Hot baths are one of my most favorite things in the world. I take at least 2 a day on an average day, but it can creep up from there if the day is bad or if I'm feeling cold or fussy. I don't do bubble baths though. I don't really understand the point of them. They just keep foaming and that bath starts overflowing with bubbles before you ever get enough hot water to relax in. Not for me. Just hand me a good book or magazine, throw in a couple drops of some lavender essential oils, and I am golden. Yeah, I know. I'm such a girl.
The reason I tell you this is because I had a moment of enlightenment. Of all the baths I've taken in all the years of my life, this idea has never once come to me. While I was letting the water heat up, I ran into the kitchen to get a glass of water. This is when I realized how hungry I was and saw the box of Rice Squares (generic Rice Chex). Ooooh, a bowl of cereal sounds super yummy. But wait, I don't have time to eat a bowl of cereal. By the time I'm finished, the bath water will be all room temp and that's not even what bath time is about. LIGHTBULB!!! What if I eat the bowl of cereal while I'm IN the tub???
Oh yeah. I totally ate my rice squares in the tub. Best. Bath. Ever.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Profound lyrics of the day...
From “Move Around” by B.G. featuring Mannie Fresh (edited version please)
“I’m from the ghetto homey
I was raised on bread and bologna.”
Word.
“I’m from the ghetto homey
I was raised on bread and bologna.”
Word.
Gumbo...
So we’ve kind of got a lot to cover. This whole no internet thing at home thing is getting old really fast. How am I supposed to share my random thoughts at the very moment they strike if I do not have immediate access to you? It’s a shame, I know.
Anyway, I’m going to number so that I stay on track. Actually, I think I’ll bullet. I say it’s to stay on track, but really it’s because I love to use bullets. Oh dang. I’m typing this on Word to post later, and I’m pretty sure Microsoft bullets do not translate to blogging codes or formats or whatever. Boo on that. So back to numbers we will go… (This entire paragraph is a perfect preview to the randomness that is to follow)
1. Did you guys see the Biggest Loser Finale like 100 weeks ago? Yeah, it was awesome, and my girl Michelle won. It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly different these people look after they lose all this weight. Completely unrecognizable. Makes me wonder what I would look like by losing 50% of my body weight. Probably a little scary and skeletal, but still…I wouldn’t mind punching out my old “before” pic and walking out. That’d be fun. And for those of you who saw it, did you notice how every one of those girls just about broke their necks trying to walk in their high heels? That was sad to me. They were so heavy before that they probably couldn’t walk in heels. If this is the case, theen 4 inch stilettos is probably not the best place to start, but hey, I admire that sort of confidence. That alone is a pretty amazing accomplishment.
2. Speaking of Biggest Loser, what the heck is up with fast food drive thrus NEVER getting your order right??? Like ever. Cheeseburger, fries, coke. I don’t understand how this is hard. And although I’ve never heard an order from the receiving end of a fast food order speaker, I am confident that LARGE and MEDIUM do not sound alike. Also, I don’t fully understand how no tomatoes translates to no cheese. As much as I try, I cannot work this out in my head.
3. I think “reputable” is the most awesome word. Say it out loud. It’s fun huh? Now say “inevitable.” Awesome right? Now say “table.” Isn’t it interesting how that one is not fun at all? Poor table. No fun without the other letters.
4. What is it about my head that is so appealing to Pomeranians at 6:00 in the morning? I am at a loss.
5. My downstairs neighbor’s got surround sound. The best part? They like to wait until 10 pm to use it. Nothing better than a shaking floor to help you relax. I’m not quite sure what proper apartment etiquette is in a situation like this. I figured the grown up thing to do would be to go downstairs, knock on their door, and ask them politely to turn it down a notch or two. Yeah, whatever. I’m totally in my pajamas and not even about to walk down a flight of stairs in 40 degree weather to tell someone they’re bothering me. So instead, I politely stomped on the floor a little. Nothing dramatic, but just enough to make them wonder “is she walking loud or is she telling us to shush?” Guess what? They turned it down.
