New Year's Eve - Fun Fun FUN!

Well kids, it's officially the last day of 2009... and I'm still at work for some reason. WHAAA? I gotta get the heck outta here!

On that note, I'm posting a blog written by someone else. No, it's not because I'm being a lazy ass (entirely). But it's because it made me laugh my booty off this morning when I read it. The guy who writes this daily blog is named Rocky, and he works for steepandcheap.com. It's a great website if you've never visited - they sell one thing at a super discounted price 'till it's gone, then put a new thing up on the site. It's mostly for camping/outdoors gear, but there are a bunch of other sites just like it - chainlove.com (for the bike enthusiasts), whiskeymilitia.com (snowboarding/skateboarding gear & attire - and my personal favorite), etc.

So here's what he wrote this lovely December 31st, 2009. Hope you all have a wonderful & safe New Year's! :)

I don't get that into New Year's Eve. Too much pressure to have the night of your life. The worst place to find yourself on New Year's is one of those bars that charges a $100 cover at 8pm and then offers an open bar until last man standing. People destroy themselves in the only way an open bar allows. I don't blame them; they paid $100 to get in so they better get their money's worth. It's better to go to those bars after midnight when everyone who was inside has moved outside to throw up on the sidewalk. Last year I walked between bars at about 12:30, and the city garbage cans were so crowded with vomiters that people had to taken to the streets in groups of three or four. Maybe this year I'll celebrate New Year's on Friday night instead of Thursday so I can avoid the crowds. It would also give me an opportunity to do something I've always wanted: A daring New Year's Eve jewel heist that I get away with since everyone but me is champagne drunk.

Hairdye Time

I just got back from a hair color "consultation" from the Aveda Institute, where they allow near-graduates cut / dye your hair at a very discounted rate. Although a while ago I shelved the idea of drastic cuts from them (trust me there), I thought a dye would be different, and figured "what the heck"?

Let me back up. I originally wanted a super drastic change for my hair (see pictures below).


OK - ignore the weird-lookin' chicks, and focus on the hair! FABULOUS / PUNKY / AWESOME! My hair has been the blunt-bang-black-bettie page cut forever now, and I wanted a big ol' change. In college I had the hot pink hair, as well as fire engine red - but because I didn't know anything about bleaching I absolutely FRIED my hair.

So I thought I'd go the safer route this time & get it done professionally. I called my favorite Denver salon "Moxie", but their price was $100 for the first hour, and $65 for each additional hour it took to get the color out of my hair. They said that for my dark color, 3 hours would be the minimal time, and that does not include putting the other colors in. I almost had a heart attack, and promptly hung up.

Back to the Aveda salon. This is supposed to be a discounted option. To take the color out = $150-$200... and to do a dye over top (not even the bleaching, but just a simple brown color) even more than that. I can't believe people spend this much money to get their freakin' hair dyed! RIDICULOUS!

So I waltzed my thrifty-ass over to Rite-Aid, and bought myself a box of Colorsilk "Chocolate Brown" hairdye for $4.19. I am pretty sure I can find better ways to spend my money (see post below)... :)

Christmas is over...

And it went by so darn fast!

I knew that my 5-days off work would zip by in a blur of family time, wrapping paper, wine, food, gifts, cookies, and holiday joy - but I didn't think it'd go by that fast! Wowza!

I'm back home again, enjoying the solitude, relaxing from the hustle & bustle, playing with my lovely gifts, and at the same time missin' my family already.

I have a whole stack of gift cards to spend now I realized, and an envelope practically bursting with Xmas bonus money. Well, bursting for me anyways.

But how do I spend it? Do I do the "right thing" and put it towards my credit card debt? BOOORING! Do I spend it all on getting a new haircut, and getting it dyed hot pink (which I've been dying to do for a while now. Dying - get it? HA!)? Do I spend it on tattoos that I've been wanting to get? Do I spend it on going out more often for dinner & drinks with friends? Do I get myself some rockin' roller skates? Do I save it for a future vacation??

Any thoughts??

I figure it's a gift, so the possibilities are endless. Well, endless 'till the money's gone. So I guess there is an end, eh? Haha!

Big sis is coming to town!

You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry!
You'd better not pout I'm tellin' you why!

Amber-poo is coming to town!! :)

Yes, my big sister Amber is already at the airport catching her flight out for Christmas.
I'm so happy I think I just peed a little. The last time I saw my big sis was early summer, which was MUCH too long ago. I've been missing her like crazy and I can't wait.

She's the gorgeous one on the far left, my gorgeous lil' sis is in the middle, then there's me. Sister POWAH!!!

Wowza

Great title post, eh? Haha!

It's funny how quickly something happens that you don't expect... with the last person you expected it to happen with!

I like it when things are fun and uncomplicated, and right now I think that's exactly what I need. No crazy emotional ties, but a bit of companionship, a good laugh, and all that stuff!

Yah, I'm being a bit vague.... or am I just being mysterious? HA! I guess all you need to know is that I'm feelin' good, I'm happy, and pretty darn content with life. It's all pretty rad! :)

Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach

Here's another recipe posting for you all. I know it's not particularly Christmas-ey, but you still gotta eat, right?? It's super easy & delicious, and I've made it a few times before. Below lists the real meat & fake meat options, but honestly it's best vegetarian. ;)

From one of my favorite recipe sources: www.realsimple.com/recipes

Gnocchi With Sausage and Spinach
Serves 4, Hands-on Time: 15m, Total Time: 25m

Ingredients

* 2 9-ounce packages refrigerated gnocchi or one 17.5-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi (you can substitute penne pasta as well!)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
* 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (vegetarian version – use Morningstar “sausage” crumbles in freezer section, or Smart Sausage which comes in a tube near where they sell fake sandwich meat & fake cheese)
* 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
* 1 5-ounce bag baby spinach
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing

Directions

1. Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, tossing frequently, until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the drained gnocchi, the reserved cooking liquid, and the Parmesan and toss. Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

A Crazy Holiday Weekend

This past weekend was oodles of holiday fun!

