I'm happy.
Go Pack Go!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Put my money where my mouth is
On my one-year anniversary of moving to Charlotte, I reflected on how I'd changed during my year of being a housewife in Charlotte. In that post, I noted that my priorities had shifted and that I didn't think I'd ever move again to benefit my career unless I was certain my husband would benefit as well. I've told my husband something similar many times, and have also told him that if an amazing career opportunity presents itself to him and we have to move again, I will support him 100% and follow him wherever he goes.
Well, it may be time to put my money where my mouth is.
I have not been offered a job anywhere else, but I did just start a job in Charlotte. My husband, on the other hand, was offered a job in Wisconsin where we used to live. It's an exciting opportunity for him, and one that seems to be a natural fit for his skills and experience and personality. I couldn't be happier for him or more proud of him.
It couldn't be worse timing for me.
As I mentioned before, my job isn't my dream job, or even especially challenging. It is a job, however, and I like what I'm doing. And I'm very good at it. The thought of leaving my job after just a few weeks, of starting the job hunting process over again, of potentially being a housewife again ... it's a little overwhelming. I'm not sure that I want to do it again.
And I hate snow. It was 60 degrees here on Wednesday. I doubt that will happen in January in Wisconsin.
My husband is not happy in his job here, and I don't blame him. He's taken quite a few hits and he's frankly outgrown his job. He deserves better and he's earned the opportunity that he's been offered in Wisconsin. Even if we decide to stay in Charlotte, I doubt he'll stay at his company. I don't want him to stay there. But that opens up a door of even more unknowns because we don't know when he'll find something new and if he'll even like it if he does.
But I just started my job.
But we would be closer to family and friends which is very appealing.
But I love Charlotte. There I said it. I love Charlotte. Charlotte has been good for me. Granted, this may all change now that I'm not strictly a housewife, but thus far, I'm still enjoying my life in Charlotte.
I don't know what it will be like in Wisconsin this time around. I don't know if I'll have a job, or if I'll be satisfied being a housewife in Wisconsin until I can find a job. I know I won't have my country club, but I will have other things that I don't have here, like my family and friend's houses to go visit instead.
My husband and I have a lot to think about and talk about this weekend.
Well, it may be time to put my money where my mouth is.
I have not been offered a job anywhere else, but I did just start a job in Charlotte. My husband, on the other hand, was offered a job in Wisconsin where we used to live. It's an exciting opportunity for him, and one that seems to be a natural fit for his skills and experience and personality. I couldn't be happier for him or more proud of him.
It couldn't be worse timing for me.
As I mentioned before, my job isn't my dream job, or even especially challenging. It is a job, however, and I like what I'm doing. And I'm very good at it. The thought of leaving my job after just a few weeks, of starting the job hunting process over again, of potentially being a housewife again ... it's a little overwhelming. I'm not sure that I want to do it again.
And I hate snow. It was 60 degrees here on Wednesday. I doubt that will happen in January in Wisconsin.
My husband is not happy in his job here, and I don't blame him. He's taken quite a few hits and he's frankly outgrown his job. He deserves better and he's earned the opportunity that he's been offered in Wisconsin. Even if we decide to stay in Charlotte, I doubt he'll stay at his company. I don't want him to stay there. But that opens up a door of even more unknowns because we don't know when he'll find something new and if he'll even like it if he does.
But I just started my job.
But we would be closer to family and friends which is very appealing.
But I love Charlotte. There I said it. I love Charlotte. Charlotte has been good for me. Granted, this may all change now that I'm not strictly a housewife, but thus far, I'm still enjoying my life in Charlotte.
I don't know what it will be like in Wisconsin this time around. I don't know if I'll have a job, or if I'll be satisfied being a housewife in Wisconsin until I can find a job. I know I won't have my country club, but I will have other things that I don't have here, like my family and friend's houses to go visit instead.
My husband and I have a lot to think about and talk about this weekend.
Monday, January 17, 2011
ADHD, medication, and motherhood - Part 2
In Part 1 of this post, I gave some background about my struggle with ADHD and the conflict I felt between taking medication to advance my career at the expense of becoming a mother. Even though that post has no comments, I've received more feedback and emails about it than any other post I've written. I interpreted that to mean that I touched on a couple of important issues for women, but these are issues that we're still not comfortable discussing publicly. For that reason, I think this is going to be an issue I'll be revisiting often, but hopefully from a different angle each time.
This post is going to pick up where I left off last time and fill you in on my thought process while I was making my decision. I was considering whether to take medication for my ADHD. I left off wondering whether a PhD and a career in academia would be fulfilling or if I would regret not having children. I sought out advice and guidance from others, but encountered more frustration than support.
I'm a reflective and instinctive person by nature, so even though I talked about my struggle with others, I knew that my answer would have to come from what I was feeling and not what I was thinking. On an intellectual level, I knew there were women who balanced work and family. I knew medication could be a short-term solution and that I could stop if I were to get pregnant or wanted to get pregnant. I knew I was legally entitled to disability accommodations. I also knew I had nothing to be ashamed of, that ADHD is real despite the public misperceptions. Intellectually, I understood this.
