Daydreaming

things i will do this weekend:

- work, both days

- go see the winslow family band here in memphis

- clean the house

- house painting stuff

- take the dog to shelby farms despite the colder weather…i need some vitamin D and trail time with my little (and big, for that matter) man

- bake something

- christmas shop

things i wish i were doing this weekend:

- manicure/pedicure at the nail bar again…there is one sound that equates to this luxury and it is “ahhhhhhh”

- sleeping a whole, whole lot

- finding time to go see an exhibit at the brooks

- making dinners for the week

- getting a massage

Clean Spaces, Clean Mind

i’ve always had a thing with keeping my spaces picked up.  not necessarily scrubbed down and sanitized, but at least uncluttered.  in college i made my bed every morning right when i got out of it.  for one, i couldn’t get back in as easily if it was all perfect.  (i’m good at out-foxing myself like that!) and two, in a room as big as a closet, the more smooth, blank horizontal surfaces i had, the better.  a clean room meant a clean mind for me.  i am so much calmer if i feel like i have things together around me, and dirty rooms are something you can always tackle and beat into submission.

it’s gotten worse as my personal spaces have mushroomed in size.  i won’t say our house is always picked up, it’s not.  it goes in waves.  usually the waves go: clean, katie works doubles for a few days, dirty, katie gets a night or day off, clean, repeat.  but i always feel like i’m a bit more in charge, a bit more pulled together, if the house is picked up.  and there is nothing like waking up to an entirely clean house, just as there is nothing like waking up to dirty dishes, dog toys everywhere, and a living room pillow explosion.  it can either make or break a day for me, it’s that serious.

how my living room should look...

pete helps out when he can, but he’s busy too.  and i’ve found that guys just don’t get as emotionally invested in whether or not the dishes have been put up and the laundry’s been folded.  so i succumb to my neuroses and straighten, wipe down, dust, fold, etc., usually when he’s not home (i get distracted by the lure of couch time and hours of dexter when he’s around).

does anyone else have this association between spaces and mental stability?  i know where i got it: my mother.  she’s more insane than i am (you are pretty much not allowed to even cook on her flattop stove lest you drip something on it).  i hope this tendency of mine doesn’t ripen with age, or i am going to have to work from home in order to keep it as clean as i’d like.

Long Weekend, Long Gone

thanksgiving weekend was great but way too quick.  i got in a lot of extra food, extra sleep, and extra sweets, so all in all it was successful.  as i’d said, my dad came down to visit, getting in on wednesday night.  i picked him up on my own, since pete was at a 24-hour shift at the fire station til 7 a.m. the next morning.  he fit in at home quite quickly, as he was adopted by patsy:

(picture taken on my phone, don’t judge.)  we had a quiet night at dinner at cafe 1912 and home relaxing.  while we were eating, pete’s brother’s children got to go visit him at the station and tour the firehouse:

Picture courtesy of Leah!

pete showed back up the next morning with coffee in hand for all of us.  we again settled down for a relaxing morning and early afternoon at our house while i fixed my one signature thanksgiving dish: creamed onions (see bottom of this post for the recipe!).  we headed over to pete’s parents’ house for dinner and hanging out.  of course, our little man came along:

Picture courtesy of Leah!

spoiled, you say?  he was so, SO good with pete’s nephews (3 and almost 2 years old), playing with them and chasing them without ever pushing them or grabbing for a toy or anything.  i was a very proud dog mom.  we took a group picture of the entire anderson family (a rare thing for them to all be in one place), and it turned out really well – or, the one where they’re looking at the camera did…

Picture courtesy of Leah!

it’s funny what a difference a year can make.  last year we were in the same house while pete’s family was out of town, and it was us and all friends.  friends came from far and wide for a post-dinner game of bocce in the backyard (a year later and we still haven’t found one ball back there), cigars, sitting around an outdoor fire pit, and unwinding.  this year it was all family, and a good bit louder (let’s just say things get heated when you play guys v. girls in pictionary and the guys blatantly cheat), but just as good.  hope everyone else had a good thanksgiving and isn’t too exhausted this week (as i am)!!

