Ugly Bread

I'm not sure what the heck got into me yesterday, but I decided that I was going to make bread from scratch for the very first time ever. Out of all my cookbooks only one had a few recipes that did not require currant berries, orange peel, or freshly grated nutmeg. I followed along as best as I could. It seemed easy enough. The recipe called for some yeast, some water, a tablespoon of sugar and salt, and 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups of flour. Not the exact measurement I was looking for given the fact that when I bake, or follow a recipe for that matter, I am as Type A as they come. At least for the first time because how else will I know if I did it right, right? Well, a semi-rational person would probably start with 3 1/2 cups of flour and add more. Nah, not me. I went straight for the 4 1/2 cups. I reasoned that it must truly need all 4.5 cups of flour or else the recipe would have stopped at 3.5. (Oh. Okay. Sure.) What I got in the end was the ugliest bread I have ever seen.

It was impossible to mix, impossible to kneed, and was hardly the light and fluffy dough that I remembered as a kid, but it did expand at least half its size in 2 hours. I tossed it in the oven and presto! 35 minutes later I had one super-dense, lumpy, bread-looking clod. The outside heel wasn't too bad. It tasted like a hot fresh pretzel but that's probably because I used kosher salt and it didn't really mix in all that well. The rest was, well... it was so dense that my jaw ached after chewing a few bites. And I don't think it was cooked all the way through. Needless to say, I tossed it this morning and decided to try again except I used a slightly different recipe and only used 3.5 cups of flour and not an ounce more. I even basted the top with an egg white and water glaze. Attempt #2 turned out to be delightful and fluffy.

Bread try #2 tasted so much better but not quite as good as my Dad's bread. It's a strange thing. I can't tell you exactly how his bread tasted or even really describe it but I know that when I bit into this bread my memory taste buds said, "Good, but not quite right." I decided to drown their little voices out with a nice, steamy bowl of corn chowder.

On another note, I must have ran out of body lotion some time this week. For whatever reason, I take much warmer showers in the winter which over dries out my skin to the point of an irritating discomfort. I dug through all of my secret stashes for something that resembled lotion. Nothing, not even a single drop of body butter left over from the ghosts of Christmas past insight. I wasn't about to use my small, yet expensive bottle of Clinique facial moisturizing gel or my even tinier bottle of Mary Kay Satinhands hand cream to douse the fiery dry skin that was slowly spreading across my body. All I could find was a huge bottle of Clinique's Water Therapy Foot Smoothing Cream that my mother-in-law gave Alex a year ago for his heels. Desperate times call for desperate measures. So I generously lathered it all over myself and now smell like I jumped into a hot tub with my good friends, Burt's Bee's Peppermint Lip Balm and Vick's Vapor-rub. The dog keeps licking the air as he walks behind me. I haven't breathed this deeply in months.

Two Lifetime First's

{Sung out of key and in various octaves while dancing throughout my house causing an unnatural stirred frenzy in my ever-growing puppy}

I GOT STRAIGHT A'S!

I GOT STRAIGHT A'S!

I GOT STRAIGHT A'S!

I GOT STRAIGHT A'S!

I GOT STRAIGHT A'S!

And one of my professors wants me to submit my research paper on Julius Caesar for competition! Plus, with all these A's I've made the Dean's List again. Two lifetime first's in one month! I can barely stand it!

Go Ahead. Call Me a Dead-beat.

• $9,800 spent on books and tuition

• 54 class periods

• 12 books

• 139 chapters read (sorry, I'm not counting the number of pages for you)

• 5 science labs

• 2 map quizzes

• 52 chapter activities

• 4 3-page reflection papers

• 7 8-page research papers

• 1 presentation

• 1 interview with the Department of Education

• 3 tests

• 4 mid-terms (the icky take-home essay kind and 2 of them had to be at least 7 pages long)

• 3 finals

• 12 all-nighters (at least)

• 12 headaches (at least)

• and 16 weeks later...

I can finally sleep in for a month.

I had sensational teachers again this semester. I could tell you all the things that I've learned but then I'm sure you'll be bored to death but I have to hand it to my professors. They have inspired me in great ways. This was by far my most difficult semester because I've never had a work load like this before, and honestly, I hope that it will be a very, very long time before it ever happens again. I'm crossing my fingers that the above list equals a few A's and a B. The 2009 Fall semester is officially over and done with! Only 4 more semesters to go...

All Things Chicago

Last night we were craving pizza. Not any old pizza, but good old fashioned, Chicago-style deep dish pie. We've tried this at home before but this time it was sooo much better. I think we've finally got the recipe down right. We cheat a little. Instead of making the dough from scratch I buy two Pillsbury thin-style pizza dough's. I line the spring form pan with the first dough and then Alex adds grated cheese, caramelized onions and green peppers, and sausage, and some more cheese. Then I put the other dough on top, shape it, cut it, and pinch the two doughs together. Alex adds the sauce and some seasoning. Here's what it looked like before we put it in the oven.