My intelligence and rationality couldn't overcome my gut feelings, however. I knew there were women who balanced work and family, but I felt like my ADHD would never allow me to fully balance the two in a way that would work long-term. I knew that I could stop taking medication to have a baby, but I've always felt that I will have difficulty getting pregnant and that "medication break" could extend for years. I also knew that even though I had a right to accommodations, the faculty looked down on me for asking for them and they treated me like I was dumb or incompetent. Even though I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of, I felt ashamed.
On the other hand, I didn't have the biological drive toward motherhood that I thought I should or that I felt I should. Kids bugged me. That's not entirely true. I adore my niece and nephew (they're the greatest kids ever but I'm sure I think that because I get to spoil them, feed them sugar, and send them back to their parents) and I enjoy spending time with my friends and their kids. I don't enjoy the temper tantrums or the child-centered conversations or the general adjustment of my life to suit the needs of kids. As much as my breeding friends assured me that having children was worth all the sacrifices, they often expressed jealousy at my life and resentment toward theirs, especially when I got to do things they wished they could do, from the simple, like going out to nice dinners whenever I wanted, to the extravagant, like going to Spain. I couldn't ignore those feelings either. I love my friends, but I did not want to become them.
All of these issues created the confusion and the conflict I felt, but my husband was really the one underlying force behind my decision-making. He has always been incredibly supportive and encouraging of my career path, but I also know that he wants children. In a lot of ways, he is a big kid and for a while I was concerned that I would end up parenting my husband and my child, rather than have a partner in raising a child. That concern was misguided. He will be an amazing dad and any child will be lucky to have him as a father.
My hesitations had more to do with his job demands than any concerns about his parenting skills. His job is incredibly unpredictable in terms of hours and travel, so I can't always count on him to be home at a certain time. This is annoying but generally fine when it's just the two of us, but if there was a child involved, I don't think it would be okay. There could easily be days when he wouldn't see our kids, leaving me as the primary caretaker for the kids. Of course I could have help - I would need help - but I also know that help doesn't come cheap and I'd probably be working to pay for a nanny. I know my work would suffer because I couldn't be at every meeting, go to every conference, or travel to collect my data because I wouldn't have the flexibility. One of us would need to have a job that had consistent hours, jobs that didn't require a fifty-plus hour time commitment each week. I knew faculty jobs - especially tenure-track faculty jobs - wouldn't meet this criteria. I knew my husband would never be satisfied in a job that fit that criteria either.
As much as I believe in and am thankful for women's liberation and equal rights, the reality is that marriage isn't about equality - it's about partnership. Sometimes one person has to make a sacrifice in order to do what is best for both spouses. In our case, one of us was going to have to sacrifice our career ambitions in order for us to have a family. When I honestly looked at the dual-career couples in my field who were making it work, I saw that one person had a stable 9 to 5 job and the other had the PhD, and I knew that would never be my husband and me if we continued on our current paths.
So in addition to the concerns I had about taking medication and what that meant for me professionally and personally, I also had to decide if we did have a child, could I ask my husband to give up his career so I could pursue mine, or was I willing to give up mine so he could pursue his?
Stay tuned...
This post is going to pick up where I left off last time and fill you in on my thought process while I was making my decision. I was considering whether to take medication for my ADHD. I left off wondering whether a PhD and a career in academia would be fulfilling or if I would regret not having children. I sought out advice and guidance from others, but encountered more frustration than support.
I'm a reflective and instinctive person by nature, so even though I talked about my struggle with others, I knew that my answer would have to come from what I was feeling and not what I was thinking. On an intellectual level, I knew there were women who balanced work and family. I knew medication could be a short-term solution and that I could stop if I were to get pregnant or wanted to get pregnant. I knew I was legally entitled to disability accommodations. I also knew I had nothing to be ashamed of, that ADHD is real despite the public misperceptions. Intellectually, I understood this.
My intelligence and rationality couldn't overcome my gut feelings, however. I knew there were women who balanced work and family, but I felt like my ADHD would never allow me to fully balance the two in a way that would work long-term. I knew that I could stop taking medication to have a baby, but I've always felt that I will have difficulty getting pregnant and that "medication break" could extend for years. I also knew that even though I had a right to accommodations, the faculty looked down on me for asking for them and they treated me like I was dumb or incompetent. Even though I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of, I felt ashamed.
On the other hand, I didn't have the biological drive toward motherhood that I thought I should or that I felt I should. Kids bugged me. That's not entirely true. I adore my niece and nephew (they're the greatest kids ever but I'm sure I think that because I get to spoil them, feed them sugar, and send them back to their parents) and I enjoy spending time with my friends and their kids. I don't enjoy the temper tantrums or the child-centered conversations or the general adjustment of my life to suit the needs of kids. As much as my breeding friends assured me that having children was worth all the sacrifices, they often expressed jealousy at my life and resentment toward theirs, especially when I got to do things they wished they could do, from the simple, like going out to nice dinners whenever I wanted, to the extravagant, like going to Spain. I couldn't ignore those feelings either. I love my friends, but I did not want to become them.
