Sometimes, I have these crazy moments of insanity and nostalgia where I miss my life growing up in Central PA.
When I first moved out of the area, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. What would it be like to have a mall...or 3 malls, 10 minutes away?? How about a wide variety of restaurant selections? Entertainment?
Don't get me wrong, I love the convenience of living somewhere more urban than where I grew up. However, when I go home to visit my parents, the sheer tranquility of waking up with no noise, a giant plot of land, and...nature...makes me miss home.
Now, obviously, we're much better off in Maryland than the concrete jungle they call New Jersey. But there are many things I miss about my hometown in PA:
1. Space: It's nice to be able to walk out your back door and not be forced to talk to your neighbors. Let's face it, sometimes I just want to walk outside in my underpants and not worry about who's going to see me.
2. Hartley's Potato Chips: The only people that will ever understand this obsession are those that grew up on these treats in Mifflin County. I have never found a chip that will compare. When I give them to friends and they aren't completely floored by their deliciousness, I get personally upset and offended.
3. No traffic: Minus the drive through Harrisburg, my humble hometown in PA boasts NO traffic. NONE. I thought there was traffic when I lived there...then I moved around a city. You don't know traffic until you've been parked in the middle of a highway for hours, or sat at a green light...through several light changes.
4. Family: I think this is pretty obvious. I wish I could pop over for dinner, or host a dinner at my house. Or even call my sister to run into JCPenney's with me.
5. OIP (Original Italian Pizza): This is one of the only restaurants in my hometown. Little did I know, when I gathered there with my friends in high school, that I'd be longing for their homemade bread dipped in ranch dressing some day in my future. Or a sub. Or pizza. Or a grilled chicken salad.
There are plenty of other things I miss. Will I ever move back? Probably not. As much as I miss it, I would probably move back for a month and complain about the same stuff I did before. I'd much rather cherish my visits.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Garden Update
I haven't posted anything about my deck garden recently. Some of you have asked me how it's going.
My herbs are doing great! They pretty much grew out of control and I've used them in a lot of cooking...and gave some to everyone who has stopped by my house.
As for the veggies...that's another story. All the plants are alive and well. They actually are growing fantastically and are sporting plenty of blossoms and veggies.
So what's the problem?
The problem is the overgrown tree rat that calls the tree in my backyard home.
My tomatoes, peppers and jalapenos were growing splendidly. Several were ready to be harvesting. I came home one day from work and went out on the deck to look proudly upon my garden...and I was horrified.
The jalapenos ready to be harvested (about 7 of them) were gone. GONE! I saw little claw marks in the soil. Squirrel sized claw marks. Then, I looked to my right and there was a jalapeno laying on the deck with squirrel sized teeth marks in it.
I can only imagine that the little rascal ate all the jalapenos and had the worst case of heartburn a squirrel could possibly imagine. I was so raving mad. I worked so hard to get those little peppers to grow! I contemplated rat poison, beebee guns, traps...but Nile talked me down.
Oh well, at least I still had my peppers.
Wrong-o! The next day, the bell peppers were gone. I'm convinced it was the same offending squirrel. Same with my tomatoes. I swear I saw the furry culprit one day, hanging out on our deck like he owned the place. We had a 5 minute stare-off, until I busted through the door scaring him away. He was fat too...with a pudgy little belly. Probably because he eats so well.
Looks like my plants will be making their way to my parent's house this weekend.
My herbs are doing great! They pretty much grew out of control and I've used them in a lot of cooking...and gave some to everyone who has stopped by my house.
As for the veggies...that's another story. All the plants are alive and well. They actually are growing fantastically and are sporting plenty of blossoms and veggies.
So what's the problem?
The problem is the overgrown tree rat that calls the tree in my backyard home.
My tomatoes, peppers and jalapenos were growing splendidly. Several were ready to be harvesting. I came home one day from work and went out on the deck to look proudly upon my garden...and I was horrified.
The jalapenos ready to be harvested (about 7 of them) were gone. GONE! I saw little claw marks in the soil. Squirrel sized claw marks. Then, I looked to my right and there was a jalapeno laying on the deck with squirrel sized teeth marks in it.
I can only imagine that the little rascal ate all the jalapenos and had the worst case of heartburn a squirrel could possibly imagine. I was so raving mad. I worked so hard to get those little peppers to grow! I contemplated rat poison, beebee guns, traps...but Nile talked me down.
Oh well, at least I still had my peppers.