Anyway, I’m going to number so that I stay on track. Actually, I think I’ll bullet. I say it’s to stay on track, but really it’s because I love to use bullets. Oh dang. I’m typing this on Word to post later, and I’m pretty sure Microsoft bullets do not translate to blogging codes or formats or whatever. Boo on that. So back to numbers we will go… (This entire paragraph is a perfect preview to the randomness that is to follow)
1. Did you guys see the Biggest Loser Finale like 100 weeks ago? Yeah, it was awesome, and my girl Michelle won. It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly different these people look after they lose all this weight. Completely unrecognizable. Makes me wonder what I would look like by losing 50% of my body weight. Probably a little scary and skeletal, but still…I wouldn’t mind punching out my old “before” pic and walking out. That’d be fun. And for those of you who saw it, did you notice how every one of those girls just about broke their necks trying to walk in their high heels? That was sad to me. They were so heavy before that they probably couldn’t walk in heels. If this is the case, theen 4 inch stilettos is probably not the best place to start, but hey, I admire that sort of confidence. That alone is a pretty amazing accomplishment.
2. Speaking of Biggest Loser, what the heck is up with fast food drive thrus NEVER getting your order right??? Like ever. Cheeseburger, fries, coke. I don’t understand how this is hard. And although I’ve never heard an order from the receiving end of a fast food order speaker, I am confident that LARGE and MEDIUM do not sound alike. Also, I don’t fully understand how no tomatoes translates to no cheese. As much as I try, I cannot work this out in my head.
3. I think “reputable” is the most awesome word. Say it out loud. It’s fun huh? Now say “inevitable.” Awesome right? Now say “table.” Isn’t it interesting how that one is not fun at all? Poor table. No fun without the other letters.
4. What is it about my head that is so appealing to Pomeranians at 6:00 in the morning? I am at a loss.
5. My downstairs neighbor’s got surround sound. The best part? They like to wait until 10 pm to use it. Nothing better than a shaking floor to help you relax. I’m not quite sure what proper apartment etiquette is in a situation like this. I figured the grown up thing to do would be to go downstairs, knock on their door, and ask them politely to turn it down a notch or two. Yeah, whatever. I’m totally in my pajamas and not even about to walk down a flight of stairs in 40 degree weather to tell someone they’re bothering me. So instead, I politely stomped on the floor a little. Nothing dramatic, but just enough to make them wonder “is she walking loud or is she telling us to shush?” Guess what? They turned it down.
Fan-flipping-tastic!!!
My rule is never pay full price for anything. I am a champ when it comes to bargain hunting, and it thrills me so completely when I find a great deal. I LOVE to read, but because of this full price rule, I very rarely am able to buy books because it seems ridiculous to me to pay $14 for a book I will most likely only read once. Plus what if it’s stupid? Then I’m out time and money, and that’s just not worth it to me.
There is a discount bookstore near my apartment that I’ve been to a few times and gotten really, really great deals on books. Problem is, it’s only open for a few months, and then they close and move it to another location. The selection is also very random so you have to really look around to find something that interests you. I went in a couple days ago and saw that they were closing Dec 28 so everything was marked down. $4 hardbacks and $2 paperbacks. SWEEET! Walked out with 3 new books.
Today was their final day, and I went over there with my mom so she could look for some curriculum book. Every single book in the store was a DOLLAR!!!! ONE DOLLAR!!! You guys, I think I blacked out for a second. Yes, I am that nerd who gets that excited about books. I bought 8 of them. I just couldn’t quit. Every time I thought I had enough, I’d see one more. Doesn’t matter though because I only spent $8.66. Yeah baby!
There is a discount bookstore near my apartment that I’ve been to a few times and gotten really, really great deals on books. Problem is, it’s only open for a few months, and then they close and move it to another location. The selection is also very random so you have to really look around to find something that interests you. I went in a couple days ago and saw that they were closing Dec 28 so everything was marked down. $4 hardbacks and $2 paperbacks. SWEEET! Walked out with 3 new books.
Today was their final day, and I went over there with my mom so she could look for some curriculum book. Every single book in the store was a DOLLAR!!!! ONE DOLLAR!!! You guys, I think I blacked out for a second. Yes, I am that nerd who gets that excited about books. I bought 8 of them. I just couldn’t quit. Every time I thought I had enough, I’d see one more. Doesn’t matter though because I only spent $8.66. Yeah baby!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Profound lyrics of the day...