All of these issues created the confusion and the conflict I felt, but my husband was really the one underlying force behind my decision-making. He has always been incredibly supportive and encouraging of my career path, but I also know that he wants children. In a lot of ways, he is a big kid and for a while I was concerned that I would end up parenting my husband and my child, rather than have a partner in raising a child. That concern was misguided. He will be an amazing dad and any child will be lucky to have him as a father.
My hesitations had more to do with his job demands than any concerns about his parenting skills. His job is incredibly unpredictable in terms of hours and travel, so I can't always count on him to be home at a certain time. This is annoying but generally fine when it's just the two of us, but if there was a child involved, I don't think it would be okay. There could easily be days when he wouldn't see our kids, leaving me as the primary caretaker for the kids. Of course I could have help - I would need help - but I also know that help doesn't come cheap and I'd probably be working to pay for a nanny. I know my work would suffer because I couldn't be at every meeting, go to every conference, or travel to collect my data because I wouldn't have the flexibility. One of us would need to have a job that had consistent hours, jobs that didn't require a fifty-plus hour time commitment each week. I knew faculty jobs - especially tenure-track faculty jobs - wouldn't meet this criteria. I knew my husband would never be satisfied in a job that fit that criteria either.
As much as I believe in and am thankful for women's liberation and equal rights, the reality is that marriage isn't about equality - it's about partnership. Sometimes one person has to make a sacrifice in order to do what is best for both spouses. In our case, one of us was going to have to sacrifice our career ambitions in order for us to have a family. When I honestly looked at the dual-career couples in my field who were making it work, I saw that one person had a stable 9 to 5 job and the other had the PhD, and I knew that would never be my husband and me if we continued on our current paths.
So in addition to the concerns I had about taking medication and what that meant for me professionally and personally, I also had to decide if we did have a child, could I ask my husband to give up his career so I could pursue mine, or was I willing to give up mine so he could pursue his?
Stay tuned...
I hate Snow
Last week I enjoyed the three inches of snow that kept me home from work for three days. Today I hate the snow that delayed my husband's flight so that he missed his connection to get back home to Charlotte. Instead of coming home tonight and spending the night with me, working all day, and flying out again tomorrow, he'll just be staying in Michigan all week. I guess it's convenient that his connection was through Detroit.
I hate you, Snow.
But I think my husband hates you more.
I've had enough of winter. I'm ready to wear sandals again (my toes are painted lime green and I want to show them off!) I know my winter has been nothing compared to what I could have if I lived in the Midwest, but I've had enough to remind me that I don't like winter. At all.
I wonder if there are any job openings at the University of the Virgin Islands.
I lived in the Midwest my entire life and I always disliked winter, but it never really bothered me. It actually bothers me now. I hate seeing temperatures drop below 40 degrees, I hate snow and ice and slush, and I hate heavy coats and hats and gloves. I hate shoveling and scraping and chopping ice. I hate being cold.
But most of all, I hate that at this time of year, the weather always seems to interfere with travel plans.
I'm ready for Summer.
I hate you, Snow.
But I think my husband hates you more.
I've had enough of winter. I'm ready to wear sandals again (my toes are painted lime green and I want to show them off!) I know my winter has been nothing compared to what I could have if I lived in the Midwest, but I've had enough to remind me that I don't like winter. At all.
I wonder if there are any job openings at the University of the Virgin Islands.
I lived in the Midwest my entire life and I always disliked winter, but it never really bothered me. It actually bothers me now. I hate seeing temperatures drop below 40 degrees, I hate snow and ice and slush, and I hate heavy coats and hats and gloves. I hate shoveling and scraping and chopping ice. I hate being cold.
But most of all, I hate that at this time of year, the weather always seems to interfere with travel plans.
I'm ready for Summer.
Why I'll never join Weight Watchers
My sister-in-law joined Weight Watchers and is having great success on the program. In six weeks, she's lost 26 pounds. How do I know this? She told me. Every five seconds. For three days straight.
My sister-in-law is diabetic, so losing weight is a big deal for her. She's been able to avoid insulin, and reduced the amount of medications signficantly. I'm very happy for her, and I told her that. I thought that would be the end of the conversation.
Oh how wrong I was.
At dinner, she told me the news. Later on in the dinner, she told me she was cold because she's lost 26 pounds. Still later, for no reason that I can ascertain, she told me again. Later, after we'd made our plans for the following day, she realized she had to change the plans because she had a meeting she'd forgotten about - she was doing Weight Watchers and she had to go to a meeting, and her normal meeting fell on Christmas so she had to find a new meeting. And she had to go to the meeting because she's lost 26 pounds already and reduced her medications.