Wrong-o! The next day, the bell peppers were gone. I'm convinced it was the same offending squirrel. Same with my tomatoes. I swear I saw the furry culprit one day, hanging out on our deck like he owned the place. We had a 5 minute stare-off, until I busted through the door scaring him away. He was fat too...with a pudgy little belly. Probably because he eats so well.
Looks like my plants will be making their way to my parent's house this weekend.
Food Reviews
I've happened upon some delightful new food finds recently in my local supermarket. Let's have a look at what it is currently in my kitchen.
Barber Foods Fit and Friendly Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken: I happened upon these in the frozen foods aisle one day. I had their other varieties many years ago, but they are usually high in fat, sodium and calories. This one has some pretty impressvie stats and comes in at only 190 calories per portion. They're indiviually portioned, so they are great for single diners, and they take only 30 minutes to bake fully frozen. They are a little smaller then I expected, but then again, it's probably the right portion size for meat.
Dole Fruit Crisp Bowls: These are a great addition to my cubicle lunch. They have several flavors, but my favorites are the Apple Cinnamon and Apple Pear. The sauced fruit is topped with an oat and brown sugar crumb topping that you mix together to make a delicious dessert. You can find these puppies with the applesauce.
Hidden Valley Harvest Dill Dip Mix: I actually happened upon this by accident. I really wanted the ranch dip mix, but Giant was all out, so I picked this up instead. I mixed it with low-fat sour cream and kept it in the fridge for veggies. Definitely a winner...it just might replace the ranch. Look for it in the salad dressing aisle.
Those are my new favorites! Bon appetit!
Barber Foods Fit and Friendly Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken: I happened upon these in the frozen foods aisle one day. I had their other varieties many years ago, but they are usually high in fat, sodium and calories. This one has some pretty impressvie stats and comes in at only 190 calories per portion. They're indiviually portioned, so they are great for single diners, and they take only 30 minutes to bake fully frozen. They are a little smaller then I expected, but then again, it's probably the right portion size for meat.
Dole Fruit Crisp Bowls: These are a great addition to my cubicle lunch. They have several flavors, but my favorites are the Apple Cinnamon and Apple Pear. The sauced fruit is topped with an oat and brown sugar crumb topping that you mix together to make a delicious dessert. You can find these puppies with the applesauce.
Hidden Valley Harvest Dill Dip Mix: I actually happened upon this by accident. I really wanted the ranch dip mix, but Giant was all out, so I picked this up instead. I mixed it with low-fat sour cream and kept it in the fridge for veggies. Definitely a winner...it just might replace the ranch. Look for it in the salad dressing aisle.
Those are my new favorites! Bon appetit!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Fitness Update
It's been a little while since I've posted a fitness update, so here goes.
Today, I received Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred in the mail. I found Workout 1 On Demand a few weeks ago and did it a few times, so I decided to order the full package online.
I thought that I could be able to move to Level 2 (there are 3 levels)...so I attempted it today. I got through...barely! I'm pretty sure walking and stairs will be an issue tomorrow. I think I'll go back to Level 1 for a little while.
The workouts are quick...20 minutes with a light warm up and cool down. Her method is 3 minutes strenth training, 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute ab work. You do 3 of these 6 minute circuits and during that time, have your butt completely handed to you.
Anyway, I give it 2 thumbs up. I've heard good things about it, so I'll check back on progress.
As far as my 5K training is concerned, it's going as well as can be expected. I started running outside, so I'm set back a few weeks because it's way different from the treadmill. Since Baltimore is currently experiencing a record-breaking heatwave, running outside in the evening has been impossible. It was 106 when I got in the car to come home from work yesterday...enough said.
I have it in my plans to get up in the morning and run to avoid some of the heat. That was my plan today...and yesterday. Tomorrow...it's still my plan. We'll see how it goes. I like my sleep a whole lot.
As far as going to the actual gym...I haven't been there in a while, since most of my workouts haven't needed gym equipment. I'm keeping the membership though because it's my idea to run in the morning and strength train at night.
Anyway, I'm headed to take a long, hot shower. And take several Advil.
Today, I received Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred in the mail. I found Workout 1 On Demand a few weeks ago and did it a few times, so I decided to order the full package online.
I thought that I could be able to move to Level 2 (there are 3 levels)...so I attempted it today. I got through...barely! I'm pretty sure walking and stairs will be an issue tomorrow. I think I'll go back to Level 1 for a little while.
The workouts are quick...20 minutes with a light warm up and cool down. Her method is 3 minutes strenth training, 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute ab work. You do 3 of these 6 minute circuits and during that time, have your butt completely handed to you.