From the hit song "Control Myself" by LL Cool J feat. J. Lo en espanol. (That's right...Big L'y has gone international)
"She said her name Shayeeda
I could tell her mama feed her"
You're an ocean, L.
"She said her name Shayeeda
I could tell her mama feed her"
You're an ocean, L.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
For the birds...
In case I’ve never mentioned it, I LOVE animals. Prefer them to most people actually. I’ve never been able to pick a “favorite” animal, but because I had a pet cockatiel for 16 years, I tend to gravitate more towards birds. I’ve been made fun of MANY times because, when out and about, I will stop to take pictures of birds. Not because they’re doing anything particularly birdy, but because hey, here’s one that’s sleeping while standing on one foot. How cute is that? Yeah, I’m obsessed.
In Texas, they have the Grackles. These have to be the most awesome birds I’ve ever seen. They are completely scraggly and look like they do nothing but fly around and street fight (air fight?) other Grackles. And they travel in HUGE flocks. Apparently, the grocery store across the street from my apartment is their Mecca, because honestly, there are THOUSANDS. That is not an exaggeration. It’s a sight to see. Every evening, they fill the trees and sit on the roof and in the grassy areas around the store. It’s so crazy. And they’re so loud. They’re all squawking and chirping and shrieking. When the males get all irritated or matey or happy or whatever, they flip out and fluff their feathers all out and make this crazy chirpy noise:
I am so fascinated. A friend of mine’s husband works at that grocery and said they will sit outside the automatic doors at the store. When someone comes out, the bird flies in to the bakery and pecks open the bread bags for food. It flies back, sits on the big white security alarm tower next to the door, and waits for someone to open it. Then it flies back out with dinner. How flipping awesome is that???
So anyway, I had to run an errand for work today, and as I was passing one intersection, I noticed a Grackle sitting right in the middle of the lane. I thought it was weird to see one sitting like that (because they totally stalk. For real.) I looked in the rearview mirror and saw it kind of topple over then sit itself back up. OMG! There is NO WAY I can just drive away. It can’t move, and it’s going to get hit by a car. That’s just too horrible to think about. Luckily, the intersection is very low traffic at this time of day, plus there is a shopping center right on the corner so it was easy to turn around. I was praying so hard, Please God, keep the cars away. Miraculously, there was not a single car at the light so I was able to pull right up behind the poor little thing. I was sort of afraid of it because I’d seen these bad boys in action. They will totally cut you. She fell over a couple more times while I was walking up to her (it was a girl. I Googled it.) and completely broke my heart. I cupped my hands under her really slow, and she let me scoop her right up. I couldn’t tell where she was hurt, but once she was in my hands she wrapped her little claws around my fingers. You guys? I was thisclose to ending up with a pet Grackle . (Remember that episode of Friends where the monkey grabs Ross’s finger and New York Minute starts playing? Yeah, that was me.) Schlotzsky’s was right there on the corner, and there was a sort of flat, clear area in the garden. I figured that’d be the safest place so I set her down, and she wouldn’t let go. OMG. I wanted to keep her. I talked to her for a minute, and she finally let go and settled down in the garden. Thank you God, for keeping all the cars away so I could save that little birdy.
Yes, it was sad because I know if she is really hurt, then it’s likely she won’t make it. But to know that at least, she’ll go safe in a garden instead of on a busy, scary highway makes me feel better. Normally, animal welfare just completely wrecks me. If I see a hurt or stray animal or even roadkill, I just can’t stop thinking about it, wishing I could do something to help, oftentimes, beating myself up about it because I feel like I should have done something, but didn’t. However, in this case, I know I did everything I could do, and I really felt a peace about it as I left. Sure, I would’ve loved to be able to save her completely, but that’s not what was meant to happen. I know many people might think“Oh my gosh Jenny, it’s a bird. Why the big deal?” I used to say the same thing. Why am I getting so destroyed over an animal? Wild, stray, domestic, whatever. I called my mom crying about some poor animal one day and was so upset by how upset I got. She said “Everyone was given a passion about certain things for a reason. God needs people on this Earth to take care of his animals and that’s what He gave you.” So I’m embracing it. Maybe it seems silly to some, but think about what you are truly passionate about. I mean the really deep down stuff that moves you. What if somebody said “Oh that? That’s nothing. Why do you care about that?” It’s not silly to you because that’s the passion you were given by the One who made you. We need that diversity. It doesn’t matter if it kids (my mom) or cheesecake (me). If it’s important to you, then it’s important. Period.
