- After The Boyfriend's arrival Tuesday evening, I took him out to dinner at a nice little restaurant called Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. I then proceeded to stuff myself silly with honey chile glazed pork chops and some kick ass southwest au gratin potatoes. The Boyfriend ordered prime rib and a loaded baked potato. Yes, it was an expensive dinner but fortunately The Boyfriend put out later so it was worth it.
- I had to work all day Wednesday so I left The Boyfriend at home by himself. This is the first time that he has been alone in my house for any significant period of time. He insists that he didn't stave off boredom by going through my medicine cabinet and dresser drawers. He even says that while snooping through my computer files he resisted the urge to click on the folder labeled "Journal". Humph.
- Thursday was Turkey Day with the family and, as I mentioned, all went well. Everyone was very cordial and welcoming just like I knew they would be. And thankfully, The Boyfriend didn't feel compelled to reevaluate our relationship after eating the jalapeno infused turkey. It was a good day. The only uncomfortable moment occurred when a couple of family members decided to give a mini gospel concert before we sat down to dinner, which was being served 2 hours late. (Can't we just eat already?)
- Being in a long distance relationship means that I rarely get to go out on dates and I do so enjoy the feeling of being courted. That's why I was really excited when, on Friday, The Boyfriend said he was paying for our movie tickets to go see American Gangster. It meant that The Boyfriend was taking me out on a real date. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the ticket window, The Boyfriend realized he had left his wallet at my house so I ended up paying for the tickets. This bothered me more than I let on. It wasn't about the money. (The Boyfriend had already spent hundreds of dollars to come see me.) It was about the feeling that a woman gets when her man takes her out on a date. I realized that I need to feel those feelings sometimes.
- The Boyfriend more than made up for the wallet mishap by taking me out for an expensive dinner at one of my favorite Italian restaurants on Saturday. And yes, I put out later.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
GrizzBabe's Thanksgiving Week in Review
As I type this, The Boyfriend is on his way back to Chicago. All in all, meeting the family was a good experience. I wouldn't say everyone got on famously as neither me, my boyfriend or my immediate family are social butterflies so it will take a while for everyone to get to know each other and to feel comfortable being around one another but I'm happy with how everything turned out. Here is a brief run down on my Thanksgiving week:
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Doing Better
The last half of last week was rough for multiple reasons -- I accidentally paid my mortgage twice, The Boyfriend and I had our first real issue to work through, and my insides were ripped out by my gynecologist during a pap smear -- but I am doing better.
Unless I get inspired on the weekend, I will probably not post again until after the holiday. I have been busy this week getting the house ready for The Boyfriend's arrival on Tuesday. On Thursday, he will meet the family. For. The. First. Time.
Nope. Not nervous. Not in the least.
Unless I get inspired on the weekend, I will probably not post again until after the holiday. I have been busy this week getting the house ready for The Boyfriend's arrival on Tuesday. On Thursday, he will meet the family. For. The. First. Time.
Nope. Not nervous. Not in the least.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
It's been a shitty week, people!
I was going to spend the afternoon writing a blog post but I just don't have it in me to weave cute and funny words together today. I need a minute. Possibly two.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
A Happy Medium
This weekend I made chocolate chip cookies. Not just any old chocolate chip cookies, mind you, but these gargantuan disks of soft, chocolatey goodness. When Elizabeth, the recipe's author, says these cookies are "the pinnacle of perfection", she ain't just whistlin' Dixie. These cookies are so good they make you want to slap your grandmama. (Just how many Southern expressions can I squeeze into one paragraph?)
Normally, when I make a batch of cookies, good cookies, I'll eat a large portion of them before they've even had a chance to cool off and then complain that the recipe didn't make nearly as many as it said it would.
This time, I tried to take a different approach. I vowed to eat only one cookie a day (Remember, these cookies are huge!) and I halved the recipe so that if by some chance I decided to inhale the entire batch in one sitting, there wouldn't be as many fat grams available to attach themselves to my rear end.
My plan seemed reasonable enough and I felt confident that I could execute it without much difficulty. Unfortunately, I underestimated how much of a temptress a giant chocolate chip cookie can be.
The other night, I was minding my own business, washing dishes like the domestic goddess that I am, when out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the cookies staring at me, giving me that come hither look. I ignored the visual pleas and continued with my chores. A few minutes later, I heard my name being called. I stopped what I was doing and turned in the direction of the voices. The cookies were now begging me to eat them. They even promised to delight my taste buds until I keeled over in ecstasy. Determined not to cave in, I threw a dishtowel over the cookies and walked out of the kitchen. Their muddled cries didn't have quite the same effect.