In case she hadn't already mentioned it.
The next day, we had to scrap our original plans to accomodate her meeting (I was fine with that). We had drama to deal with trying to coordinate everyone's schedules and preferences, namely from my mother-in-law, and made a new plan and then headed out to lunch together. And then came the menu selection and determination of number of points of each entree - because my sister-in-law was doing Weight Watchers, the new plan that Jennifer Hudson followed to lose her weight, and she'd already lost 26 pounds in six weeks. Then we went shopping, and she was trying to find new clothes because nothing fit because guess what? She lost 26 pounds in six weeks doing Weight Watchers.
I think Weight Watchers is a cult.
I don't know if it's the commercials or the meetings, but this seems to be a common thread for anybody I've known who has done Weight Watchers (or really followed any specific weight loss plan that is working). They talk about it constantly, and want everybody around them to know that A) they've joined Weight Watchers, and B) how much weight they've lost as a result of their participation in the cult. The constant need to share and talk about food and exercise and points and their program concerns me. Being conscious of what you're eating is one thing - obsessing about it is completely different.
Plus, I really don't care.
I don't tell people I don't care - at least not to their faces. I'm happy for people who set a goal and obtain it, I really am, and I will tell them that I am. But I won't ask for details, and I generally won't reciprocate with my own story. I will occassionally share if I think it's important to a story I'm going to tell, such as stories of gym whores knocking out the power on my treadmill or, more likely, because I want to complain. But generally speaking, I don't like to talk about exercising (because I hate it) or a weight loss journey (because I'm not on one). To me, asking about that stuff is like asking if I shaved my legs today (no, I didn't and they're very hairy. Aren't you glad you asked?). It's a task to be checked off, but does not need to be discussed regularly. And it's none of anyone else's business to ask. I'll share if I want. Otherwise, back off.
I'm pretty sure I feel this way because of my social work background, and the time I've spent around people with eating disorders and addictions. I'm sensitive to the relationships people have with food and exercise and counting calories, and I worry about people who display obsessive thought patterns about the topic. It's not healthy to think about food and exercise constantly - it's not healthy to think about any one thing constantly. And I distinctly remember that group therapy for eating disorders can be dangerous, especially for young women, because the group members sometimes try to one-up each other on who consumed the fewest calories or exercised the longest. It's a slippery slope from support to competition, which only exacerbates the overwhelming desire for control and perfection that is commonly exhibited by people with eating disorders. So the more someone wants to talk about exercise or food or weight loss, the more I suspect all is not well.
I am the opposite of what most health and fitness experts (or just random people who write about health and fitness) say: I don't want your support. I don't want to share my goals. I don't want to be held accountable. The more you ask, the less motivated I become. In fact, I'll think you're nosy. And I'll assume you're projecting your own issues on me, and I'll probably diagnose you with an eating disorder.
So I highly doubt you'll ever see me at a Weight Watchers meeting. But congratulations if it's working for you. Just please don't tell me about it.
My sister-in-law is diabetic, so losing weight is a big deal for her. She's been able to avoid insulin, and reduced the amount of medications signficantly. I'm very happy for her, and I told her that. I thought that would be the end of the conversation.
Oh how wrong I was.
At dinner, she told me the news. Later on in the dinner, she told me she was cold because she's lost 26 pounds. Still later, for no reason that I can ascertain, she told me again. Later, after we'd made our plans for the following day, she realized she had to change the plans because she had a meeting she'd forgotten about - she was doing Weight Watchers and she had to go to a meeting, and her normal meeting fell on Christmas so she had to find a new meeting. And she had to go to the meeting because she's lost 26 pounds already and reduced her medications.
In case she hadn't already mentioned it.
The next day, we had to scrap our original plans to accomodate her meeting (I was fine with that). We had drama to deal with trying to coordinate everyone's schedules and preferences, namely from my mother-in-law, and made a new plan and then headed out to lunch together. And then came the menu selection and determination of number of points of each entree - because my sister-in-law was doing Weight Watchers, the new plan that Jennifer Hudson followed to lose her weight, and she'd already lost 26 pounds in six weeks. Then we went shopping, and she was trying to find new clothes because nothing fit because guess what? She lost 26 pounds in six weeks doing Weight Watchers.
I think Weight Watchers is a cult.
I don't know if it's the commercials or the meetings, but this seems to be a common thread for anybody I've known who has done Weight Watchers (or really followed any specific weight loss plan that is working). They talk about it constantly, and want everybody around them to know that A) they've joined Weight Watchers, and B) how much weight they've lost as a result of their participation in the cult. The constant need to share and talk about food and exercise and points and their program concerns me. Being conscious of what you're eating is one thing - obsessing about it is completely different.
Plus, I really don't care.