Anyway, I give it 2 thumbs up. I've heard good things about it, so I'll check back on progress.
As far as my 5K training is concerned, it's going as well as can be expected. I started running outside, so I'm set back a few weeks because it's way different from the treadmill. Since Baltimore is currently experiencing a record-breaking heatwave, running outside in the evening has been impossible. It was 106 when I got in the car to come home from work yesterday...enough said.
I have it in my plans to get up in the morning and run to avoid some of the heat. That was my plan today...and yesterday. Tomorrow...it's still my plan. We'll see how it goes. I like my sleep a whole lot.
As far as going to the actual gym...I haven't been there in a while, since most of my workouts haven't needed gym equipment. I'm keeping the membership though because it's my idea to run in the morning and strength train at night.
Anyway, I'm headed to take a long, hot shower. And take several Advil.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Pet Peeves
Everyone has their personal pet peeves. Today, I experienced one of mine, which inspired this blog post. A list of pet peeves:
1. Running in the office - Seriously....where do you have to go that's SO important?! The color copier? The water cooler? Perhaps the supply closet? Today, some lady from another department (not one of my coworkers :) ) busted out into a FULL sprint. I wanted to stop her and ask her where she was going that was so important. Was she late for a meeting? Perhaps she was about to lose her bowels? Was she going to warn someone of an impending natural disaster? There's no excuse for running in the office, unless you're running from a fire, gunman, tiger or you're going to crap your pants.
2. Improper grammar - This is just the PR/Marketing/Writer in me, but improper grammar makes me cringe. I have several friends that can surely appreciate this, including my super picky husband. I especially hate mix-ups like "they're & their", "you're & your", "where & wear"...two totally different meanings. Seriously.
3. People that walk down the aisle of the grocery store/Target/Walmart and are so oblivious to their surroundings that they either block your desired product of purchase, or run into you - Seriously, you all know you've ran into these people. Perhaps sometimes you've been this person. I have on occasion...it's unavoidable...mostly at Target when you get completely engrossed in a certain item. But there are poeple that are just like this.
4. Mopheads - Also known as Bieber hair, Skater hair, or Emo hair. On teenage boys, it drives my out.of.my.mind. Nile probably gets more irritated with this than I do. He once yelled to a group of teenage boys to cut their hair...and later he came home to a keyed car. Guess they showed him. Punks.
Bieber Hair
Skater Hair
Emo Hair
Monday, June 28, 2010
Goal Check
It's been almost 6 months since I started my blog. Let's check in with the goals I set forth in my original post to see how far I've gotten!
1. Do some kind of charity/volunteer work once a month
Ok, this needs some work. Nile and I have good intentions, but it seems like life always gets in the way. We've made donations to several organizations, but we haven't put in the physical labor.
2. Get in shape!
This one, I'm working on! I'm currently training for a 5K at the end of August. I got a gym membership and average working out 3-4 times a week. I'm not near where I want to be yet, but I'm going to keep on pushing.
3. Get a massage by a professional
Last week, I looked up a few massage places and plan on scheduling one this month. Woohoo!
4. Travel to Europe
Nile and I saved our money and we're ready for our Europe trip. We planned it for the end of August, however, Nile's work got in the way and it looks like we'll be pushing it until the Spring.
5. Kiss the Blarney StoneSee above.
6. Get my picture taken with Big Ben (in London, not the football player)See two above.
7. Buy a new carDone and done! I bought a lovely 2010 Corolla in Magnetic Gray! It's delightful.
8. Send more cards to people for no specific reasonI definitely have not done this as much as I'd like to. Look for a card coming your way soon :)
9. See my family more often
I talk to my family (mainly mom and Nat) on a pretty regular basis. Pretty much every other day. Once Nile leaves for a while, I'll probably be making trips home way more often. Andddd, they will be coming to visit me way more often :)
10. Get the cancer butterfly tattoo with Natalie that we've been planning
We've decided on a design and have had it drawn. Now it's just the doing. We're looking at July or August. It's time to get this thing done!
11. Take advantage of the parks and beaches in our area
Nile and I definitely started off doing this. We discovered so many great beaches and parks within 20 minutes of our house. We've been to a few and definitely found our favorite. We'll continue to keep going.
12. Go on a picinic
We haven't done this yet this season, but it's definitely in the plans!
13. Learn to golfOk, this is something I really would like to do. However, in the name of realism, this is likely to not happen this year. Perhaps next. But definitely in my lifetime.
14. Keep up with my scrapbookingUgh. After I finished the wedding, I stalled out. I've got to kick this back up...I just need to get motivated.