 

Creamed Onions

pearl onions

2/3 c. heavy cream

2 T. butter

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 c. fresh minced parsley

In skillet combine onions, butter, sugar, salt and enough water to cover single layer of onions by 1/2 inch.  Boil mixture and onions until liquid is almost evaporated.  Cook onions over moderate heat, swirling skillet until they turn golden and begin to brown.  Add cream, bring to a boil.  Boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened.  Season with salt and pepper, stir in parsley.

Hint:  to skin the onions, cut off top and bottom, put in boiling water for 1 minute.  When you get them back out it is easy to peel off the skin.

Thankses

so i went awol for a bit, now i’m back.  nothing really pressing or stupendous occurred, just got caught up in the day-to-day and, to be honest, a little overwhelmed with the 2 jobs, 2 pets, a magically re-dirtyfying house, people coming in and out of town, bills, money worries, and all the usual fun stuff that comes with adult life.  just keeping it real.

anyway.  there are things i find myself thankful for this thanksgiving season 2009, and in no particular order they are:

- a boyfriend who loves me even though he doesn’t always get me

- jolly ranchers

- a healthy puppy who loves me like it’s his job

- a healthy cat who is ambivalent toward me like its her job

- donuts

- my Banana Republic skinny jeans on sale for $8, which have allowed me to wear them into the ground

- a sunny day today

- a functional, warm, and oh-so-stylish car

- cozy scarves

- my immediate and extended family and their health

- friends past and present and my upcoming ability to see some

- my genius nephews

- to have the ability, as so many (let’s say 10%) of the country can’t, to work hard to pay my bills and keep a warm roof over my head and food in my pantry

- nailpolish

- chapstick

ok that pretty well covers it.  pioneer woman’s pumpkin muffins (which i just made again) might make it on there, too.  my dad is coming into town tonight for the holiday, and pete’s entire immediate family will be here, so i’m sure this weekend is going to be chaos – signing off for a bit, hopefully to return with pictures!  happy thanksgiving!

Day(s) at the Park, by Gibson

hey, i know you’ve heard a lot about me, but i thought i’d introduce myself:

hey!  i’m gibson.  well, gibson wainwright prescott anderdise, but i just usually go by gibb.  my parents sometimes also call me dr. gibbles or mr. gibblesworth, but that’s neither here nor there.  anyway, this weekend it was 75 degrees out, so my mom and pops decided to take me to this amazing park, shelby farms – both days!  this picture of me above is from me in the car on the way there.  i usually am quiet in the car, i keep thinking i might be going to the vet so i try to be good to keep it from happening.

my pops is usually at the wheel.  we spun out to the farm, and i was ready to go!

i was soooooo excited, i got to meet a bison, first thing!  i was positively SCREAMING with the thrill of it.

then, for the first time, i got to play with a crabapple.  it was almost as big as my head, but i didn’t care – it tasted a little good so i was happy to chase it over and over for pops.  when my mom made me leave it behind, i was pretty let down!

i took a quiet moment to look out over the farms before we headed into the woods for some trail time.  it’s a pretty, and pretty BIG place!

i love being in the woods!!  this trail was my favorite – sun dappled, over 70 degrees, and i had on my woods souvenir, a new beat-up blue bandanna.  i think it makes me look a little hipster, and who knows, maybe i’ll get some skinny jeans next?

let’s hit the trails!  through the woods, by some tall grass (which i couldn’t get enough of, what is more fun than running through tall grass with your nose down??  nothing!), leading my mom all the way.

she looked a little tired.  she acted like she felt a little tired.  but she kept on following me, all the way.

dang, it was bright outside, though!  in this picture we’re finally on the way to meet up with my pops at the water fountain.  he took off running on his own so that mom could get in some quality time with me.  i didn’t mind, i love her best anyway….see?:

don’t tell pops.  he has patsy the cat for comfort, anyway.  mom and i look GOOD together!

ok i’ll confess.  i know i looked all bad to the bone walking those miles of trail, but i am BEAT when i’ve done it.  both days this weekend i was a ball of jello afterward.  especially once i hit the backseat…see?

and this was my day, both days this weekend….right now i’m dictating this to my mom while i’m dozing off and on in my bed.  i can’t stay awake to save my life!  my parents high-fived over me just now, talking about how awesome puppy exhaustion is…i have no clue what they’re talking about, but i’ll take more trips to shelby farms any day!