Friday I went to see Jeremy Hotz with some friends at Comedy Works South. He was hilarious, and it was a great show! Later that night was the Ugly Sweater Christmas party, which I gleefully attended wearing my amazingly ugly Snoopy Xmas sweater.

Saturday I did some shopping for gifts, then went over to my friend Nikki's place for yummy food, and to watch "White Christmas" with the gang. Later that night was the annual White Trash Christmas party (in picture) which was a total blast as well.

Sunday - snowboard time! We headed up to Breckenridge and hit the slopes for my 3rd time this season. I was in bed by 8pm that night - I was utterly pooped!

It was a fantastic weekend, and I really feel like my friends & I have been making the most of the holiday season this year. It has been SO much fun so far!!

Holiday Cookies

Last night I got ambitious, and decided to make some holiday cookies to share with my friends & co-workers. Believe it or not, the photo above is NOT a photo of how my cookies turned out, and I have a few reasons why!

- I decided to go the cheap & easy route, and buy Bettie Crocker's instant sugar cookie mix, to which you just need to add 2 tablespoons of water and some butter. Not exactly "homemade", but whatevs. I don't have the time or the eggs.

- I wanted to do "cutout" cookies in Christmasey shapes, but I realized that A) I don't have a rolling pin to get the dough all nice & flat, and B) I don't have any cookie cutters. The odds were against me there.

- Sprinkles and colored icing are EXPENSIVE! Yes, I'm a stingy person when it comes to that stuff. So I ended up just buying red & green sprinkles, and calling it a day.

- My oven sucks ass. It's a gas oven, so 350 degrees is usually more like 500 degrees therefore meaning it does not have the ability to cook something slowly. That of course means that my cookies came out kinda mushy on top, and kinda burned on the bottom.

- My icing spreading technique is rather lacking, and I don't have much patience for it. So I just lacquered it on & prayed they'd still look okay.

You know what I learned after all of this? Even though they didn't look super pretty, they were still delicious! So the moral of the story kids, is that it's not how something looks on the outside, but what is on the inside that counts. Crap - I should've baked some chocolate kisses on the inside... that would've been super yummy! Next time...

A Nightmare on Elm Street - First time seeing it!

Right in time for the holidays, I decided to watch a horror movie classic "A Nightmare on Elm Street" for the first time last night. I guess it would've been a little more appropriate to watch near Halloween, but hey - I had a lot of catching up to do! (Over the weekend I also watched "Dracula" with Bela Lugosi for the first time too - pretty awesome).

The movie had a lot of creepy moments that got to me more than the big scares. (Seeing Johnny Depp in his first movie was just adorable too - I can't believe how young he was!) The creepy factor, and originality of the story (a dead child-killer haunting the dreams of teenagers that can kill them in there dreams while at the same time killing them in real-life) were the things won me over. The cheesy 80's stuff was all there of course, but you have to take it all with a grain of salt. As though the horror movies of today don't have any cheesy moments? Yeah right!

The special effects were pretty awesome for the time as well, and added to the fun-factor (and gross-ness). Now I just have to watch "Halloween", and I'll finally feel like I'm in the loop!

Maybe I should wait until after Christmas though?

How the Holiday Party went...

AWESOME! It was ridiculously fun! And the drink thing wasn't even an issue... there were so many people that didn't want to use both of their drink tickets that just started giving them away. How funny!

Christmas just keeps sneaking up on me day by day... I think the thing I'm looking forward to the most is that my big sister is going to be in town in only 2 1/2 weeks!! I can't wait.

Hope you are all having an awesome holiday season so far!

Holiday Party

Our company holiday party is tonight, November 30th.
Yep - it's not even December yet, but we like to get it in good & early!

I joined some of my fellow employees for lunch today, and we started talking about Christmas Parties Past... and how it seems as though every year our employees goof off so badly at the Holiday Party, that more & more things get taken away in the years to come.

Examples:

They used to rent buses & go up to Central City for gambling & drinking fun. That plan died because a couple of people got a little too rowdy-drunk, & got kicked out of the casinos. Since everyone took the buses there, they had to sit on the buses & wait for everyone else to be done partying before they could ride home & pass out.

The next year they tried to go out in Denver at Dave & Busters. They made such a ruckus, and caused so much trouble, that our boss received a phone call the next day politely asking for us to never return again.

The year after that (and my first year at this job), the holiday party was held at our office. I didn't notice anything too crazy happening that year - except the part where I got completely drunk off my ass, and had to have a friend drive me 40 minutes away from where we started the evening to get home. Oh, and I almost tried to make out with him... even though he's about 15 years my senior. Yah, that wasn't a low moment for me or anything!

The next year we had it at our new location, just South of Denver. It was fun & good times, but the evening ended pretty early so that nobody had time to get into too much trouble....

This year, to prevent any possible mishaps of the past - we are being allowed a 2-drink MAXIMUM. Yep - that's right... nothing past 2 drinks.

Now I know I wasn't at any of the earlier parties, but could anything really have been so bad that we're limited to only 2 drinks? Not saying that I have to have a bunch of drinks to have a good time, or that I don't think the party will be fun. But what will happen next year? No drinks at all? A 7:00pm curfew? Yikes.

Then again, I do have a pretty active imagination... I'm wondering what happened in those previous years now....

Thanksgiving is almost here!

I'm SO excited that Thanksgiving is only a couple of days away.

It's not just that I get a 4-day weekend, or that I get to eat as much as I want without guilt. Well, let's be honest here - those things are pretty awesome!!

