A couple people asked me what Nick and I were doing for Valentines Day. I swear my answer was as follows-"Well, after work, instead of heading to the bar, I am going home." It helps that all the romance in my body is located in my pinky toe, but my reality is, I just don't care. It isn't that I don't love Nick. Nobody else makes me so mad, and it is my strongest desire to turn Nick into a lizard so I can rip his ass off and he would grow another one, no worse for the wear. But nobody makes me laugh harder or longer either. I still remember sitting in a Wendy's burger place laughing so hard tears were running down my cheeks and I couldn't speak. I think the table next to us thought Nick was being mean because they threw him some dirty, dirty looks but I couldn't talk to tell them otherwise. I just find Nick that hilarious.
I guess the reality is, I am high maintenance. I am not into the one day hoopla's where you get chocolates and flowers on Valentine's Day and your anniversary. To me, a relationship is a partnership and it is everyday-every single, freakin' day. Because, really, if you give me flowers last Thursday, than you think you don't have to do anything for me on Friday and I hate that attitude. What if I am sick on Friday-were all your goodwill points used up with the flowers I might have gotten on Thursday. What about next week if I get a headache? Can my partner than say-no, no I got you flowers last week so I don't have to do anything this week. I want Nick, and myself, to always remember that relationships don't start and end with the holidays created by card stores.
Besides, it is the little things that make a relationship. All the times I pick Nick up from work so he doesn't have to take the bus after working 12 hours shows I care. He also has a thing about a dirty kitchen so I work hard to keep it picked up (although warning to guests-don't eat off the floor!) On the flip side, when Nick was out with his cousin one day, he saw a book I wanted on sale. Not only did he remember the title, but he brought it home just because he knew I wanted it-just because. He also did the dishes a couple of weeks ago becasue I looked really tired and he often carries my laundry basket downstairs because he knows it bothers my neck to carry heavy things. I would hate for him to do that only once a year.
Anybody in a long term relationship can tell you that a lot of times, it is the little things that makes us smile or drive us nuts. I hear of few people who broke up over drug use and it's morality-it was the affect of the drug use like the inability to hold on to money or the inability to follow a schedule is what seems to get to people, when I read about it in the advice columns. And it is the little things we have to deal with day in and day out. So what did we do Valentine's Day? The same thing we do every day-spend just a little bit of time working on our relationship.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
February 14
Happy February 14th everyone. 149 years ago TODAY, a group of white men got together and formed the area we now know as Oregon! That's right-today is the birthday of this state, and other state's who's names I do not know!! So happy Birthday Oregon!!!! You have come along way baby!!
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Genius Fake Economist
I am a genius, in my humble opinion.
I am not an Economist, nor do I play one on TV. But let me share with you some conversations I had with people willing to feign interest about 6 months ago. I sum up in the interest of space.
My rant:
In 2007 utility bills rose double digits, public transportation ticket/pass costs rose three times, the cost of health care rose double digits, food prices increased, and of course the gas pump jumped around like a little kid who has to go to the bathroom-but it was never cheap, even if the price "lowered". A "cost of living" raise is typcially 2-6%, depending on the generiosity of your company (sometimes it is 0% in a tougher economy). I am not a math wizard but how the hell is 2-6% suppose to cover all those increases!!!! I honestly don't know the official definition of recession/depression. I avoided those classes like the plague. But what I can say is that we are being squeezed and it isn't by the luxury items. I may be a snob, but I want to eat at home and I want to heat my house somehow and I want to drink water from the tap.
End rant.
6 months ago, "experts" denied a recession was on the way. Now, they are hemming and hawing that we MIGHT be headed for one. Who are these dummies?!??! Now the governmentwants to give us money to solve the problem. Right-when Nick and I are short on money at the end of the month, we go out and lavishly splurge to solve our money woes. Spending money, when there is no money, seems like a stupid way to solve the "maybe recession". But here is why I will take that money and I won't feel guilty-
1. I have no pride. If someone offers me money, are they stupid for offering or me for saying no?
2. It goes to me or Iraq-a country that isn't sure it even wants us there and I sure feel I am way more important than a country we aren't really helping much.
3. This will be added to our cost of living raise and maybe we will be able to live with the market raises that are going to come this year. I work part-time; every bit helps.