Fall? Is This You?

so i’m confused.  fall to me is, as i have previously mentioned, full of cool breezes, warm scarves, hot drinks, snuggly nights, and so on.  so….WTF memphis??  it was seventy-five (75) degrees here yesterday.  i had to spell that out for myself because hi, it was november TENTH yesterday.  NOVEMBER tenth.  where AM I???

but i soldier forth.  for what is fall without baked goods?  and dammit, it will be fall around here whether it likes it or NOT.  so i baked all last night (and i mean all, right up til 11 p.m.).  i made those pumpkin muffins i keep mentioning first, and man they are so, so good.  like, so good.  i just put a smidge of cream cheese frosting in the middle of each one, and it’s perfect.  they’re not overly pumpkin-y, but just enough for flavor (does anyone else think that the pumpkin bread from starbuck’s is pretty much just pumpkin puree molded into the shape of bread?  it’s so heavy and way too moist for me.).

then i made two wayyy overdue birthday cakes for friends.  one was a pound cake, due to the recipient’s love for a prior one i had made from scratch.  i love making pound cake, because i get to use my electric mixer!  i supposed i could use it for box mixes but it seems like a bit of overkill.  i used a box mix for my final cake, a chocolate two-layer with chocolate frosting (and funfetti!).  what is your 26th birthday without funfetti, am i right?

and ok, there was also a whole paragraph right here regarding all my efforts last night to also prepare lunch materials of the healthy variety – veggie wraps, string cheese, whole grain crackers, low fat yogurt, fruit, etc.  it was a great paragraph.  and then it disappeared.  so, pretend you read it and be all impressed that i’m back to eating healthily and trying to fight against my previous daily activities: starbucks in the morning for $5.30 (grande nonfat no water chai with a donut) and panera/el porton/mcdonald’s/wherever for lunch for $5-9.  that’s $300+ per month on junk!!  so here goes another one of my erstwhile well-meaning attempts at self betterment.

NaBloPoMo Fail, Friends Win

well, i’ve now missed three out of five days in november, so i officially fail my meager attempt to make good on NaBloPoMo this year.  dang.

to build my karma back up, i’m going to let you in on some secret artists that you may love (or not, that’s up to you, but i bet you’ll love them!).  and, push me over with a feather, i know these people!  this first artist is danielle maslan.  danielle and i went to elementary school from 2nd to 4th grade together, and thought we were hard listening to green day in 4th grade and coloring our nails with marker.  she is immensely talented and went to parsons in new york to hone her skills.   i’m totally going to save some pennies to pick up one of her pieces.

next up is gena destri (keffer) mcgill.  i knew her as gena keffer, same elementary school, same grades.  then we both moved a couple of cities down the road, went to different elementary schools for the next few years, and then we were back in school together in junior high!  gena is also insanely good, and i actually already own one of her pieces:

there it is above the mantel in our townhouse – she painted the Colosseum from life, and i snatched it from her.  i looooove that piece, and it now hangs in my dining room in a spot that i get to see it every day.  so cool to own things by friends.  and check out her other stuff – i really want her series of doors, also painted from life in italy.

high school (especially AP Chem class, what were we thinking?) brought me closer to amber ledom kellen.  after a stint in the navy, she is now a mommy to three (!) little ones and one busy lady.  she makes some super cute custom jewelry…order from her for the holidays if you order from anyone!  check out her stuff:

next is my college friend, lauren reyes gibbs-beadle.  first one to get married, first one to have a baby, and i’m pretty sure my first friend to have an etsy shop, especially an etsy shop that was once featured on dooce (!!).  i love her little hippillows, and i’m going to have to send her some fabric to do a damask one for my guest room bed.  so cute.

and finally, sisters leslie and martha (hi ladies!).  i met them working with the two of them at my second job, and they each have an etsy shop – leslie owns rhetorical printing, where she makes gorgeous stationery.  i’m totally going to use her for my next set of invitations, if i ever throw some kind of legitimate party:

and sister martha owns punkinpied, for your next baby gift:

so, wow, i know a lot of talented ladies.  and check out their linked names, those last four are big-time bloggers, too!  now i’m feeling the need to step up and open an etsy shop of my own.  hmmmm….