But I'm also looking forward to spending the time with my family. I haven't been home in a while, and my parents only live 40 minutes away! I'm looking forward to snuggling my kitty, laughing with my mom in the kitchen, watchin' some football with my pop, talking with my little sister over spiced apple cider, giggling with our family friend Deb about anything & everything.

I guess those are the things I'm truly thankful for in the end. Family, friends, and good times....and a shit-ton of delicious vegetarian grub. Yah, it's pretty easy to make me happy!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! :)

My Sigg

I gave up plastic water bottles a long time ago in exchange for a SIGG Bottle that my little sister bought for me for my birthday.

The reason why I love my SIGG bottle so much is because you can put anything in it - OJ, alcohol, water, soda - and it won't retain any lingering flavor after you rinse it out. Pretty fantastic, eh?

SIGG is now recalling all of their old bottles (you can tell if yours is old or not by looking inside to see if it's an orangey-gold color) in exchange for new ones for FREE!

Just take your old SIGG into Whole Foods, or any other retailer and pick out a new design. They should be able to exchage it for free! I just did it this past weekend, and although I loved the cranberry colored one with fireworks, I know have a pretty purple one with silver swirlies (pictured).

So reduce your waste, and use a refillable water bottle instead! It's one of the easiest things you can do to be gorgeously green. :)
http://mysigg.com/index.asp

I love you, friends!

In response to my email about not being able to give Christmas Gifts this year (see "Christmas This Year..." post below), my friends have been so completely awesome. I have received nothing but positive & encouraging notes, and so many people saying that the holidays are not about giving gifts.

It's amazing how much society has burned into our brains that it's all about presents and money and buying things! It's wonderful to know that I'm lucky enough to have friends that get the true picture.

All you guys out there - I can't say it enough. I loves yas.

Beth's Cheapie Mocha

I don't know about you guys, but my work brews the skunkiest coffee.

It's just cheap is all, and leaves that sour icky aftertaste in your mouth. Well I've recently discovered the best remedy to get a little daily coffee kick for free - while simultaneously eliminating the burnt-coffee taste, AND satisfying your sweet tooth! I know, hard to believe, eh? What's great is that this works for if you're on a tight budget and have to pass on the high-end coffee for a while, as a box of store brand hot cocoa packets usually only go for just over a buck.

Beth's Cheapie Mocha (makes 1 drink)
- brewed cheap coffee
- 1 package of hot cocoa (any kind)
- creamer (any kind)

Fill your mug 1/2 of the way with coffee, and about 1/4 of the way with creamer, then dump in your hot cocoa packet & stir. Top with whipped cream if your heart so desires!

Yep - it's that simple! Lucky for me, my work comes well equipped with all of the ingredients. I'm gonna be a happy girl this winter...

Christmas this year...

A letter to my friends:

It's that time of year again!

I don't know about you guys, but it has been quite another amazing year for me. I've had some hard times, but more awesome times - and every moment of the latter I credit to all of you.

This December marks my first official year living in my apartment downtown and as many of you know - paying for rent, food, and to quote Destiny's Child: Bills, Bills, Bills (while also having a good time and divulging in our spontaneous youth every now & then) can take quite a toll on the old bank account. I'm sure there are many of you in worse circumstances than me - as I still (thank GOD) have a job, and an (albeit modest) income. However I was recently reminded of how poor my financial situation has become - not necessarily due to carelessness, but more so due to unforeseen events that have caused my checking and credit card accounts to plummet. Most of which had to do with a certain elderly kitty cat, and a poor little blue car that died.

And after that long-winded explanation, I come to my conclusion. I unfortunately will not be able to give Christmas gifts this year. There I said it! Ugh!

In an effort to make this holiday season a little less strenuous on your finances as well - please do not worry about getting a gift for me! I hope that you can all understand my situation. The good news about all of this? I will instead be spreading my usual Christmas cheer around even MORE this year for all to hear! Just because I will not be able to give traditional gifts does not mean that this holiday season will not be as wonderful as it always is. I will be baking lots of cookies, wearing lots of red & green (and my santa hat), embarrassing you all by singing carols at inappropriate moments, and trying desperately to show you all how much I love you.

Just think about Mister Grinch. Well - not the Grinch at the beginning of the story - but the Grinch at the end! It's not about all of the gifts and wahoozits - it's about family, friendship, and love! Well, and lil' baby Jesus of course, but it's still all in the spirit of the season. :)

Thank you all for being such wonderful people, and such amazing friends. I love you all so freakin' much.

What a nightmare!

I had a terrible nightmare last night!

It involved me, my little sister, and my friend Mindy being trapped in a glass elevator, way up high on the roof of some building. We were in there for a really long time, and my dad was trying to help us get out, but he couldn't. Suddenly something cut loose, and we began to fall. We fell forever and ever, and hugged each other and said how much we loved each other. We hit the bottom, and I felt like we didn't die instantly but in a horrible twisted mess of awfulness.

It woke me up at 2am this morning, and I tossed & turned until 3am trying to get back to sleep. I don't know where it came from, and I don't think I've had a dream so awful before!

Luckily I had my trusty stuffed lamb pillow to snuggle, which helped.

Of course, I don't think I'll be able to get in an elevator again anytime soon!

Need a drink?

Do you ever just have those moments where you think: Gosh, I could really use a cocktail!

I'm having one of those moments right now!
I guess it comes with the territory that you're going to have to deal with assholes every now & then when you work in the entertainment business. And not that I'm being driven to drink by one silly little situation. We'll it's certainly part of it, but not the whole reason.

I guess it's just dealing with a couple of jerks lately, and feeling in need of a vacation. A bit of a break. Getting away from it all!

But all I can do at the moment for that (since I'm pretty darn broke right now) is the economical thing - and have a drink. Which I can't even do until I'm done with work, because I consider myself a responsible person.

Just another 3 hours & 35 minutes to go....

Breckenridge Opening Weekend - YEAH!!