Ok, so I haven't finished everything, but we're only half way through 2010. I'm hoping to knock a few of these off by the end of the year, but it's good to have a reminder of the goals I set!
1. Do some kind of charity/volunteer work once a month
Ok, this needs some work. Nile and I have good intentions, but it seems like life always gets in the way. We've made donations to several organizations, but we haven't put in the physical labor.
2. Get in shape!
This one, I'm working on! I'm currently training for a 5K at the end of August. I got a gym membership and average working out 3-4 times a week. I'm not near where I want to be yet, but I'm going to keep on pushing.
3. Get a massage by a professional
Last week, I looked up a few massage places and plan on scheduling one this month. Woohoo!
4. Travel to Europe
Nile and I saved our money and we're ready for our Europe trip. We planned it for the end of August, however, Nile's work got in the way and it looks like we'll be pushing it until the Spring.
5. Kiss the Blarney StoneSee above.
6. Get my picture taken with Big Ben (in London, not the football player)See two above.
7. Buy a new carDone and done! I bought a lovely 2010 Corolla in Magnetic Gray! It's delightful.
8. Send more cards to people for no specific reasonI definitely have not done this as much as I'd like to. Look for a card coming your way soon :)
9. See my family more often
I talk to my family (mainly mom and Nat) on a pretty regular basis. Pretty much every other day. Once Nile leaves for a while, I'll probably be making trips home way more often. Andddd, they will be coming to visit me way more often :)
10. Get the cancer butterfly tattoo with Natalie that we've been planning
We've decided on a design and have had it drawn. Now it's just the doing. We're looking at July or August. It's time to get this thing done!
11. Take advantage of the parks and beaches in our area
Nile and I definitely started off doing this. We discovered so many great beaches and parks within 20 minutes of our house. We've been to a few and definitely found our favorite. We'll continue to keep going.
12. Go on a picinic
We haven't done this yet this season, but it's definitely in the plans!
13. Learn to golfOk, this is something I really would like to do. However, in the name of realism, this is likely to not happen this year. Perhaps next. But definitely in my lifetime.
14. Keep up with my scrapbookingUgh. After I finished the wedding, I stalled out. I've got to kick this back up...I just need to get motivated.
Ok, so I haven't finished everything, but we're only half way through 2010. I'm hoping to knock a few of these off by the end of the year, but it's good to have a reminder of the goals I set!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sleep. Vicodin. Repeat.
I'm officially at the end of Day 5 of being completely house-bound. Yesterday, I couldn't think of doing anything other than sleeping and taking pain medication. I was really hoping the pain would subside by this morning, but alas, it did not.
I called the doc this morning and demanded that someone see me because the pain I'm experiencing is clearly not normal. Could they see me today? Of course not. Tomorrow morning is their only opening.
Today looked a lot like yesterday. Sleep, Vicodin, Repeat. However, I began to run out of said Vicodin, so I had to make the long (and by long I mean down the street) trip to the pharmacy to pick up some more. I also decided it would be a good time to stock up on more applesauce and frozen yogurt.
With all the Vicodin I'm taking, I'm beginning to feel like House. I'm not sure how that man could actually practice medicine while on this stuff. It makes you feel, well, floaty. I have problems with words when I'm taking it. My sister or Nile usually call me just after I've taken a dose, and will usually end up hanging up because I don't make any kind of sense.
Hopefully, the doc will have some answers for me tomorrow. Until then, I have big plans for my night, which include vanilla frozen yogurt, Vicodin (duh), and some On Demand television programming. Big night, I know. Don't be jealous.
I called the doc this morning and demanded that someone see me because the pain I'm experiencing is clearly not normal. Could they see me today? Of course not. Tomorrow morning is their only opening.
Today looked a lot like yesterday. Sleep, Vicodin, Repeat. However, I began to run out of said Vicodin, so I had to make the long (and by long I mean down the street) trip to the pharmacy to pick up some more. I also decided it would be a good time to stock up on more applesauce and frozen yogurt.
With all the Vicodin I'm taking, I'm beginning to feel like House. I'm not sure how that man could actually practice medicine while on this stuff. It makes you feel, well, floaty. I have problems with words when I'm taking it. My sister or Nile usually call me just after I've taken a dose, and will usually end up hanging up because I don't make any kind of sense.
Hopefully, the doc will have some answers for me tomorrow. Until then, I have big plans for my night, which include vanilla frozen yogurt, Vicodin (duh), and some On Demand television programming. Big night, I know. Don't be jealous.
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