I don't tell people I don't care - at least not to their faces. I'm happy for people who set a goal and obtain it, I really am, and I will tell them that I am. But I won't ask for details, and I generally won't reciprocate with my own story. I will occassionally share if I think it's important to a story I'm going to tell, such as stories of gym whores knocking out the power on my treadmill or, more likely, because I want to complain. But generally speaking, I don't like to talk about exercising (because I hate it) or a weight loss journey (because I'm not on one). To me, asking about that stuff is like asking if I shaved my legs today (no, I didn't and they're very hairy. Aren't you glad you asked?). It's a task to be checked off, but does not need to be discussed regularly. And it's none of anyone else's business to ask. I'll share if I want. Otherwise, back off.
I'm pretty sure I feel this way because of my social work background, and the time I've spent around people with eating disorders and addictions. I'm sensitive to the relationships people have with food and exercise and counting calories, and I worry about people who display obsessive thought patterns about the topic. It's not healthy to think about food and exercise constantly - it's not healthy to think about any one thing constantly. And I distinctly remember that group therapy for eating disorders can be dangerous, especially for young women, because the group members sometimes try to one-up each other on who consumed the fewest calories or exercised the longest. It's a slippery slope from support to competition, which only exacerbates the overwhelming desire for control and perfection that is commonly exhibited by people with eating disorders. So the more someone wants to talk about exercise or food or weight loss, the more I suspect all is not well.
I am the opposite of what most health and fitness experts (or just random people who write about health and fitness) say: I don't want your support. I don't want to share my goals. I don't want to be held accountable. The more you ask, the less motivated I become. In fact, I'll think you're nosy. And I'll assume you're projecting your own issues on me, and I'll probably diagnose you with an eating disorder.
So I highly doubt you'll ever see me at a Weight Watchers meeting. But congratulations if it's working for you. Just please don't tell me about it.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Do.
I have nothing to say today because all I can think about is what I want to DO today.
I've been procrastinating on putting away the Christmas decorations because the house just seems so sad when they all go away. It's time though. Boo.
I want to go to the grocery store. I've spent the last two days watching the Food Network and reading a bunch of food blogs, and now I'm itching to try a new recipe or two. I actually have time to cook and I want to take advantage of it!
I have a resume to send out. Yes, I realize I just got a job. It's a long story, and I'll write more about this situation this weekend.
I need to hit the gym. My gym has been closed for the last two days and won't be opening until noon today because of the snow and ice. Mondays are my normal days off so that was fine, and I really didn't care about yesterday either, but I know I should go today. Should go, not want to go. I miss water aerobics.
I want to enjoy another unexpected day off. I know I'm lucky to have these snow days, and I want to take advantage of them when they roll around. This is a chance for me to do all the things I've been putting off or haven't had the time to do.
Time to stop writing and start doing!
I've been procrastinating on putting away the Christmas decorations because the house just seems so sad when they all go away. It's time though. Boo.
I want to go to the grocery store. I've spent the last two days watching the Food Network and reading a bunch of food blogs, and now I'm itching to try a new recipe or two. I actually have time to cook and I want to take advantage of it!
I have a resume to send out. Yes, I realize I just got a job. It's a long story, and I'll write more about this situation this weekend.
I need to hit the gym. My gym has been closed for the last two days and won't be opening until noon today because of the snow and ice. Mondays are my normal days off so that was fine, and I really didn't care about yesterday either, but I know I should go today. Should go, not want to go. I miss water aerobics.
I want to enjoy another unexpected day off. I know I'm lucky to have these snow days, and I want to take advantage of them when they roll around. This is a chance for me to do all the things I've been putting off or haven't had the time to do.
Time to stop writing and start doing!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Christmas gift idea 5: Support your favorite blogger!
I may have outdone myself this year. I think I'm retiring as a gift giver.
My favorite blogger, by far, is Allie Brosh at Hyperbole and a Half. She's absolutely hilarious and you need to follow her immediately. You're not going to learn anything crafty or find ideas for dinner, but you will laugh your head off. And if you're me, you'll find ideas for Christmas presents.
You see, Allie has a store where she sells t-shirts and mugs and other things with her drawings on them. And I love them, and I love her, and I don't want her to be homeless, so I bought something from her.
Let me back up:
At some point last year, probably over the summer, my sister Lucy was bored at work. Normally when she is bored at work, we chat online. However, on this particular day I was busy doing work so I couldn't entertain her. Instead, I directed her to Hyperbole and a Half and told her to entertain herself by reading the posts. The most recent post was Dog, but I told her if she didn't want to read that one, she absolutely had to read the one before it, entitled This Is Why I'll Never Be an Adult. I know Allie says that it is about her, but I'm pretty sure that it was written about me.
Then Lucy and I had this conversation:
Lucy: Do I have to read it? It's so long.
Me: Yes, read it. You'll thank me later.
Lucy: (Five minutes later). That is freaking hilarious.
Me: I told you. Don't ever doubt my abilities to find awesome ways to procrastinate.
And she was hooked.