I'm super duper excited about this snowboarding season - really super duper excited.
Breckenridge resort opens this weekend, and I couldn't be happier! I started the season late last year, out of sheer laziness and didn't take full advantage of what my Colorado Pass had to offer. This year is going to be different though - I can feel it!

I've only been up once so far (to A-Basin), so I'm hitting up Breckenridge this weekend for some snowy snowy fun. Best part? I get to stay in town for FREE on Friday night! YEEEE HEW!!! The company I work for is promoting the Craig Robinson show that is happening that night. So for a mere 3-4 hours of easy-peasy work in the beautiful town o' Breck, I get a free comedy show & a place to stay overnight!

Golly, I love my job. :)

This pic is from a few years ago, back when my hair was super long! If any of you are going to be in the town of Breckenridge on Friday night, be sure to check out the show at the Riverwalk Center. Full details can be found on www.comedyworks.com. It's gonna be FUN!!

Butternut Squash Bread Pudding

It's recipe time again!
I found this one on one of my favorite recipe websites - Epicurious.com. The recipe was featured in Bon Appetit - November 2009 issue, and is by Jill Silverman Hough.

This is a great recipe to bring to a fall potluck - or as a different & filling side dish for Thanksgiving! (not that you need things that fill you up MORE on Thanksgiving!) I made it for our Halloween party, and it turned out pretty well. However, if you aren't a big fan of Kale (which I realized I am not!), then definitely substitute something else such as spinach. I will definitely make it that way the next time because the Kale was icky to me.

OH - and do NOT use vegan butter to grease the dish! Everything stuck to the sides, and was hell to get off - it was as though I hadn't greased the dish at all.

Without further ado - here is the recipe!

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Bread Pudding

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds peeled seeded butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
7 large eggs
2 1/4 cups half and half
6 tablespoons dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 day-old baguette (do not remove crust), torn into 1-inch pieces (about 10 cups)
1 cup chopped shallots (about 4 large)
2 bunches Tuscan kale (about 1 pound), ribs removed, kale coarsely chopped - OR spinach (which is what I would prefer!)
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; bake until squash is tender, turning with spatula occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.

Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add half and half, wine, mustard, and 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt; whisk to blend. Add baguette pieces; fold gently into egg mixture. Let soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add kale; cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and stir until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes (kale will be a bit crunchy).

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Generously butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer half of bread from egg mixture to prepared baking dish, arranging to cover most of dish. Spoon half of kale over bread. Spoon half of squash over bread and kale; sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, kale, squash, and cheese. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread pudding.

Cover bread pudding with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until custard is set and bread feels springy to touch, about 20 minutes longer.

Preheat broiler; broil pudding until cheese browns slightly, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Thoughts on Love...

We're reading this lovely book for my book club this month called "Love Walked In" - it's the first novel from writer Maria De Los Santos, and it's a beautiful story about how love hits you when you least expect it.

There's a moment in the story where this 11-year-old girl (Clare) looks at two people and understands what it's like to be in love. She sees that they behave like they always did, but the connection is there, the way they see each other is more than they see other people - and she gets it.

There was a moment when I saw this last night between my married friends - Nikki & Matt. We had just watched the guys' hockey game, and Matt was sitting on the bleachers near us, telling us all about what happened while they were playing. I looked over at Nikki, and saw her looking at Matt while he was talking. I don't think she noticed, but I saw that look on her face. The complete calmness, the slight smile, the shine in her eyes - it was all there. In that one look she felt so much love for him that I felt fortunate to be in such close proximity to such a beautiful moment. Knowing that Matt sees all of those wonderful things in Nikki too just fills my heart, and gives me hope for so many things. Not only the hope that I can find that kind of love someday in my life, but that that kind of love exists.

It's beautiful, and really simple when you get down to it. Love. Love, love, love. It's a good thing.

The "Safety Bicycle" - Why it's good for you

I've been riding a "road bike" for a while now. It's awesome - really fast & easy to steer, although I always wear my helmet as I'm terrified of hitting some unforeseen obstacle (pothole, cat, whatever), and careening head first over my handle bars.

Turns out, my cruiser bike is actually a much safer design, and the reason why I don't feel as at-risk of head trauma as I do on my road bike. I found a post on one of my favorite blogs (Copenhagen "Cycle Chic") that was all about this phenomenon of the "Safety Bike". It's a simple design, and the most used type of bicycle in the world. Here's an excerpt from the post:


Why is the upright bicycle safe? First of all, have a look at the two girls in the photo at the top. Look at their posture. Not only pleasing their mothers, it is elegant. But more than that, this upright posture means that their center of gravity is in much the same spot as it is when they are walking. Homo sapiens have been around for about 200,000 years and prior to that, other upright-walking species have spent around 2 million years evolving this all-important centre of gravity to near-perfection. In other words, our center of gravity is quite handy in helping us get around. In addition, it is something that we use every single day in almost every move we make. We're quite good at using it.

Compare this to the riding position on, for example, racing bikes. The upper body is pitched forward, which causes the center of gravity to shift. In this position the point is dangling in mid-air somewhere over the crossbar. Just think about braking sharply. Your body must battle to keep the weight of your upper body from chucking you forward, which is unnatural for homo sapiens. In an upright position, your body knows how to readjust itself for this sudden stopping motion, much like when you stop suddenly when walking or jogging.

The racing position is great for people who... well... race or who like to go fast. Works perfectly for them, which is super. If you look at established bicycle cultures, the majority of people don't wish to adhere to this way of riding, preferring to merely use the bicycle as a quick and easy tool for getting around and wearing the clothes they have in the closets to do so. Not surprisingly, the upright bicycle is more often than not their vehicle of choice.