So far, I've been successful adhering to my "one cookie a day" rule. I'm finding that if I eat well, meaning I eat food that satisfies my soul as well as my tongue, I am much less likely to snack. And that's a good thing, because I love to bake, and I would hate to have to give up my hobby in favor of a healthier (read: boring) lifestyle. I would rather exercise some discipline and develop the habit of finding a happy medium.
Normally, when I make a batch of cookies, good cookies, I'll eat a large portion of them before they've even had a chance to cool off and then complain that the recipe didn't make nearly as many as it said it would.
This time, I tried to take a different approach. I vowed to eat only one cookie a day (Remember, these cookies are huge!) and I halved the recipe so that if by some chance I decided to inhale the entire batch in one sitting, there wouldn't be as many fat grams available to attach themselves to my rear end.
My plan seemed reasonable enough and I felt confident that I could execute it without much difficulty. Unfortunately, I underestimated how much of a temptress a giant chocolate chip cookie can be.
The other night, I was minding my own business, washing dishes like the domestic goddess that I am, when out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the cookies staring at me, giving me that come hither look. I ignored the visual pleas and continued with my chores. A few minutes later, I heard my name being called. I stopped what I was doing and turned in the direction of the voices. The cookies were now begging me to eat them. They even promised to delight my taste buds until I keeled over in ecstasy. Determined not to cave in, I threw a dishtowel over the cookies and walked out of the kitchen. Their muddled cries didn't have quite the same effect.
So far, I've been successful adhering to my "one cookie a day" rule. I'm finding that if I eat well, meaning I eat food that satisfies my soul as well as my tongue, I am much less likely to snack. And that's a good thing, because I love to bake, and I would hate to have to give up my hobby in favor of a healthier (read: boring) lifestyle. I would rather exercise some discipline and develop the habit of finding a happy medium.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Twenty Questions, Part II or Ten More Questions
Part I can be found here.
11.) How do you like to spend your free time?
I spend the vast majority of my free time in front of my computer. I'm either reading my favorite blogs, surfing the net for websites that cover my favorite subjects: cooking and basketball; writing, or playing endless hands of Spider Solitaire. Occasionally, I'll go to dinner or to a movie with friends. Occasionally, I'll go see my favorite NBA team play. Most of the time I'm too tired to go anywhere. On those nights, I come home and sit in front of my computer until my free cell phone minutes kick in, then I call The Boyfriend. In fact, most of my social interaction involves The Boyfriend. I realize this is not a good thing, especially since he lives 500 miles away, but I find that since our relationship meets most of my needs for intimacy, I unconsciously ignore my relationships with my girlfriends. I know that isolating myself from interaction with others is not a healthy way to live so I am trying to make a conscious effort to maintain all of my relationships, not just my romantic one.
12.) If you could have three wishes, what would they be?
13.) What kinds of people do you dislike?
Dishonest ones. I don't require perfection, but I like to feel like I can trust a person. I don't want to have to constantly look over my shoulder or second guess every move someone makes. I cannot have a relationship with someone I don't trust.
14.) What do you do when you're upset?
I usually get very quiet. This isn't a passive aggressive maneuver but rather an attempt to come to grips with my feelings. Once I've had a chance to sort everything out, then I am ready to talk about the issue that made me upset. There have been many phone conversations with The Boyfriend that have ended only to be restarted later when I've called back to discuss something that bothered me.
15.) Who are your heroes?
My Mother. She has been through a lot in her life and has survived with her grace and dignity in tact, a true Southern Belle if there ever was one.
My Grandmother. She was a hard-working, no nonsense woman of faith. I only wish she was still around.
Mother Theresa. Even though she felt the presence of God leave her shortly after starting the ministry she became so famous for, she stayed committed till the very end in spite of her serious doubts. Give that woman sainthood NOW!
16.) What are some of your favorite expressions?
"Oh, my word!" - My friend, P., says this a lot and I picked it up from her.
"I knooowww!" - I don't know where I got this from but I only recently realized I said it a lot when one of my co-workers, who has obviously heard me repeat the phrase a million times, unconsciously mimicked me. I need to come up with another expression.
"________ needs to go somewhere and sit down." - Replace the blank with some crazy acting celebrity with more money than sense and the expression becomes advice one should live by. For example: "Britney Spears needs to go somewhere and sit down!"
17.) What is a common posture for you when you sit?
The most common way for me to sit is with my back straight and my knees raised slightly higher than my hips. This is the best position for my back. When The Boyfriend's in town or when I go to visit him, I spend the majority of the time laying on the couch with my legs draped over his lap. Very comfy.
18.) What is your attitude when you meet new people?
I'm always a little nervous when I meet new people. And you will rarely find me attending an event where I don't know a soul. I feel much more comfortable going into new social situations with someone that I know.
19.) What distinguishing habits of speech do you have?