Do what you can with the moments you’re given. Even if it seems as simple as picking up a little bird off the street, it's what you were meant to do. To the world, it was just one bird. But to that little bird, it was the world.
In Texas, they have the Grackles. These have to be the most awesome birds I’ve ever seen. They are completely scraggly and look like they do nothing but fly around and street fight (air fight?) other Grackles. And they travel in HUGE flocks. Apparently, the grocery store across the street from my apartment is their Mecca, because honestly, there are THOUSANDS. That is not an exaggeration. It’s a sight to see. Every evening, they fill the trees and sit on the roof and in the grassy areas around the store. It’s so crazy. And they’re so loud. They’re all squawking and chirping and shrieking. When the males get all irritated or matey or happy or whatever, they flip out and fluff their feathers all out and make this crazy chirpy noise:
I am so fascinated. A friend of mine’s husband works at that grocery and said they will sit outside the automatic doors at the store. When someone comes out, the bird flies in to the bakery and pecks open the bread bags for food. It flies back, sits on the big white security alarm tower next to the door, and waits for someone to open it. Then it flies back out with dinner. How flipping awesome is that???
So anyway, I had to run an errand for work today, and as I was passing one intersection, I noticed a Grackle sitting right in the middle of the lane. I thought it was weird to see one sitting like that (because they totally stalk. For real.) I looked in the rearview mirror and saw it kind of topple over then sit itself back up. OMG! There is NO WAY I can just drive away. It can’t move, and it’s going to get hit by a car. That’s just too horrible to think about. Luckily, the intersection is very low traffic at this time of day, plus there is a shopping center right on the corner so it was easy to turn around. I was praying so hard, Please God, keep the cars away. Miraculously, there was not a single car at the light so I was able to pull right up behind the poor little thing. I was sort of afraid of it because I’d seen these bad boys in action. They will totally cut you. She fell over a couple more times while I was walking up to her (it was a girl. I Googled it.) and completely broke my heart. I cupped my hands under her really slow, and she let me scoop her right up. I couldn’t tell where she was hurt, but once she was in my hands she wrapped her little claws around my fingers. You guys? I was thisclose to ending up with a pet Grackle . (Remember that episode of Friends where the monkey grabs Ross’s finger and New York Minute starts playing? Yeah, that was me.) Schlotzsky’s was right there on the corner, and there was a sort of flat, clear area in the garden. I figured that’d be the safest place so I set her down, and she wouldn’t let go. OMG. I wanted to keep her. I talked to her for a minute, and she finally let go and settled down in the garden. Thank you God, for keeping all the cars away so I could save that little birdy.
Yes, it was sad because I know if she is really hurt, then it’s likely she won’t make it. But to know that at least, she’ll go safe in a garden instead of on a busy, scary highway makes me feel better. Normally, animal welfare just completely wrecks me. If I see a hurt or stray animal or even roadkill, I just can’t stop thinking about it, wishing I could do something to help, oftentimes, beating myself up about it because I feel like I should have done something, but didn’t. However, in this case, I know I did everything I could do, and I really felt a peace about it as I left. Sure, I would’ve loved to be able to save her completely, but that’s not what was meant to happen. I know many people might think“Oh my gosh Jenny, it’s a bird. Why the big deal?” I used to say the same thing. Why am I getting so destroyed over an animal? Wild, stray, domestic, whatever. I called my mom crying about some poor animal one day and was so upset by how upset I got. She said “Everyone was given a passion about certain things for a reason. God needs people on this Earth to take care of his animals and that’s what He gave you.” So I’m embracing it. Maybe it seems silly to some, but think about what you are truly passionate about. I mean the really deep down stuff that moves you. What if somebody said “Oh that? That’s nothing. Why do you care about that?” It’s not silly to you because that’s the passion you were given by the One who made you. We need that diversity. It doesn’t matter if it kids (my mom) or cheesecake (me). If it’s important to you, then it’s important. Period.
Do what you can with the moments you’re given. Even if it seems as simple as picking up a little bird off the street, it's what you were meant to do. To the world, it was just one bird. But to that little bird, it was the world.
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