We baked it for about 25 minutes and then let it rest for about 10. Here's what it looked like out of the spring form pan.

And here's what the inside looked like after we had our first piece and were going back for seconds.

It was so tasty and it cost about $15 to make instead of the regular $28 or so that we would have paid to a restaurant.

But all this food got me thinking about the things that I miss about Chicago (other than the pizza) so here is my list of top 5 things that are unique to Chicago.

1. Dad's Cooking:

There is only one word for Dad's cooking: Yummy! Nothing can replace creativity, experience, and the secret ingredient: Love.

2. A fenced in backyard for my pup to run around in:

He was so tiny and wrinkly here. And it just so happens that he and the stick were the same length. He is a good 6 times the size now and maybe next year we'll have saved up enough for the rod-iron fence we'd like to put in our back yard so he can run free again.

3. Forest Preserves:

Chicago is filled with these little havens for rabbits, deer, and mosquitoes. Anna, my ma-in-law 2, says that they are the "lungs of the city". She's probably right. I would have liked to walk down more of the trails that had been made over the years but the mosquitoes were just to thick even when I was covered in an entire can of Deep Woods Off. Maybe next time.

4. Decorated cell phone towers/water towers:

This one from Randhurst is just one of the dozens of painted and pretty water towers scattered across Chicago-land. There's no reason why a water tower (or cell phone tower) now-a-days should be an eye sore or ugly. A good can of paint and a little creativity goes a long way. Plus there are enough struggling artists out there that would love the chance to advertise their talent. Should it matter if it's 20 stories in the sky and can be seen from space? Nah.

5. Blue fire hydrants?:

Yep, that's right. Not only are they blue but I've seen them green and yellow too depending on what village I'm in. Plus, they all don't look like the typical shape of a fire hydrant. I thought they only came in one size, shape, and were all painted the color red. I guess not.

30 Days of Thanks: Jesus Christ

Day 30

Jesus Christ (the Anointed)

How do I sum up my undying gratitude for what Jesus did for me (and for you) in one little blog? In a little more than a month the Christian community will be celebrating the 2009+ year anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. This tiny babe, born of a virgin and raised by a poor carpenter, would soon prove to be exactly what we all needed- a Savior. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He was tempted in all areas. He taught, and loved, and cared for every one's needs. He died in my place so that I could be with him forever. He had the power to heal and transform lives then, and he has the same power today, and will have the same power tomorrow. He is Holy, Righteous, Just, Meek, Merciful, Humble, and Forgiving. He has been called Almighty (Revelation 19:15), Alpha and Omega (Revelation 21:6), Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9), the Author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), Eternal life (1 John 5:20), Glorious Lord (Isaiah 33:21), God, our Savior (1 Timothy 2:3), Great God (Titus 2:13), the great I AM (John 8:58), Lord God Almighty (Revelation 4:8), the Word (John 1:1), the Word of God (Revelation 19:13), and the Word of Life (1 John 1:1), just to name a few. He is the lover of my soul and is the source of my eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9). Without him I would be lost not only in this world but for eternity. Without him I would have no hope. Without him I would have no life. Someday, I will get to thank him face-to-face. Someday, I will get to lay down my crown at his feet because I don't deserve it. For all the things that he has already done for me and all the things that are yet to come, I am eternally thankful!

30 Days of Thanks: The Holy Spirit

Day 29

The Holy Spirit

Here is a short list of why the Holy Spirit is so very important to me. First, He anoints and serves alongside the Messiah (Isaiah 48:16, 61:1; Luke 4:18-19); he ushers in the "last days" (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14-36); he unifies the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:1-16); he gives new life (John 3:5-8); he convicts me of sin and enables me to repent and come to faith in Christ (John 16:8); he testifies to Jesus as the Messiah (John 14:26, 16:14); he guides me into truth (John 16:13); he bears fruit in my life (Galatians 5:22-25); he gives me supernatural gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14); he prays for me (Romans 8:26); and he is present in all Christians (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19). Even from this very brief list you can begin to see how crucial the Spirit's role is in my life. As Jesus said, He is my "Helper" or "Comforter" (John 15:26) throughout all the moments in my life. It is because of the Holy Spirit that I know the truth about how much God truly loves me, and for that I am eternally grateful.