There's much more about why these bikes are rockin', so if you want to read up more on it, be sure & check out the blog (I adore all of the photos on it - they're lovely all on their own)! I'll always adore my hand-me-down Raleigh road bike (thank you, Amber!), but now I just love my Raleigh Robin Hood Cruiser even more. Thanks for keepin' my noggin safe, buddy.

(photo courtesy of http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/)

The 'Burbs

Tom Hanks, Suburbia, Creepy Neighbors, Pooping Dogs, Breaking & Entering, Dead Bodies, Explosions, and Corey Feldman. Doesn't get much better than that.

Just re-watched "The 'Burbs" last night and laughed my a** off. Sometimes you just have to dust off those 80's movies & enjoy them all over again!

Figuring it all out...

I'm halfway through a book called One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way (by Robert Mauer), and it's really helping me get a perspective on things in my life. He says that it's all about baby steps towards change, because if we make huge goals or try to make drastic changes - our fear response will kick in and we will most likely fail.

He talks about thinking positively, and asking small questions to accomplish big goals, and taking small movements towards bettering yourself every day - even if they seem like the silliest tiniest little steps. It's really brilliant, and the funny part is - I started practicing it with flossing every day... and guess what - now I floss every day!!

Here's how I did it.
Baby Step 1: For 2 weeks, I simply left my floss out on my bathroom counter so that I would see it every day.
Baby Step 2: For the next 2 weeks, I only flossed a few teeth at a time before brushing.
Baby Step 3: For the next 2 weeks after that, I only flossed the top row of teeth, then alternated that with the bottom row (every day).
Baby Step 4: I started flossing every day.

The crazy part is that it has actually worked!! Ever since I started that, I floss EVERY day which I have never been able to do before.

I'm trying to get this all to work with my fitness routine now, because that's something I've always had trouble sticking with. I get on a kick where I work out like crazy for 3 months, then get lazy, and stop working out for 3 months and gain all of my weight back. It's a terrible cycle, and I have always wanted to be the kind of person that just HAS to workout every day, and feels good about it.

So I started ridiculously small - I started marching in front of my TV while watching the weather forecast in the morning for 2 minutes every day for 2 weeks. It sounds ridiculous, I know!

The next 2 weeks, I marched & stretched for 5 minutes.

The next week I started lifting a 5lb weight, and stretched for 10 minutes.

Today I went for a 15 minute walk before work.

I really hope this means that I'm working my way up, because I didn't feel fear about going for the walk this morning, and I didn't feel bummed that I had planned on getting up to do it. It actually felt really..... good. So wish me luck! And be sure & pick up this book - it's a great read, and really super helpful.

And if "baby steps" didn't make you think about the movie "What About Bob?" with Bill Murray & Richard Dreyfus, then I don't know what to say. Re-rent it, 'cause it's hilarious!

Better

I'm feelin' better today.

Although the Langhorne Slim show was canceled in Denver last night due to the ridiculous amount of snow we got (18" in October -whaaa?) I'm still feeling in better spirits than I was yesterday. Most of it had to do with my awesome friends. I had them over for dinner before walking over to the Hi-Dive (and being sadly disappointed with the "canceled" note on the door). But we laughed, and ate, and even put on a Christmas record that I found at Goodwill the weekend before.

As we made our way to the bar, we slid on the streets, threw snowballs at each other and admired the beautiful snow that was still falling. When we saw that the show was canceled, we walked across the street to an Irish pub where we had a couple of drinks then headed home.

Luckily the early evening gave me enough time to prep the ingredients for my Butternut Squash & Cheddar Bread Pudding that I am planning on making for a party tonight, and finish washing most of my dishes.

I did all of this while listening to the Christmas record too - when "Jingle Bells" sung by Barbara Streisand came on, I smiled to myself.

So all in all - I'm doing better. And all it took was some good friends, a few laughs, and Barbara Streisand. :)

Helluva emotionally draining day...

Ugh - I hate days like this.

I got splashed by a car while shoveling the snow off mine this morning, then found out that my boots aren't waterproof on my way into work and that my socks were sopping wet. Not a great start.

Then I blew up at my little sis for no good reason, and came to realize that I'm not fully over how things ended with the last dude I dated, and that I'm still really angry at him (yes, this pretty much all happened at once).

Then I got a phone call from a friend that flaked out on me, which ended with both of us in tears and her apologizing profusely. It all ended well, and I love her more for owning up to her actions, but it was pretty draining nonetheless.

I sent an email to the jerk that I dated that I'm still angry about, which I'm regretting now. All I can think about is what he's going to reply in a jerky way, or worse - not reply at all.

My boss is stressed out, which in turn is stressing me out, and we had to let go someone in my office today.

So I'm not having too happy of a day today. :( I'm hoping that the weekend's festivities will cheer me up, or at least help me start seeing the glass as half-full again. I just want to curl up under a blanket somewhere at this point & go to sleep!

Weird Dream about Langhorne Slim show

I had a weird-ass dream last night.


I'm really looking forward to seeing Langhorne Slim perform again on Thursday night, so maybe that's what triggered it.


I was at the show (in my dream), and dancing around. Suddenly the sound went out. My friend Kat ran up on stage, and grabbed this huge plug that had fallen out of the socket in the wall. She plugged it back in again, and we all thought the problem had been solved. Then this cop appears on stage and says that Mister Langhorne himself (Shawn I believe his name is) was under arrest for possession of Marijuana. So I stand up and start telling the cop off! The cop shoots remarks at me, and I come back at him with some of the most witty and to-the-point comments that have ever left my lips. I'm clearly winning the argument, and I feel good about standing up for one of my favorite musicians - even the crowd is cheering for me. They still end up cuffing him and taking him off stage, but the worst part was that Shawn gave me a terribly dirty look as they took him out. As if to say "gee, thanks a lot you loud-mouthed moron". It felt awful, and I felt so stupid! Although my friends consoled me, and another band started playing instead - I was really confused as to how I had offended him.


