungarian Mushroom Soup*

* = if you are like Me!
I have been hungry for this soup, having not made it in quite a long time. It's been warm during the day (65-degree-ish) but the nights are still rather cold here. Something warm, cozy, and comforting was in order after a loud, chaotic, and hectic day today. So soup it is- Lindsey style.

You will need: Vegetable broth (I like Swanson's), fresh pre-cut mushrooms (any variety- mix & match with what's on sale), light sour cream, plain white flour, fresh parsley (can substitute with dried parsley), lemon juice, ground black pepper, butter, paprika, & dill.

Not shown above but still needed: Garlic salt, milk, & onion

I began cooking, and then decided (about 4 steps into the creation) that I wanted to photograph & write this out into my silly blog. So here goes!

Missing steps:

#1- Melt butter in pan

#2- Add package of frozen pre-chopped onions

(Frozen pre-chopped onions are a wonderful invention!!! And so kind to the eyes)

#3- Cook onions on Medium heat until soft

#4- Add all of the mushrooms*
*If you are like me, you will add all the mushrooms first, and then realize (of course, too late) that the shallow skillet is not going to be deep enough for all of the mushrooms!

**If you are like me, you will then (messily) transfer all of this mixture of onion-butter-mushrooms into a much-larger soup pot.

#5- Add both cans of vegetable broth. Stir in any remaining mushrooms that did not fit into the shallow skillet.

#6- Add paprika, garlic salt, pepper ("the spices"), and flour

#7- Pour a glass of wine.*
*If you're like me, you will also have lumpy end-of-long-day hair and a fantastic apron that was purchased on a relative's trip to Germany. Worn over pajamas, of course! It doesn't matter at all that the apron is probably many sizes too small...


#8- While broth/mushroom/onion/spice mix is boiling low & covered with a lid, let simmer for about 10 minutes so mushrooms soften up.

#9- Retrieve the cutting board, sharp knife, & Fabulous CHOPPER utensil.

#10- Cut the lemon in half & set aside for now. Cut parsley leaves into sections (use of parsley stems is not recommended!)

#11- Use Fabulous CHOPPER to cut the parsley into tiny-ish pieces.

#12- Stir in container of light sour cream. The broth/mushroom/onion/spice mixture should be turning a light beige color with the addition of the sour cream.


#13- Add parsley to the soup.
If you used fresh parsley, be sure and remember to breathe in that yummy, fresh-chopped parsley air!

#14- Squeeze juice from both halves of the lemon into the creamy, tan-colored soup.
Be careful of seeds! No one likes mushroom soup with a surprise crunchiness.

#15- Stir well. Put lid back on, let it all simmer together for maybe 5-7 minutes, so that parsley can soften up. Drink some more of that wine while you're waiting.

#16- Pour in the milk. Be careful not to pour too much in- it will get too runny!*
*If you're like me, you will decide to just loosely eye-ball the amount of milk poured in, rather than measure properly.

As a result, your soup will be too runny and you will have to add in extra flour to thicken it up. As a result, you will have to wait another 5 minutes to allow thickening to occur. Sigh. Better to just measure properly.

#17- Put lid back on soup. Let it all marinate together...*
*If you're like me, you will wash dishes from cooking (shallow skillet, cutting board, Fabulous CHOPPER), counter-top where the mess has been made, and any dishes remaining in sink from the days prior to this one...

**You also might unload the dishwasher while you are at it, of course, if you are even more like me!

#19- You might also look through the New Frontiers' sale ads for intriguing ingredients for future concoctions, as well as set out* some Tupperwares to store all of this soup.
*If you're like me, you will also set out your favorite bowl and spoon to eat dinner with. They are clean now, since you've unloaded the dishwasher!

#20 - Ladle some soup into your favorite bowl and lift your favorite spoon.

#21- Sprinkle top of soup with a little bit of that fresh parsley for appearances.