This was someone esle's opinion regarding the kickback but I thought it worthy to pass on. If you really want to help kick start the ecomony, don't buy the luxury items, get services. If you get your windows cleaned, or your tree's trimmed, your money is going directly to another person who's business is probably tight in an economic downturn. That didn't sound any worse than giving money to a clothing company sending jobs overseas.
I am not an Economist, nor do I play one on TV. But let me share with you some conversations I had with people willing to feign interest about 6 months ago. I sum up in the interest of space.
My rant:
In 2007 utility bills rose double digits, public transportation ticket/pass costs rose three times, the cost of health care rose double digits, food prices increased, and of course the gas pump jumped around like a little kid who has to go to the bathroom-but it was never cheap, even if the price "lowered". A "cost of living" raise is typcially 2-6%, depending on the generiosity of your company (sometimes it is 0% in a tougher economy). I am not a math wizard but how the hell is 2-6% suppose to cover all those increases!!!! I honestly don't know the official definition of recession/depression. I avoided those classes like the plague. But what I can say is that we are being squeezed and it isn't by the luxury items. I may be a snob, but I want to eat at home and I want to heat my house somehow and I want to drink water from the tap.
End rant.
6 months ago, "experts" denied a recession was on the way. Now, they are hemming and hawing that we MIGHT be headed for one. Who are these dummies?!??! Now the governmentwants to give us money to solve the problem. Right-when Nick and I are short on money at the end of the month, we go out and lavishly splurge to solve our money woes. Spending money, when there is no money, seems like a stupid way to solve the "maybe recession". But here is why I will take that money and I won't feel guilty-
1. I have no pride. If someone offers me money, are they stupid for offering or me for saying no?
2. It goes to me or Iraq-a country that isn't sure it even wants us there and I sure feel I am way more important than a country we aren't really helping much.
3. This will be added to our cost of living raise and maybe we will be able to live with the market raises that are going to come this year. I work part-time; every bit helps.
This was someone esle's opinion regarding the kickback but I thought it worthy to pass on. If you really want to help kick start the ecomony, don't buy the luxury items, get services. If you get your windows cleaned, or your tree's trimmed, your money is going directly to another person who's business is probably tight in an economic downturn. That didn't sound any worse than giving money to a clothing company sending jobs overseas.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Disarray, disarray, disarray
I had all kinds of thoughts today on what I wanted to write, and then Mitt Romney went and dropped out of the Presidential race. Oooo-just-too-many-thoughts-to-ignore.
I didn't have high hopes for Romney. One step above Rudy, Romney's bright spots were the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and governor a few years. But he seemed to strike a chord with conservatives and looked like he had a good shot. Of course now he is down in flames, along with a lot of other candidates.
For good or bad, I think this just proves how fractured the Republican Party truly is. True conservatives have lost a lot of party power-hence the candidates who claim "conservative power" inability to get enough voters to support them (Huckabee among them). Main stream Republicans now want nothing to do with them. But I have heard them grumble about McCain-they seemed to have wanted Guiliani. It was like they felt he could retrace FDR's steps-another politician who started in New York politics before hitting the big time. Now that McCain seems to be the front runner, no one seems to be happy. And honest to god, how that guy has taken the lead is beyond me. As I have said before-everytime he farts, he changes his mind. Initially I agreed with some of his ideas, then I didn't, then I did, then I didn't...I think you get the idea. Not the quality I want in a decisive world leader. With the "war" proving increasingly unpopular, and McCain publicly stating he is willing to carry on the "programs" started by Bush, it ought to get interesting.
Actually, my biggest beef with American Politics is less with candidates and more with the system. My minor in college was Political Science, and I still do not understand why we vote the way we do. Does it not sound simpler to have one day in say May or June, where all state's do their primaries? Then in Novemeber we vote for the candidates that survive the primary? Honestly, a lot of people in Oregon are grumbling, and I feel rightly so, wondering just how much our vote counts the first time around. Sure, in a neck and neck race like Obama and Clinton, it will matter. But Republican voters are getting screwed right and left. By the time May rolls around, the Oregon Primary, who will they have left to vote for? Not to mention the amount of money and press time spent on covering elections that seem to last 2 years or more. I honestly did not care last summer who was running and who wasn't. I hve other beef's, but space is limited and no one likes to read a whiner, although in this case I would say I am bitching. It is enough to know that the Presidential Race of 2008 has been very interesting.