Once I realized that Allie had a store, I knew I had to get something for Lucy. Because I introduced the blog to her as a way to procrastinate, I thought something about procrastination or responsibility would be appropriate. Ultimately I decided to draw inspiration from this post, and bought her the Responsibility Champion mug.
Because Lucy gets shit done. Or pretends to anyway.
Like the stapler in jello and Gilmore Girls cookbook, the idea behind the gift is something I share with the gift receiver. My sister and I love this blog and have gotten hours of entertainment from it, so I thought it was only appropriate to give a gift to commemorate this time in our lives. My intention was for her to use it at home or work, of course, but really to have her smile whenever she looked at or used it. And hopefully think of me.
A lot of bloggers have etsy or zazzle shops, so I encourage you to look at their shops and give gifts from your favorite bloggers. The money goes to someone you support and believe in, and has a personalized touch, even if you didn't make it yourself.
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, if I ever have a kid, I want this:
My favorite blogger, by far, is Allie Brosh at Hyperbole and a Half. She's absolutely hilarious and you need to follow her immediately. You're not going to learn anything crafty or find ideas for dinner, but you will laugh your head off. And if you're me, you'll find ideas for Christmas presents.
You see, Allie has a store where she sells t-shirts and mugs and other things with her drawings on them. And I love them, and I love her, and I don't want her to be homeless, so I bought something from her.
Let me back up:
At some point last year, probably over the summer, my sister Lucy was bored at work. Normally when she is bored at work, we chat online. However, on this particular day I was busy doing work so I couldn't entertain her. Instead, I directed her to Hyperbole and a Half and told her to entertain herself by reading the posts. The most recent post was Dog, but I told her if she didn't want to read that one, she absolutely had to read the one before it, entitled This Is Why I'll Never Be an Adult. I know Allie says that it is about her, but I'm pretty sure that it was written about me.
Then Lucy and I had this conversation:
Lucy: Do I have to read it? It's so long.
Me: Yes, read it. You'll thank me later.
Lucy: (Five minutes later). That is freaking hilarious.
Me: I told you. Don't ever doubt my abilities to find awesome ways to procrastinate.
And she was hooked.
Once I realized that Allie had a store, I knew I had to get something for Lucy. Because I introduced the blog to her as a way to procrastinate, I thought something about procrastination or responsibility would be appropriate. Ultimately I decided to draw inspiration from this post, and bought her the Responsibility Champion mug.
Because Lucy gets shit done. Or pretends to anyway.
Like the stapler in jello and Gilmore Girls cookbook, the idea behind the gift is something I share with the gift receiver. My sister and I love this blog and have gotten hours of entertainment from it, so I thought it was only appropriate to give a gift to commemorate this time in our lives. My intention was for her to use it at home or work, of course, but really to have her smile whenever she looked at or used it. And hopefully think of me.
A lot of bloggers have etsy or zazzle shops, so I encourage you to look at their shops and give gifts from your favorite bloggers. The money goes to someone you support and believe in, and has a personalized touch, even if you didn't make it yourself.
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, if I ever have a kid, I want this:
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| I (heart) U Alot Infant Creeper from Hyperbole and a Half Zazzle store |
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Date night at Vida
Greetings from a snowy Charlotte!
We have a snow day today and it's a legitimate snow day, not a fake southern snowstorm. Now, if this was happening in the Midwest, it would be business as usual - it's predicted to be 2-4 inches with some freezing rain this afternoon. Thankfully, this is Charlotte and people in Charlotte freak out when they see the white stuff falling from the sky so I'm getting a paid holiday. Hooray!
And hooray for you because you get a Monday morning blog.
I had a great weekend. I didn't do much, but I did get to hang out with my husband a lot. In fact, we went on a date. In fact, he asked me out on a date. Saturday morning, while we were driving back from the gym, my husband asked, "Can I take you out to dinner tonight?"
My husband and I go out on a lot of "dates" in that we go out to dinner a lot, but these dates usually originate with "I don't feel like cooking. Let's go out." I think that is a lot different than my husband actually asking me to go out. I don't care how long I've been married, I will always like being asked out on a date.
We went to Vida Mexican Kitchen y Cantina in the Epicentre in Uptown Charlotte. I love Mexican food, and after living in Michigan which had absolutely NO Mexican food, I appreciate any decent attempts at authentic Mexican cuisine. My husband is generally not a fan, but he's lived with me long enough that I've convinced him that he does like it despite twenty-some years of evidence to the contrary.
Vida definitely exceeded my expectations. Typical of restaurants in the Epicentre, the restaurant itself looked upscale which adds to the total dining experience. They offer tableside guacamole which was great. At first, I thought it needed more salt, but after our waiter brought us a fresh batch of tortilla chips, I realized it was the chips and not the guacamole that needed seasoning. We also shared a red chile chicken chopped salad, which was good but nothing special, and chicken tinga, which was outstanding. It's chicken and chorizo simmered in tomatoes that created a spicy stew that we ate with tortillas. Y-U-M. After one bite I told my husband that I had to learn how to make it, and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. We also shared a mango crisp which is exactly like apple crisp but with mango, and that makes it even better. The service was okay - not awesome, but it didn't detract from the overall meal - but the food definitely made up for it. Plus, the prices weren't outrageous. I'm told this place has excellent tequila and margaritas, but we didn't try anything. Maybe next time!