(You want to look a little closer? Okay.... )

Eat & Enjoy!*

*Lastly... if you are like me, you will serve yourself a second bowl! Yummm.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

12 oz. of fresh mushrooms

(Use variations of types- portabella, baby bella, etc. See what is on sale! I used 3 medium packages from the produce section.

If you can find them pre-cut, you have saved yourself that task!)

2 cups of chopped onions

(Frozen pre-chopped onions are a blessing... I used 1 bag.)

~6 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

(Unless you add too much milk...)

2 cups milk

3 Tsp of dill

3 Tsp of Hungarian paprika

(Regular paprika works just fine- the same red kind you would use on deviled eggs.)

2 Tsp salt
2 Cups of vegetable stock

(I use Swanson's canned- the pop-tab lids are great! I used 2 cans)

Fresh lemon juice - to taste

(I cut one lemon into halves, picked out the seeds, and squeezed juice from both halves)

Fresh chopped parsley - to taste/to look

(I chopped the entire head of fresh parsley, discarding the stems)

Fresh black pepper - to taste

2-3 cups sour cream

(I used an entire container of light s.c.- It depends on how creamy you want your soup!)

Saute the onions in butter. Salt lightly. Add mushrooms, dill, 1 can of vegetable stock, and paprika. Cover and simmer on medium heat (low boil). Melt remaining butter, whisk in flour, add milk and cook until thick. Stir into mushroom mixture and add remaining can of vegetable stock. Simmer on medium heat, covered with lid. Add sour cream, salt, pepper, lemon juice, milk, and parsley. Simmer for another 10 minutes (to soften parsley). Stir very thoroughly.

Top the bowl off with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Eat!

Enjoy!

Share with family & friends!

PF Chang's Half-Marathon

"Don't waste life in doubts and fears;

spend yourself on the work before you,

well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties

will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The PF Chang's Half-Marathon event was one of the most fun things I have done in a long time. Yes, it was loud- Yes, it was long- Yes, I wound up with 3 blisters and ached for days afterwards. But it was SO SO SO worth it! I already want to re-register to do it all over again in 2010! I finished walking ~14 miles through Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale in about 4.5 hours. Because my co-workers all are runners, I was the only walker in our group. I found a sweet lady named Jane to walk with. Jane also happens to be 7 months pregnant! We weren't really able to talk a whole lot while walking, but Jane is from CA and works with "special" young adults, helping them learn how to budget finances and spend their money in real-life adult situations. The fact that we both finished in 4.5 hours really wasn't too bad for a beginner and a pregnant lady! There were still hundreds of walkers behind us... I had a great weekend with my co-workers, and like I said, I can't wait for 2010's event!!

Since I've returned, I've been working really hard on a few goals: to establish time for ME each day (that isn't tv), to increase my amount of exercise, prioritize tasks at work, use my work hours more efficiently, eat better, and sincerely make an effort to drink more water.

Now: a few photos...

Team Big Park & Co: Mike, Jessie, Matt, Diane, Heidi, Alex, myself, and Jackie

Heidi, her daughter Alex, and Jackie's daughter Jessie - just before their corral of runners took off! (The shadow on Heidi's arm is me.)

Marching through downtown Phoenix - the temperature that morning was cool, but the sun was shining brightly and our winterized bodies soaked up the sun! At least, mine did...

Myself & Jane, just after crossing the finish line. We walked 13.5 miles in 4.5 hours!!

Team Big Park & Company - exhausted but all of us felt so accomplished! WE DID IT!!

In other, much-smaller, and somewhat significant news, I've decided to re-subscribe to Match.com once again. (I did for a few months last year) Lonliness is a facet of my life that I would like to become braver about seeking change and confidence with. I figure this is a safe method & I can do this from the comfort of my own home (and pajamas!)... We'll see what happens! Maybe I will keep you posted... maybe I won't! ;-)

New (trial) layout... Will see if I like this well enough to keep it... Comments/suggestions welcomed!

Now, I'm off to the PF Chang's 1/2 Marathon! :)
Have a great weekend!!