We were the fish that day, the catfish weren’t having any of it. But the lake was pretty and there was plenty of time to look around at all the other parts of the lake where nobody was catching any fish, and hardly anyone was trying. I even saw the heart sitting there waiting for us on the shoreline.
I decided to make up this frame and give it to Gar along with a couple of other things to celebrate the new year. The photo is from Halloween when we dressed up like Gomez and Morticia Addams. 2014 was pretty good for us. Now is an especially nice time to reflect upon some of the things we are grateful for. One thing I’m proud of this year is losing 20 lbs. One day in mid-August I just decided to start dieting and exercising rigorously and it has worked out pretty well for me. This was coming from the girl that had never dieted… ever. I’ve lost about a pound a week since I started. Now I have an entirely different routine and healthier habits, although I still enjoy a nice stiff drink and some gummy candy here and there. Now would be the time to insert a new year resolution if I had one but I don’t do new year resolutions. If I want to do or change something I can choose to do so at any moment. I sincerely hope everyone has a happy and healthy new year. Happy New Year!
I would be incredibly content with taking two hour lunch breaks everyday so that I can have plenty of time to walk and/or run. However, two hour lunch breaks just aren’t possible. I usually work out in the morning but most days I seize the opportunity to take a slightly longer lunch so that I can completely separate myself from my job and be active and daydream and lay in the grass at a nearby park. My foot was bothering me last week so this was a day that I was walking… and I couldn’t stop staring at the sky.
Every year at my work holiday party we play White Elephant. I always get a gift card for the event because I’ve been stuck with a mug and hot cocoa mix before and I can’t say that I was thrilled… not to offend anyone who loves mugs and hot cocoa. So, this year baby Jesus was smiling down upon me and I will tell you why. I happened to be in the lobby a few weeks ago when a client brought in a fecal sample from her pet for testing and she had put the sample inside Tupperware inside a bag inside of this lovely Christmas bag with tissue paper and all.
This was hardly the first time that a client has told me that they brought us a “present” when bringing in their pet’s shit. In fact, every time I hear that phrase in that situation I’m mildly annoyed because everyone seems to think that it is such a funny joke that they themselves came up with. This time however, I was amused. The thought sprung forth into my mind so suddenly, “I must use this bag to put my White Elephant gift in and not tell anyone it’s a poopy bag until the very end.”
I would just like to say at this point that the bag was completely clean and not compromised in any way. However, there is one person I work with that I knew would totally be disgusted by the poopy bag revelation and I also knew she likes Amazon a lot… you can imagine where I bought my gift card to this year. Still, there is so much chance involved in White Elephant, it was a long shot that she would end up with my gift… but she did… and that is the story of my best White Elephant experience to date. Merry Christmas everyone!
I’m in the playoffs in my fantasy football league and my team has been killing it. I won last week and I’m in the finals this week but I’m really nervous because I’m playing a great team. I would just like to take this moment to thank Jamaal Charles, DeMarco Murray, A.J. Green, Randall Cobb, Julio Jones, Andrew Luck, and Adam Vinatieri for all of my-I mean your-accomplishments this season. Murray, in particular, was one of the best pics for me this year. He wasn’t ranked incredibly high but I had heard a little bit of buzz about him and he’s had an incredible season. I hope my desperate dreams of success and glory (and money) aren’t crushed by a loss this week… fingers crossed.
I love a can of coconut milk for a lot of reasons but one of my favorite things to do with it is add a can to my turkey or chicken noodle soup. I’ve already made soup this way about three times in the past few months because I just cannot get enough of it. Homemade soup is the best. Just put your leftover chicken or turkey carcass in a large pot, fill with water, add a fair amount of salt, and boil to make your stock. Strain out your stock and pick off all the meat from the bones and return it to the stock. At this point I’ll check the salt content and I usually add a can of chicken broth or possibly some bullion to round out my stock. Finally your mirepoix and whatever else you want in your soup goes in. I love making a traditional noodle soup and adding the can of coconut milk and a few spicy dried thai chilies for some heat. The coconut milk provides a unique flavor that blends perfectly with the flavor of a traditional noodle soup and it is not too sweet. SO GOOD!
There is so much to be thankful for everyday. I’m not even going to try to list the things that I am thankful for. Instead, I will just say this… I love food. I don’t just love to eat although eating is pretty awesome. I love food and I am amazed by it. Most days, when I conceive of meals I want to cook and eat I am amazed by the possibilities. My amazement is somewhat akin to returning to civilization after being stranded on a desert island for awhile and, for the first time, being in a grocery store with a substantial budget. I have a great respect and concern for the food we consume. Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope your day is/was safe and joyous.