Don't know where any of that came from, but I really hope that none of it happens on Thursday! I'm looking forward to an awesome show, so here's hoping the cops stay at bay. And that I can keep my big mouth shut (for the most part). :)

Peppery Fig & Cider Compote

First of all, I love figs. LOVE THEM! Ugh - they're so delicious even by themselves. Biting into a fresh fig is one of my favorite moments of the year, since they aren't in season for most of it. They aren't too sweet, aren't sour at all, and have the most heavenly texture. It's a little fruity decadence that I allow myself annually.


So, on to a recipe that includes that fantastically figgy fruit! You may recognize this as a part of my Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu, which is why I wanted to share. I got it from the Epicurious.com website, and it was featured in Gourmet Magazine (October 2008). They say that it's great served with fresh ricotta, however I'm planning on serving it with some salty Tofurkey. Can't wait to try it out!

Peppery Fig & Cider Compote

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups Active Time: 10 min Total Time: 45 min

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces dried Mission figs, stemmed
1 1/2 cups unfiltered apple cider
1/4 cup sugar
3 (2-inch) strips orange zest
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed


DIRECTIONS

Cut figs into 1-inch pieces. Boil cider with figs and remaining ingredients, uncovered, until it is slightly syrupy and figs are plump, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My Pin-Up Girl Tattoo

I love my pin-up girl tattoo. A very talented Denver artist named Willie came up with the design - it's a cross between Gil Elvgren's illustration of a blond girl in a white dress surrounded by love letters, and of course Bettie Page. I wanted her surrounded by blue clouds instead & in a red dress, and Willie suggested to have her sitting on the moon. Perfect!


The other day I was at the library in a short-sleeved shirt, and the gentleman working at the counter asked if he could have a look at it. When I pulled up my sleeve to reveal the entire piece, he gasped and said "That's magnificent!"


I'd never received a compliment like this before about one of my tattoos, but I was thrilled about it. I do believe that it is a magnificent piece, and I feel proud to have it on my arm all the time. I know a lot of people still don't understand tattoos & why people get them, but I think they're beautiful when they're done right. And I really really love mine!

Orangutan & the Hound

I thought this was too cute NOT to post! Love it.

My Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It brings people together, and makes it acceptable to totally overindulge on wonderfully delicious foods!

Usually my big sis was the one planning our Thanksgiving Feast. However she moved to New York about 4 years ago, so I've happily taken over the cookin' queen's crown. Of course, now that most of our family is vegetarian it has created a new & exciting challenge. I have also had to be sympathetic to my lil' sis who is lactose intolerant. A Thanksgiving without a turkey, and mostly without cheese? WHAAA??

Well I promise you - it is entirely possible. I am no cook, but I have compiled a list of recipes that I've gathered from some of my favorite websites. Here are my favorite ones to visit (I usually modify the recipes that include meat pretty easily):

http://browse.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/index.html (I used to get the Real Simple magazine - the food photos are just gorgeous)

http://www.vegcooking.com/index.asp

http://veganyumyum.com/ (how can you beat a name like that?)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus?mbid=rss_epinr (some of these look like more trouble than they are worth, but a few modifications can make them much easier. And every one I've tried has been amazing)

Anyhoodle - after going through the numerous recipes I've collected over the years, I've come up with a menu that sounds both exciting and enticing - even though it's all vegetarian & mostly dairy free! If you would like for me to share any particular recipe with you, just ask in my comments, and I'll see what I can do for ya.

Here it is!!

BETH'S AWESOME 2009 THANKSGIVING MENU
Appetizers
Dates with Goat Cheese wrapped in Veggie Bacon (Smart Strips)
Cinnamon Roasted Almonds


Side Dishes
Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing (with swiss cheese on the side)
Simple Herb Stuffing
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Tempeh Bacon and golden raisins
Apricot Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots
Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
Vegan Gravy


Main Dishes
Tofurkey with Peppery Fig & Cider Compote
Seitan with Mushrooms & Port

Dessert
Baked Pears with Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

Doesn't that all just sound splendid! Yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself. Now I just have to cross my fingers that it will all come off without a hitch! (HA!) Well, a couple of glasses of wine makes up for any cooking mistakes, right? :)

Roller Derby - YEAH!

Just saw "Whip It" with my daddy-o last night, and it was really cute. You can definitely tell that it was a directorial debut (by Drew Barrymore), from some of the rather novice seeming shots & cuts, however I still really enjoyed it. I love that it wasn't the typical Hollywood ending too (I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it), and that it was more true to how things would happen in real life. It really made me want to get into derby myself (as I'm sure it has done for a lot of girls)!


I've thought of doing the derby in the past, but wasn't sure if I was up for the commitment. I have some friends that have gotten into it, and you have to practice at least 2x a week, but 3x is optimal. Of course if you really want to get good, you have to practice more than that! And the bruises shown in the movie are definitely something that comes with the territory (although I've never seen a punch actually thrown at a bout). I'm not even sure if the shitty health insurance I have would cover the injuries that I would likely encounter!

But of course, the image of myself in roller skates & fishnets is again a fresh image in my mind. I guess we'll see what happens... I have been looking for some inspiration lately!

Fat guys, Skinny chicks

I just watched Paul Blart "Mall Cop", and it pretty much sucked. I think Kevin James is hysterical - I friggin' love the guy. But it definitely wasn't the funny movie of the year.

The reason why I'm posting this is that I recently realized a HUGE double-standard going on in movies. OK, it has been going on for a while, but after watching this movie and seeing the previews for "Couples Retreat" I just got pissed off. Kevin James is 44 years old, and really overweight. They pair him with a 30-year-old teeny tiny gorgeous girl. Whaaa? Really? Is it so hard to create a pairing that's just the slightest bit more realistic? Can't women that are slightly heavier, in a slightly more realistic age range be attractive too? Apparently not in Hollywood.