Well, I'm from the South so I speak with a bit of a drawl. The Boyfriend says my voice is like honey. I have also been told by numerous people that I sound very sexy on the phone. I should probably do voice overs to earn extra money. Or work in the phone sex industry. Whichever.
20.) How do you feel when socializing?
If I'm having a particularly confident day, I have the ability to capture the attention of a room for short periods and that feels good. If I'm not feeling particularly confident or if I don't feel like expending the necessary energy to be social, then I am more of a wallflower. Sometimes, that feels okay too.
So, what do you think? Do you feel like you know me better? Are there any questions I didn't answer that you would like to ask?
11.) How do you like to spend your free time?
I spend the vast majority of my free time in front of my computer. I'm either reading my favorite blogs, surfing the net for websites that cover my favorite subjects: cooking and basketball; writing, or playing endless hands of Spider Solitaire. Occasionally, I'll go to dinner or to a movie with friends. Occasionally, I'll go see my favorite NBA team play. Most of the time I'm too tired to go anywhere. On those nights, I come home and sit in front of my computer until my free cell phone minutes kick in, then I call The Boyfriend. In fact, most of my social interaction involves The Boyfriend. I realize this is not a good thing, especially since he lives 500 miles away, but I find that since our relationship meets most of my needs for intimacy, I unconsciously ignore my relationships with my girlfriends. I know that isolating myself from interaction with others is not a healthy way to live so I am trying to make a conscious effort to maintain all of my relationships, not just my romantic one.
12.) If you could have three wishes, what would they be?
- To win the lottery so I could be free to live however I want. Right now, living however I want involves selling my house and moving to Chicago to be with The Boyfriend and going back to school to pursue master degrees in two areas: Computers and Fine Arts, all while perfecting my writing skills.
- To write a kick-ass chick lit novel that is made into a multi-million dollar movie starring Julia Roberts. The critics will hate it but the common woman will flock to the theaters to see it because they find that it speaks to them in a way no other movie has before. And I'll do a jig all the way to the bank.
- To become so famous for my blogging that doors for other writing projects open for me.
13.) What kinds of people do you dislike?
Dishonest ones. I don't require perfection, but I like to feel like I can trust a person. I don't want to have to constantly look over my shoulder or second guess every move someone makes. I cannot have a relationship with someone I don't trust.
14.) What do you do when you're upset?
I usually get very quiet. This isn't a passive aggressive maneuver but rather an attempt to come to grips with my feelings. Once I've had a chance to sort everything out, then I am ready to talk about the issue that made me upset. There have been many phone conversations with The Boyfriend that have ended only to be restarted later when I've called back to discuss something that bothered me.
15.) Who are your heroes?
My Mother. She has been through a lot in her life and has survived with her grace and dignity in tact, a true Southern Belle if there ever was one.
My Grandmother. She was a hard-working, no nonsense woman of faith. I only wish she was still around.
Mother Theresa. Even though she felt the presence of God leave her shortly after starting the ministry she became so famous for, she stayed committed till the very end in spite of her serious doubts. Give that woman sainthood NOW!
16.) What are some of your favorite expressions?
"Oh, my word!" - My friend, P., says this a lot and I picked it up from her.
"I knooowww!" - I don't know where I got this from but I only recently realized I said it a lot when one of my co-workers, who has obviously heard me repeat the phrase a million times, unconsciously mimicked me. I need to come up with another expression.
"________ needs to go somewhere and sit down." - Replace the blank with some crazy acting celebrity with more money than sense and the expression becomes advice one should live by. For example: "Britney Spears needs to go somewhere and sit down!"
17.) What is a common posture for you when you sit?
The most common way for me to sit is with my back straight and my knees raised slightly higher than my hips. This is the best position for my back. When The Boyfriend's in town or when I go to visit him, I spend the majority of the time laying on the couch with my legs draped over his lap. Very comfy.
18.) What is your attitude when you meet new people?
I'm always a little nervous when I meet new people. And you will rarely find me attending an event where I don't know a soul. I feel much more comfortable going into new social situations with someone that I know.
19.) What distinguishing habits of speech do you have?
Well, I'm from the South so I speak with a bit of a drawl. The Boyfriend says my voice is like honey. I have also been told by numerous people that I sound very sexy on the phone. I should probably do voice overs to earn extra money. Or work in the phone sex industry. Whichever.
20.) How do you feel when socializing?
If I'm having a particularly confident day, I have the ability to capture the attention of a room for short periods and that feels good. If I'm not feeling particularly confident or if I don't feel like expending the necessary energy to be social, then I am more of a wallflower. Sometimes, that feels okay too.
So, what do you think? Do you feel like you know me better? Are there any questions I didn't answer that you would like to ask?
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