It's all part of the j.o.b.

oh my oh my oh my... Tuesday night. bad bad bad. what about Tuesday night was so bad you ask? well it snowed, that is A. and B, it was snowing during rush hour and C. it took me 4 hours to get home! At first i was up for the challenge. I thought, "Ok, this will be fun, I can do this, no biggie, I've lived in Minnesota all my life, save one year I lived in New Hampshire and they have wicked bad ice storms there!" So promptly at 3:10 pm, I left my work, with a farewell email to kelly who was leaving at the same time, and then the race was on. We figured it would probably take us the same amount of time to get home. So as I am singing Cake's "she's going the distance, she's going for speed..." I exit onto the highway and then STOP. On a 2 mile stretch of highway it took me an hour to get to my next exit! No problemo, I had snacks, pitas & humus to be exact, and it was going to be a good ride. I talked to my mom for awhile, and then Kelly and Jeanelle I was doing great! As I was entering my next exit near downtown Minneapolis, kelly informed me that she overheard that it was going to be a 144 minute! drive from downtown MPLS to downtown St. Paul. This drive should take maybe 8 minutes, if that. So I had the bright idea to drive through downtown mpls and take the back roads. really really big mistake!! it was hell. sorry but it was. it took me almost 2 hours to get through downtown mpls, and then into st. paul the back way. I'm sure i would've been not much better on the highway, with the 35W bridge down and all, everything was congested. Finally at 7:00pm, 4 hours later, i arrived home. My head was throbbing, my butt aching from sitting so long, I yelled at the cat and scowled at my mailbox for lack of good mail. But I was home. praise the lord, I was home. thankful. thankful. and then on the couch is where I lay for the next 24 hours. I took a sick day. Welcome to Minnesota! PUKE!
On a much different note, Megan wrote about her favorite documentary. I thought I would mention mine. It is a National Geographic documentary on Air Force One. For some reason, every time it is on tv, I am captivated. So much history in one airplane. My favorite part is when the head steward says, "It's all part of the j.o.b." and spells it out. Yep, my friends, It really is all part of the J.O.B!

December 5, 2007

A Likhtikn Khaneke

(A Bright Hanukkah)

December 4, 2007

Pretty Poinsettias!

and miles to go before I sleep...

I am a sucker for poetry. More then any other form of writing, poetry is my first love. Novels are my best friends, but poetry has my heart. I could go on and on, about poetry, the writers, the deep hiding meanings just waiting to be discovered, but I won't bore you. In college, I started out as a literature major, before realizing, "What would I do with a literature major?"

Sometimes I wish I wouldn't have been so rational and just stuck in out. As I am writing this, it is starting to snow. So I thought I would share my favorite "snow" poem.

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

-----------------------------------------------

(this part I am writing here in parenthesis is an addition to what i wrote earlier today. I can't tell the future, but this poem spoke the truth, because, it really was miles and miles before i sleep. with the snow storm today it took my 4 HOURS to get home. usually it takes me 30min! miles and miles and more snowy filled miles before i sleep is right!!!)

December 3, 2007

Snow Falling on Evergreens...

December 2, 2007

Christmas Dreams under the tree...

One Meal; Twice as Nice

I just got back from seeing Lars and the Real Girl again. People, this is the real deal. It is funny and sad and enduring all at the same time. I would see this one again for sure. At the movie I ate popcorn and M&Ms and a cherry coke! Things I rarely do, because I don't really eat popcorn a whole lot, nor do I drink soda. But because it was December 2, and it was a good day... I treated myself. Sometimes you just need to relax and be kind to yourself, and indulge. All in moderation my dear, all in moderation. Before Lars, I showed Ellen a bit of Linden Hills. What a great time of year in LH, with the lights and the decorations. The only down side was that my camera died! So many good photo ops, and no way to take them. I even drove by my favorite house that has the best Christmas lights. They are over the top, but in a very beautifully simplistic way, if that is possible. I also had a chance to stop in and see my cousin Chad who was in town from Denver. We met at the Great Wall Chinese restaurant. So fun to see him and the fam, and of course, no camera to capture the moment... Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!
Yesterday was the perfect day to have a snow day and snuggle down in my little home. I had plans to go out last night with some friends... but with the roads and the snow on the roads, we quickly put an end to that idea. So I watched another Christmas movie on my list, Elf. And no Jaime, I was not watching an episode of ALF. For dinner, I looked in my freezer and there were some shrimp and haricot verts (french green beans). This meal was so good when I made it the first time, I had to make it again for lunch. I tried to make it as spicy as I could, but if you can't handle the heat, try smoked paprika instead and omit the chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes and chili paste. This is also a much lighter version then having sesame shrimp at a Chinese restaurant with all that breading. Even though that breading makes it oh so good!

Spicy Sesame Shrimp with Haricot Verts

1 Handful of frozen french cut green beans (haricot verts) 1 Handful of already cooked frozen jumbo shrimp (thawed), olive oil, salt\pepper, 1 minced garlic, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp chili paste, 1 Tbls soy sauce, 1 tbls rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame seeds and crushed red pepper flakes

Drizzle oil in a saute pan, add green beans, salt\pepper. Saute a minute or two until slightly cooked. Add garlic, shrimp, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, chili paste, and chili powder. Saute shrimp and green beans until shrimp are done and sauce has thickened. Sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes and toasted sesame seeds. indulge.