I didn't have high hopes for Romney. One step above Rudy, Romney's bright spots were the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and governor a few years. But he seemed to strike a chord with conservatives and looked like he had a good shot. Of course now he is down in flames, along with a lot of other candidates.
For good or bad, I think this just proves how fractured the Republican Party truly is. True conservatives have lost a lot of party power-hence the candidates who claim "conservative power" inability to get enough voters to support them (Huckabee among them). Main stream Republicans now want nothing to do with them. But I have heard them grumble about McCain-they seemed to have wanted Guiliani. It was like they felt he could retrace FDR's steps-another politician who started in New York politics before hitting the big time. Now that McCain seems to be the front runner, no one seems to be happy. And honest to god, how that guy has taken the lead is beyond me. As I have said before-everytime he farts, he changes his mind. Initially I agreed with some of his ideas, then I didn't, then I did, then I didn't...I think you get the idea. Not the quality I want in a decisive world leader. With the "war" proving increasingly unpopular, and McCain publicly stating he is willing to carry on the "programs" started by Bush, it ought to get interesting.
Actually, my biggest beef with American Politics is less with candidates and more with the system. My minor in college was Political Science, and I still do not understand why we vote the way we do. Does it not sound simpler to have one day in say May or June, where all state's do their primaries? Then in Novemeber we vote for the candidates that survive the primary? Honestly, a lot of people in Oregon are grumbling, and I feel rightly so, wondering just how much our vote counts the first time around. Sure, in a neck and neck race like Obama and Clinton, it will matter. But Republican voters are getting screwed right and left. By the time May rolls around, the Oregon Primary, who will they have left to vote for? Not to mention the amount of money and press time spent on covering elections that seem to last 2 years or more. I honestly did not care last summer who was running and who wasn't. I hve other beef's, but space is limited and no one likes to read a whiner, although in this case I would say I am bitching. It is enough to know that the Presidential Race of 2008 has been very interesting.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Cooking Made Easy
So as I go along on my little healthy eating, high horse, I know what everyone is thinking-must be nice when you have the time and money to be holier than thou. But the reality is, I have neither time nor money-they simply are not allocated to something I still don't like very much. So here are my shortcuts to health-IER (not healthy eating since I still have those chocolate bars)!
1. Get the right cooking materials. My pots and pans had been with me so long, I had no idea where I got them. So I bit the bullet and invested in a huge pan with lid, and 2 really good pots. Guess who can boil water now in under a half an hour?!?! The new cookware has made a huge difference in what I am willing to cook.
2. Be realistic about your skills/goals. I hate to cook-have I mentioned that? If a recipe has to many ingredients, or to many exotic ingredients, I will never try it. One or two, weird things, yes. Experimentation can be fun. But using gas for an hour's car ride, because that is where the speciality store is, just takes away from the experience (and adds to the cost.)
3. I read something recently that summed up the whole organic experience for me-if you can't afford to go total organic (or find everything organic in your area), pick the things that matter most to you. Because washing of pesticides is easier than extracting hormones from my meat, I am way more pickier about the beef, chicken, pork I buy than where my carrot came from. It was aslo easy to get organic eggs. Also, thinking of animals being mistreated makes me feel worse than thinking my lettuce was mistreated. But that's me. if you don't eat beef in the first place, what's the point of worrying where it came from? Eating healthier isn't about dieting-it is about how we live and therefore should be done in a manner that we can maintain.
So, here are some super quick recipes I have learned over the years. I don't know the calorie content, sugar content, or what vitamins are there. These are just things that are helathier than Burger King, cheaper than a sit-down eatery, and easy to cook.
A. In a non-stick cooking pan, through in equal parts water and salsa. Toss in chicken thighs. Bring to boil, turn down to simmer, cook till thighs are done (about 25 minutes thawed, 35 minutes if frozen).
Obviously there is a lot of variation. More thighs, more salsa/water. The chicken doesn't pick up the spicy-ness of the salsa to much, but different kinds of salsa will change the flavor.
B. Tacos. I thought this one was so easy, everyone must do it. But in fact, few people do. Cook your meat, heat your beans, add vegies of choice, heat the shells. I am the slowest cooker I know, and even I can have dinner ready in half an hour (less if I forget the onions.) Added bonus: no grease dripping down my arm like you find at some taco places.