I highly recommend checking this place out - I think it's one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte, and I like a lot of Charlotte restaurants. Make a reservation though (the restaurant is on Open Table) if you're going on a Friday or Saturday night because it gets crowded - probably because it's a great place to go on a date.
We have a snow day today and it's a legitimate snow day, not a fake southern snowstorm. Now, if this was happening in the Midwest, it would be business as usual - it's predicted to be 2-4 inches with some freezing rain this afternoon. Thankfully, this is Charlotte and people in Charlotte freak out when they see the white stuff falling from the sky so I'm getting a paid holiday. Hooray!
And hooray for you because you get a Monday morning blog.
I had a great weekend. I didn't do much, but I did get to hang out with my husband a lot. In fact, we went on a date. In fact, he asked me out on a date. Saturday morning, while we were driving back from the gym, my husband asked, "Can I take you out to dinner tonight?"
My husband and I go out on a lot of "dates" in that we go out to dinner a lot, but these dates usually originate with "I don't feel like cooking. Let's go out." I think that is a lot different than my husband actually asking me to go out. I don't care how long I've been married, I will always like being asked out on a date.
We went to Vida Mexican Kitchen y Cantina in the Epicentre in Uptown Charlotte. I love Mexican food, and after living in Michigan which had absolutely NO Mexican food, I appreciate any decent attempts at authentic Mexican cuisine. My husband is generally not a fan, but he's lived with me long enough that I've convinced him that he does like it despite twenty-some years of evidence to the contrary.
Vida definitely exceeded my expectations. Typical of restaurants in the Epicentre, the restaurant itself looked upscale which adds to the total dining experience. They offer tableside guacamole which was great. At first, I thought it needed more salt, but after our waiter brought us a fresh batch of tortilla chips, I realized it was the chips and not the guacamole that needed seasoning. We also shared a red chile chicken chopped salad, which was good but nothing special, and chicken tinga, which was outstanding. It's chicken and chorizo simmered in tomatoes that created a spicy stew that we ate with tortillas. Y-U-M. After one bite I told my husband that I had to learn how to make it, and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. We also shared a mango crisp which is exactly like apple crisp but with mango, and that makes it even better. The service was okay - not awesome, but it didn't detract from the overall meal - but the food definitely made up for it. Plus, the prices weren't outrageous. I'm told this place has excellent tequila and margaritas, but we didn't try anything. Maybe next time!
I highly recommend checking this place out - I think it's one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte, and I like a lot of Charlotte restaurants. Make a reservation though (the restaurant is on Open Table) if you're going on a Friday or Saturday night because it gets crowded - probably because it's a great place to go on a date.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Not a housewife?
I apologize for being MIA recently, but I honestly have a good reason - I got a job! I'm back working in higher education, helping at-risk students get through college. This is what I've done for many years so while it feels good to be back doing what I love to do, it's not exactly new and challenging. It does require me to get up at the crack of dawn, however, and since I'm not exactly a morning person, getting out of bed at 5:30am and managing to stay awake all day is a huge challenge.
This is why I haven't had much time to blog - not because I'm exhausted from my busy day at work, but because I feel like I need a nap from getting up so darn early. I figured I'd have a day or two of difficulty, but eventually I'd exhaust myself, fall asleep at a reasonable time, and get a decent night's sleep. Unfortunately, I get very anxious when I have to wake up early because I am convinced I'm going to sleep through my alarm clock or my alarm clock won't work or the power will go out and my clock will get shut off. Instead, I can't fall asleep at night and when I finally do, I wake up after an hour in a complete panic convinced I've overslept and am going to be late, thus beginning the vicious cycle all over again. I've had five nights of this and I'm exhausted.
Plus, people expect you to be happy and peppy and excited at work so I have to use whatever energy I can muster to smile broadly and enthusiastically tell everyone, "I LOVE sitting on the floor in the hallway for nine hours, hunched over my personal laptop, because I don't have an office or a desk or a work computer yet! Of course I don't mind! I'm flexible!"
Lying is exhausting.
Eventually I'll settle in and develop a routine that involves normal sleeping patterns so I'll have more energy to blog when I get home. Of course, I don't know if my blog really applies anymore since I'm not exactly a housewife, but let's just ignore that minor detail for now...
Happy New Year!
