OUI!!!

This weekend was one of those weekends just for pure enjoyment. Work on Friday was actually pretty fun too, with a little party and a cake I made. It was also Jeanelle's Birthday (Happy 30th Jeanelle! You are wonderful!)
Friday night i had some friends over and we ate treats, talked and laughed. A lot. Saturday Shannon and i went to Ikea & the Mall of America for some power shopping. Have I told you i kinda don't like IKEA and the MOA bugs. But Shannon and i still found ways to have fun and amuse ourselves no matter what we do. I am not ashamed to say that we might still possibly be stuck in jr. high. Which reminds me of a few months ago when Shan and i went to a movie. When we walked into the theatre no one was in there. Sitting there on the top row with my Sour Patch Kids, I said, "Do you think I can throw one of these and hit the screen?" She told me to give it a whirl... So as hard as I could I whipped a sour patch kid at the screen. I didn't hit it, but Shan also needed to give it a try. So the next thing you know we are 30 something women throwing candy at a movie screen. Kinda reminds me of the time in 10th grade when we repeatedly smashed my car into a snow bank. I guess we will never grow up. HA!
Saturday night Kyle and Kelly totally invited themselves over to use me for my cable so they could watch the WILD game. They ate my food and drank my soda and then left a big fat mess. They insulted my cat and smelled up the place. I am so over them.
Sunday I had a perfect day of lounging and cleaning and enjoying solitude. I started to re-read Les Miserables... from the last half of course, because that is the best half. I was inspired to re-read it per a conversation I had on Friday. I haven't read one good book lately and so I decided to revisit a classic, my favorite. So brilliantly lovely and beautiful.

I feel like I am forgetting to tell something, hmmm... Oh yeah, I'm a homeowner.
It's official, the house is mine... May 16th is the closing date. I think I must be dreaming!!!!

My Name is NOT Samantha!

I have this small problem. Well it's not really my problem, its other people's problem that become mine! When people first meet me or they cant remember my name or think they remembered my name but really didn't, they call me Samantha! My whole life I have been Samantha. I know it is somewhat similar to Sabrina but really its not even that close. I could see if people messed up and called me Serena or Selina or even Sabena... but Samantha. It happens on a pretty consistent basis that i am thinking about getting a T-shirt or bumper sticker that says, My name is not Samantha. Although, that might be a cool name for a band.
I know other people have had similar name debacles. please share...

The house

Im trying not to jinx anything... but if i were to get a house, it would be this one.

Senorita

I think this might be one of my new favs... Super-duper quick and easy! After dinner I met with my realtor to finalize some VIP house paperwork. Then I went and picked out paint samples. It's getting close...

Spanish Shrimp and Farfalle

Health Magazine April 2008

Makes 4 servings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook: 13 minutes
Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked farfalle

1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 cup chopped onion

1⁄2teaspoon dried thyme

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄4 cup fresh orange juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

1⁄2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives

Instructions:

1. Cook farfalle according to package directions; drain.
2. Toss shrimp with cumin, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 minutes per side; remove from skillet.
3. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet. Add onion, thyme, and cinnamon; cook until onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Increase heat to high and add orange juice, vinegar, tomatoes, and olives; cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Add shrimp and remove from heat. Toss with farfalle and orange zest, and serve. (Serving size: 2 cups)

Nutrition:Calories 417 (22% from fat); Fat 10g (sat 2g, mono 6g, poly 2g); Cholesterol 168mg; Protein 28g; Carbohydrate 53g; Sugars 7g; Fiber 5g; Iron 6mg; Sodium 870mg; Calcium 84mg

Name Dropping

The only remotely famous person I've ever met, i didn't even really meet. I was walking down the street in Boston, minding my own business on a lovely April day. As I was glancing in the windows of the shops and restaurants I noticed a very familiar face sitting in a Greek restaurant. It took me a nano-second to figure out who it was. Low and behold it was Quentin Tarantino. He smiled at me really nicely, and i was almost tempted to go in and sit and chat with him, because he was all alone. But I didn't want to be intrusive. I was 21 and a total fox back then, so i wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea either. Although, often I lay awake at night wondering if Kill Bill would've starred UMA had I went in and sat with him? The world may never know.

Jim Carey might possibly be next on my famous sightings list... He is sorta going to be in my family come July! I'm not even kidding and I LIKE IT A LOT!

Hot Tranny Mess

Project Runway's winner Christian Siriano spoof by SNL explains it all:

The show must go on!

So Saturday night Shannon and Cindy and I met up at Axel's Bonfire for a little girl time... one thing lead to another and we were having so much fun we decided to get a hotel and have a slumber party. When we went to our room, some guy thought we were pretty cute and asked if we wanted to hang out. Hmmm... Not so much, but jokingly we said, Bring all your cute friends down and we'll have fun. We didn't really think he would come back... but low and behold when he did we really didn't want to hang out. So our stage-mom Cindy went into action:

Random Boy: So you want to hang out or what?
Stage Mom Cindy: I'm sorry, we have a show in the morning and we need our sleep.
Random Boy: Oh really, I'm sorry... I'll go.
Stage Mom Cindy: Yeah we have a show so sleep is important.

I love being a celebrity!