C. Vegetarian Bean Soup. Okay, I add hamburger so this is no longer vegie-only in my house. But pick your 4-5 favorite beans, rinse. Throw in a pot with 1 cup salsa, 1 can chicken broth, some cumin and corriander to taste, cooked meat of choice, and heat. In this recipe, the hot-ness of the salsa matters!! I also had someone tell me to try it with ham instead of hamburger. Other variations: sausage, no onions, top with sour cream. (I have over-cooked before and jsut added more chicken broth.)
D.Top Ramen. A lot fo people I know gave this up after college. And the nutrtion content of the noodles can't be all that high. But this is another no brainer I thought everyone did and a lot of people I talk to don't. Make your ramen and add stuff-vegie's of choice, meat of choice, extra spices, eggs, etc. I have added shrimp (which wasn't so hot) to chicken(which was awesome). On a cold night, when I am dog tired, this is perfect.
E. Peas in Shell tossed in honey. I don't remember the exact amounts in this but if I remember right, all I did was cook my peas in a little butter (or butter subsitute), and stir in just enough honey to coat them. It was yummy.
1. Get the right cooking materials. My pots and pans had been with me so long, I had no idea where I got them. So I bit the bullet and invested in a huge pan with lid, and 2 really good pots. Guess who can boil water now in under a half an hour?!?! The new cookware has made a huge difference in what I am willing to cook.
2. Be realistic about your skills/goals. I hate to cook-have I mentioned that? If a recipe has to many ingredients, or to many exotic ingredients, I will never try it. One or two, weird things, yes. Experimentation can be fun. But using gas for an hour's car ride, because that is where the speciality store is, just takes away from the experience (and adds to the cost.)
3. I read something recently that summed up the whole organic experience for me-if you can't afford to go total organic (or find everything organic in your area), pick the things that matter most to you. Because washing of pesticides is easier than extracting hormones from my meat, I am way more pickier about the beef, chicken, pork I buy than where my carrot came from. It was aslo easy to get organic eggs. Also, thinking of animals being mistreated makes me feel worse than thinking my lettuce was mistreated. But that's me. if you don't eat beef in the first place, what's the point of worrying where it came from? Eating healthier isn't about dieting-it is about how we live and therefore should be done in a manner that we can maintain.
So, here are some super quick recipes I have learned over the years. I don't know the calorie content, sugar content, or what vitamins are there. These are just things that are helathier than Burger King, cheaper than a sit-down eatery, and easy to cook.
A. In a non-stick cooking pan, through in equal parts water and salsa. Toss in chicken thighs. Bring to boil, turn down to simmer, cook till thighs are done (about 25 minutes thawed, 35 minutes if frozen).
Obviously there is a lot of variation. More thighs, more salsa/water. The chicken doesn't pick up the spicy-ness of the salsa to much, but different kinds of salsa will change the flavor.
B. Tacos. I thought this one was so easy, everyone must do it. But in fact, few people do. Cook your meat, heat your beans, add vegies of choice, heat the shells. I am the slowest cooker I know, and even I can have dinner ready in half an hour (less if I forget the onions.) Added bonus: no grease dripping down my arm like you find at some taco places.
C. Vegetarian Bean Soup. Okay, I add hamburger so this is no longer vegie-only in my house. But pick your 4-5 favorite beans, rinse. Throw in a pot with 1 cup salsa, 1 can chicken broth, some cumin and corriander to taste, cooked meat of choice, and heat. In this recipe, the hot-ness of the salsa matters!! I also had someone tell me to try it with ham instead of hamburger. Other variations: sausage, no onions, top with sour cream. (I have over-cooked before and jsut added more chicken broth.)
D.Top Ramen. A lot fo people I know gave this up after college. And the nutrtion content of the noodles can't be all that high. But this is another no brainer I thought everyone did and a lot of people I talk to don't. Make your ramen and add stuff-vegie's of choice, meat of choice, extra spices, eggs, etc. I have added shrimp (which wasn't so hot) to chicken(which was awesome). On a cold night, when I am dog tired, this is perfect.
E. Peas in Shell tossed in honey. I don't remember the exact amounts in this but if I remember right, all I did was cook my peas in a little butter (or butter subsitute), and stir in just enough honey to coat them. It was yummy.
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