This is why I haven't had much time to blog - not because I'm exhausted from my busy day at work, but because I feel like I need a nap from getting up so darn early. I figured I'd have a day or two of difficulty, but eventually I'd exhaust myself, fall asleep at a reasonable time, and get a decent night's sleep. Unfortunately, I get very anxious when I have to wake up early because I am convinced I'm going to sleep through my alarm clock or my alarm clock won't work or the power will go out and my clock will get shut off. Instead, I can't fall asleep at night and when I finally do, I wake up after an hour in a complete panic convinced I've overslept and am going to be late, thus beginning the vicious cycle all over again. I've had five nights of this and I'm exhausted.
Plus, people expect you to be happy and peppy and excited at work so I have to use whatever energy I can muster to smile broadly and enthusiastically tell everyone, "I LOVE sitting on the floor in the hallway for nine hours, hunched over my personal laptop, because I don't have an office or a desk or a work computer yet! Of course I don't mind! I'm flexible!"
Lying is exhausting.
Eventually I'll settle in and develop a routine that involves normal sleeping patterns so I'll have more energy to blog when I get home. Of course, I don't know if my blog really applies anymore since I'm not exactly a housewife, but let's just ignore that minor detail for now...
Happy New Year!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2010: A review through food
I'm not a big New Year's Eve partygoer. I've been to some parties over the years, but generally I prefer to snuggle up with my husband, watch a movie, and avoid all the drunk drivers. Also, my husband is usually asleep by eleven.
I decided this year to make a great dinner for my husband to ring in the New Year, and I had the brilliant idea to make a dinner buffet that reflects all the things we did over the year. The highlight was our trip to Spain, of course, so I decided that tonight would be the night to attempt paella. And what goes better with paella than sangria!
Spain wasn't the only place we traveled, however. We went to Charleston, SC to celebrate our eight year wedding anniversary. We splashed around at the beach, had a carriage ride, and topped our evening off with dinner at the Peninsula Grill where we ate an amazing dinner of upscale, southern comfort food and the most delicious coconut cake ever baked (it's so famous you can order it online!). Naturally, I had to include coconut cake in the review of 2010 menu.
We also went to Atlanta for a baseball game, and what represents Georgia better than peaches (which we incidentally picked up at a roadside stand on our drive down). Naturally I had to make a peach cobbler, following the recipe of a good ol' Georgia girl, Paula Deen.
We also visited a few places in North Carolina, like Raleigh and Asheville, and had our share of visitors as well! One of our favorite places to bring visitors is Mac's Speed Shop for some Carolina BBQ. I've learned the difference between Western Carolina, Eastern Carolina, and South Carolina bbq and am happy to share my knowledge with visitors as they choose from the variety of sauces available at Mac's. Naturally, our New Year's feast had to include some pulled pork with a choice of Western or Eastern Carolina bbq sauce.
I rounded out our feast with chocolate frogs to remember my sister's visit to Charlotte for the opening of the newest Harry Potter movie. We both love Harry Potter, and it only seemed appropriate that her first visit to Charlotte coincide with the opening of the movie. I made chocolate frogs when she visited, but I tried a new recipe this time around and they were quite delicious.
I had a great 2010 and it was fun reminiscing about all the fun times as I ate some pretty darn good food. I hope you had a safe and fun new year as well!
(Pictures and recipes to come...)
I decided this year to make a great dinner for my husband to ring in the New Year, and I had the brilliant idea to make a dinner buffet that reflects all the things we did over the year. The highlight was our trip to Spain, of course, so I decided that tonight would be the night to attempt paella. And what goes better with paella than sangria!
Spain wasn't the only place we traveled, however. We went to Charleston, SC to celebrate our eight year wedding anniversary. We splashed around at the beach, had a carriage ride, and topped our evening off with dinner at the Peninsula Grill where we ate an amazing dinner of upscale, southern comfort food and the most delicious coconut cake ever baked (it's so famous you can order it online!). Naturally, I had to include coconut cake in the review of 2010 menu.
We also went to Atlanta for a baseball game, and what represents Georgia better than peaches (which we incidentally picked up at a roadside stand on our drive down). Naturally I had to make a peach cobbler, following the recipe of a good ol' Georgia girl, Paula Deen.
We also visited a few places in North Carolina, like Raleigh and Asheville, and had our share of visitors as well! One of our favorite places to bring visitors is Mac's Speed Shop for some Carolina BBQ. I've learned the difference between Western Carolina, Eastern Carolina, and South Carolina bbq and am happy to share my knowledge with visitors as they choose from the variety of sauces available at Mac's. Naturally, our New Year's feast had to include some pulled pork with a choice of Western or Eastern Carolina bbq sauce.
I rounded out our feast with chocolate frogs to remember my sister's visit to Charlotte for the opening of the newest Harry Potter movie. We both love Harry Potter, and it only seemed appropriate that her first visit to Charlotte coincide with the opening of the movie. I made chocolate frogs when she visited, but I tried a new recipe this time around and they were quite delicious.
I had a great 2010 and it was fun reminiscing about all the fun times as I ate some pretty darn good food. I hope you had a safe and fun new year as well!
(Pictures and recipes to come...)
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