Last Weekend & Last Last Weekend

[i've missed day one of NaBloPoMo, dang it.]

let’s start two weekends ago.  we flew to DC (through thunderstorms, my faaaavorite.  ugh.)  we spent saturday afternoon picking up race packets, drinking water, and eating carbs.  i did the carbo loading in sympathy.

then the next morning was the race, bright and early.  the anderson trio (ben, pete, and stuart) took off for the marine corps marathon at about 6 a.m. for the start time of 8 a.m.  their support crew (me and stuart’s girlfriend leah – ben’s wife megan had their three little ones to watch) got a late start and met them at mile 20 around 11:30 am.  here’s the rev, looking not all that winded at this point:

then leah and i walked back to the subway to scoot a couple stops down the way to meet them at the finish line.  we stepped off the train and this is what we hit:

a wall of people.  it took us 25 full minutes to exit the subway station – good thing a. the ceilings were high and b. i’m not claustrophobic.

and here they are!  post-finish line with goody bags in hand and exhaustion beginning to severely take over.  at this point they were all starting to limp a bit.

very heroic.  i was so proud of him, i have no idea how he did it.  he wants me to train with him for next year.  uhhhhhhhhhh…maybe?

the trio’s worn-out kicks after the run, complete with digital tracking microchips.  unfortunately, despite my having signed up literally months ago to receive text-messaged updates to keep track of their location, i received nary a text.  thus our meeting them at only 2 spots…we had no idea where they were among the other 21,997 runners!

and finally, the rev took a much-needed respite and was cleaned off by the anderson family dog, max.  he was not much cleaner, however.

this past weekend was much less eventful…we had a power-cleaning session saturday day once the rev returned from standing on the sidelines of another race (for the cure) as a firefighter, on hand in case anyone dropped.  (no one dropped.)  then i worked for a few hours, and we tried to find something to go do for halloween.  absolutely nothing panned out, to our chagrin, so we fell asleep watching dexter.  we did get a couple of trick-or-treaters though, which thrilled the rev and gibb.  patsy didn’t care so much.

yesterday we had brunch out at bob barksdale’s after pete and gibb’s 6-mile run, and went to the sheffield antique mall in collierville.  i could spend about a gajillion dollars in there!  then we gave pete’s mom (a halloween baby) her birthday gift, went home for dinner, and again watched a string of dexters back-to-back (i am soobsessedomg.)  i’m thrilled that this morning i could start the week with all laundry cleaned and put away, the whole house dusted and vacuumed, and an hour later (seemingly) than normal.  fall is going well in memphis!

Bum Warmers

there is one single feature of my car that i vastly underestimated upon initial purchase: the seat warmer.  the two front seats have them, each with two settings: 1, pleasant warmth and 2, searing heat.

my car's interior, the day after i bought it. no longer as spotless, sigh.

it is hard to express the wide variety of uses i have found for the seat warmers.  they include (but are certainly not limited to): warming a pyrex of brownies en route to a party, that-time-of-the-month relief, impressing passengers, and simply heating my cold, cold body.  when i worked at the nelson and lived in midtown KC, the four-minute drive to work seemed most excellent.  but whose car’s heater heats up to a comfortable temperature in such a brief time?  no one’s, that’s who.  but my seat heaters?  they heat up in about 14 seconds.  totally lovely.  i have no idea how they work, but as long as they do i will be cranking them up through the winter months.  don’t have one?  apparently you can buy and install your own, and i couldn’t recommend you do that more (especially you people up in boston or those other northernmost regions)!

Baking Fail

last night, rather than make the muffins posted about yesterday, we had people over for a cookout instead.  no baking occurred, just cleaning and throwing sticks for gibb and lounging around with friends.  maybe tonight?  nope, working.  maybe tomorrow night?  nope, volunteering at a halloween party for inner-city kids.  maybe saturday?  saturday has some openings.  saturday might be good.

in other news (but still slightly on my new tangent of hi i have no time for anything), the following is a depiction of the sorry, sorry state of my nails:

blurry cell phone picture, but i’m sure you can see, nonetheless, the missing dark polish.  ick, ick, ick.  also, my sister thinks that that middle finger is horrifying, because i have a permanent indentation and bump next to it from pressing so hard with pencils and pens as i grew up.  this is one way you will tell if i have ever been replaced by a clone.  anyway, hopefully tonight after working til 8:30 i can carve out some time to repaint my nails.  unfortunately at my second job my hands are often front and center as i display items for purchase…embarrassing.