Now go on YouTube and search for the "Couples Retreat" trailor. Are any of those dudes thin / toned / in shape at ALL? No. Are the women? YES - every single one! Why is this still OK? I know that guys feel pressure from society, but I feel like it's being much more widely accepted that this kind of a double standard is okay.

I'm done venting now! But really, what is so wrong with a more realistic view of beauty? The guys are there apparently, but what about the girls? Eh? EH??

Zombieland Rocks

Just saw "ZOMBIELAND" last night with my friend Katy! It was hilarious. Gross, but really funny. Okay - really friggin' gross. Not for the zombie-faint-of-heart. I was kind of hoping for a bit more of "The List" that Columbus kept (rules to surviving in Zombieland), as I felt like there were only about 5 that they revealed, but I think his list went up to 32. There could've been a lot of possibilities there - but I did love the "Double Tap" rule and how it kept popping up!


Seriously though - these zombies were some of the grossest ever - mostly because of the blood / barf that was always pouring out of their mouths. WOW - to be an extra in that movie, eh? Yuck! I know it's fake, but still it'd be pretty gross. Even the 28 Days Later zombies didn't gross me out as much as these guys.


Definitely had a few Beth-Screaming-Like-A-Little-Girl moments too, as they threw in plenty shock & scare moments which was fun. All in all a pretty darn fun movie, that I enjoyed a lot! Let's hope that if zombies do take over that they're just a teeny bit less terrifying though, 'kay?

I LOVE AUTUMN!

Sigh - I love love love the fall.
This photo was taken by my friend Kristen, but it captures the beautiful Aspens perfectly! I love the chill in the air, the changing of the leaves. I love the anticipation of the holidays, mulled cider, snuggling under blankets. I love warming up with a cup of butternut squash soup or a cup of hot cocoa. I love the changing sky, and the changing sun. I love breaking out my hoodies, and wearing boots with leggings. I love the smells of cinnamon & nutmeg, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

All in all - one of my favorite times of year.
And yes, I'm already picking out recipes for Thanksgiving! :)

CRAZIES!

I have decided that the world of dating had just gotten crazier & crazier....
Not only with texting, but emailing, IM-ing, Facebook / MySpace, and the dreaded page of Missed Connections.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, Missed Connections is an area of Craigslist.com where people can post a note to hopefully connect with the person that they didn't have the balls (or vagina) to talk to in real life. Most of them are things like: "Gorgeous redhead at King Soopers" or "LR, I miss you!" or "Sorry I screwed up". Whatever the headline may be - you people are f-ing CRAZY!!

Ok, ok - to be fair, not all of them are. Some of them are pretty genuine "Hey, I talked to you but didn't get a chance to get your number" stuff. But the OTHER half... the people rambling on for pages & pages about how sorry they are, how they miss somebody, how lonely they are without them - not even knowing if the person they're talking to will even read it!! What the hell?? Why don't you friggin' call the person?

This is me simply venting about all this crap. Maybe it's just me, but it seems as though there is no middle ground anymore. I'm sure it's the same way for guys with girls too - but I feel like either it's one extreme or the other! Either someone won't give you the time of day, or their so damn needy and crazy, that your entire day is planned around how to get them to stay the hell away from you.

Is it all of the new technology that's causing things to be so black & white? I don't know. It seems to me like everything would be easier if these people picked up the phone, or tried - as shocking as it might be - to talk in person! Maybe reverting back to the older way of doing things would make dating easier for everyone - and at least a little more bearable.

Whew - I've said my peace!

Us & Ani

Our family's one claim-to-fame... my sisters & I are 2nd cousins of the rock/folk diva, Ani DiFranco. Which means my mom is her 1st cousin - pretty rad! We've gotten to meet her a few times backstage after her shows, and she's super nice. Obviously this picture is a teeensy bit old (hence the brace-face on me), but it's fun to reminisce. This was our first encounter with her! She really is a tiny little person too - when I hugged her, I felt like my arms could wrap around her twice. It's amazing how so much power can come out of such a little person! :)

Motivation, where have you gone?

I'm so bored! Lately my life has been the same thing over & over again. Get up, straighten my apartment, go to work, go home, watch a movie / tv show, go to bed. BORING BORING BORING! At first I loved it, and the way my plans began to slow down after the craziness of the summer. But now, I am starting to feel a severe case of laziness settle in, and I'm having trouble getting out of my slump. There have to be better things to do with my time!

I need to get motivated again. To try something new, learn something, start a new book, get back in shape, plan a trip, volunteer, create something - ANYTHING! I feel like every week day has been the same as the last lately, and that worries me.

Any tips on how to get outta my lazy-ass slump??

Why?

Butterflies are gone....
Don't know what happened....
And don't understand how someone can go from "I really like you" to not speaking to you for a week and a half....

:(

Please, please - be nice to bikers!

Last night when my neighbors & I were riding our bikes home from the Denver Cruiser Ride (it was Pirates, Vikings & Seamen night) we had a little run-in with an angry driver.

Now listen up, drivers-frustrated-with-bikers-that-ride-on-the-street. If you had ever thought to ride your bike somewhere you'd realize a few things:

1.) riding on the sidewalk not only sucks (because of how uneven the concrete is), but it's also illegal in most states, and we can be ticketed for it.
2.) there aren't nearly enough bike lanes in Denver (or in a lot of other places for that matter).
3.) we don't want to get hit by you, and will try to avoid it as much as possible.

Now of course, these three things exclude the douche-y people who think they own the road, but they are exceptions to the rule. Most of us are just trying to get from place to place while at the same time getting some exercise, saving money on gas, and guaranteeing ourselves a good parking space.

Last night, this horrible person in an SUV sped up behind one of our biker friends (we were all riding in the not-in-use bus lane on South Broadway) and blared on their horn. I thought they were going to hit her! There was absolutely no reason for them to do it, they were just being awful people. They were in this big honkin' SUV, and our poor friend was on her little dinky bike just trying to get home.

So I beg of you, drivers - please put yourselves in our shoes when you're drivin' around. In our case, these people were just being dicks to be dicks - and I truly believe that it will come back to bite them in the ass. However, there are other people that get impatient with us just for taking up a little bit of space on the side of the road. There may be areas where you can't get by us right away, but please be patient. How would you feel if your friend / son / daughter was hit by an impatient driver? How would you feel if someone's rear-view mirror nearly whacked into you?

Pretty pretty please be nice to us, and we'll do the same for you! See how much fun biking can be? (Yep - we were pirates for the ride!)

Kanye is a Douchebag

After I heard about what happened with Kanye West at the MTV Music awards, I was absolutely disgusted. I always thought the guy was a cocky bastard (does anybody remember after Michael Jackson's death, when he wanted to crown himself the King of Pop & take over Michael's reign?), but this just takes the cake. This guy is dying for attention, and is going to get it any way possible - even if it means ruining someone's big award moment. He is a selfish horrible person, and I know it will come back to bite him in the ass. In fact, I'm counting on it!


As an update - Beyonce gave her own acceptance speech for Video of the Year to Taylor Swift, in what I think was a rather classy move. And made Kanye look like even more of a douche, so I'm all for it!

Excited

Have you ever been so excited about someone that you could barf?
I mean - you like them a ton, you have no idea where it's going, all you can think about is how much you want to see them again (and how much you need to hold back on doing so), they're so cute that you're wondering "what the heck do they want with me?", you're so excited about what could happen but at the same time terrified that you're going to f-up the whole thing...

GACK!
It's awesome. Haven't been here in a while.
He's so cute I want to barf all over the floor.
Butterflies, butterflies.... :)

Seriously Scrumptious Simple Salad

I just invented the yummiest salad ever today!
OK - I'm saying that I invented it because I've never had it in a restaurant before. I am trying to eat up all the food that could go bad in my fridge before I leave for the long weekend, so I pretty much just used what I had left. And it turned out wonderful! Enjoy!

Seriously Scrumptious Simple Salad
Mixed Greens (I used some from the Farmer's Market - they're the best)
Bleu Cheese (I crumbled some Amish Bleu Cheese that I found at Whole Foods on sale)
Pecans (chopped)
Red Onion (cut into strips)
Oil & Balsamic Vinegar (I used Strawberry Basil Balsamic Vinegar that I found at Super Target)

Cook the red onion in a pan on the stove in some olive oil until caramelized (about 8 minutes or so). They will start to turn slightly brown when they're done. While the onions are cooking, combine all the other ingredients in a bowl. Top with caramelized onions & serve. Yum yum YUM!

Sonoma, here I come!

I think it's kind of funny that one of the best trips I've made this year was to Sedona, AZ, and next weekend I'm heading to Sonoma, CA! They sound pretty similar, if you didn't notice. :) I'm hoping that it will be as fun as my Sedona trip - although this time I'm going with my mom and her friend Vicki. Certainly a different dynamic than 5 twenty-somethings telling fart jokes & texting boys, but I won't hold that against them!

I've never been to California wine country, and I hear that Sonoma is the place to go (rather than Napa). Apparently the people are friendlier, the vineyards are less crowded, and they pour your glasses all the way to the top! Sounds like a winner in my book.

After all the car breakdowns, crazy ex-neighbors, and general stress that has been occuring this month I'm definitely looking forward to a break. And what better way to wind down than with a big ol' glass of wine?

In Defense of Food - AWESOME!

This month for my book club we read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. With the surge of revealing information on the government's role in what American eats (and thinks is healthy), it's awesome to read a book like this. I have yet to see Food, Inc (although I've heard that it's quite an eye-opener) - and although I'm already a vegetarian, I could always stand to eat healthier. This book gave me a whole new perspective on how to look at food, and how to enjoy it.

I would highly recommend it! :)

Gettin' a New Car

I've decided to say goodbye to my beautiful blue Hyundai Accent that has done me 3 years of love, and move on to another car.

I guess now is the time to buy, eh?

Now it's just trying to decide what the heck to get! I'm sure that price & availability will come first here (considering I'm on a serious budget & buying used), but I'd still like to have an idea of what to get. I'm thinking about something a teensy bit bigger than my last car choice, for the sake of space (for snowboarding & camping & driving a car full o' friends around). I don't want a big ol' gas guzzling school bus (ie - SUV) since that would kind of cancel out my efforts to ride my bike as much as possible in the city. But I would like something that will be able to make the trip up to the mountains, and be able to parallel park downtown.

Any thoughts? I like the look of the Pontiac Vibe, and it seems to be a pretty darn decent car. I like Subaru's as well (although I've never owned one before). I have no idea where to start here, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I am also looking for a car that runs on dreams & starlight. If that's at all possible. Sigh, I heart you Maria Bamford!

Comedy Central Presents	Friday 10pm / 9c
Maria Bamford - Cult
www.comedycentral.com
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Money, Money, Money... gone yet again!

Sigh, another expense, another day....

My car decided yesterday that it was going to let me know that I couldn't wait any longer to handle the weird sound coming from my clutch. Yah, that means it died. Turns out my clutch EXPLODED (didn't even know that could happen!) and beat the shit out of my transmission at the same time.

So what does that mean for me? A big fat bill in the $2k range. I was thinking of crying, then thinking of barfing, then thinking of drinking myself into a stupor. I will probably end up doing one of those today (most likely the latter).

It's times like these that it's difficult to get my spirits back up. A dark cloud is now hanging over my travel plans for next year, as well as my dreams of being fully out of debt again.

So in an effort to make things happier, here's a Guinea Pig in a bonnet.
(picture from www.cuteoverload.com).