30 Days of Thanks: God

Day 28

God

I am thankful that I have a God who is the Most High (Genesis 14:18-22), Lord (Genesis 2:4), Almighty (Genesis 15: 2,8), Everlasting (Genesis 21:33), Eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27), Holy (Isaiah 43:3, 14, 15), Incomparable (2 Samuel 7:22), Unchangeable (Numbers 23:19), Unequaled (Isaiah 40:13-25), Infinite (1 Kings 8:27), All-Powerful (Jeremiah 32:17, 27), Ever-Present (Psalms 139:7-12), All-Knowing (1 John 3:20), Wise (Acts 15:18), Perfect (Psalms 18:30), and loves me so incredibly much that he would sacrifice his only son so that I could be with him for eternity (John 3:16).

30 Days of Thanks: Unanswered Prayers

Day 27

Unanswered Prayers

There are so many things in my life that I've asked God for that I am extremely grateful that he never answered. Well, I shouldn't say that he didn't answer them it's just that the answer at the time wasn't what I really wanted to hear. It's funny how things work out for a reason. It's funny how we give our hearts to people and things that never deserved our love and attention and devotion but at the same time was totally necessary so that we could finally recognize who and what does. If that makes any sense. I think about all the boys that I've liked that made it into one of my prayers one way or another. I thank God that he didn't answer my little 5 year old request that I would grow up and marry a little boy name Brian and we'd live happily ever after in a mobile home in Florida. True story. I'm happy that God said, "Not yet" when I really wanted to buy that house in Las Vegas. There are many, many other delightful (and some painful) prayers that were never answered for reasons that make sense now only decades later. I am appreciative of the God that loves me enough to say "No" when what I ask for is not in my best interest. I am grateful to have such a loving Heavenly Father that has my back every day, in every situation, and in every request big or small.

30 Days of Thanks: My Vacuum & My Favorite Fruit

Day 24

My Dyson Vacuum Cleaner

How women ever made it through the 1950s without this magical miracle, I will never know. As cheesy as it sounds, I enjoy vacuuming the house every day. I'm thrilled to see that nearly a year and half later all the attachments are, well... still attached. I'm over-joyed (and disgusted) to see the clear, bagless bin fill up with stuff and can hardly contain myself when I empty the canister by the push of a button! This little beauty was worth every penny and I'm really thankful that it has made housework a little more entertaining.

Day 25

My Favorite Fruit

So what I'm really thankful for is my laptop computer. I never thought that I would ever, ever, ever get a laptop because I really didn't want one. When our Dell finally headed over to the garbage mound, we headed over to the Mac Store and what seemed like moments later, we were carrying this little lady home.

Why do I love Mac? First, it's what I grew up on. Second, it's awesome! It runs fast. It's programs are easy to use and figure out. It has tons of tutorials just in case. It's easy to personalize. The programs work the first time and all the time. I don't have to worry about viruses or bugs or junk like that. It's compact and works just as well in our library as it does out in the living room on my lap. I live in a fantastic age of technology where a wealth of information is literally at my finger tips! Our computer is just one more thing that reminds me everyday how blessed I really am.

30 Days of Thanks: Pedicures

Day 23

Pedicures

I love pedicures! I would be perfectly content with having one at least once a month for the rest of my life. But, alas! I have only had 3 my whole life but I look forward to the number increasing. I am truly lucky to be able to indulge in life's little luxuries every so often.

30 Days of Thanks: My Car & My Bed

Day 21

My Car

It's not much and its probably too small for our needs now but this little car has been a big blessing in disguise. It has carried us through a few road trips, from Las Vegas to Wichita, to Chicago and back, through extremely high flood waters, and back and forth to the grocery store a million times. It's not fancy or high-tech but it gets us around and through God's good graces will continue to do so for a couple more years to come.

Day 22

My Bed

This is probably one of the few things that I thank God for every single night when I climb into bed. It seems kind of funny to so excited about a bed and mattress but my previous beds felt like cardboard on concrete and for a time we slept on a single, beat-up and broken mattress directly on the floor. We saved up our money and took advantage of our Four Season's Hotel employee discount and ordered their custom-made mattress. I have been sleeping on clouds ever since! Our bed has truly been a glorious blessing!

30 Days of Thanks: My Country & My Education

Day 19

My Country

I am so lucky to live in such a great country. I have so many freedoms that I honestly take for granted every day. The mere fact that I have the freedom to worship, and to vote, and the right to an education invokes such deep gratitude from the bottom of my heart.

Day 20

My Education

I'm just about to finish up my first year at Newman and I have to say that I really like attending a small, private University. It was a little bit of a culture shock coming from UNLV with 22,000 students to Newman with 2,100, and the class sizes really are much smaller, but I've learned so much more! Maybe because I'm taking my education a little more serious this time around. I'm completely thrilled that I have an opportunity to expand my knowledge and learn about new things!

30 Days of Thanks: Paid Bills & Food in the Fridge

Day 17

Paid Bills

There was a time when our debt far exceeded our income. I have been working in restaurants since I was a senior in high school so I've grown accustom to relying upon daily tips to pay my bills instead of waiting for a paycheck every two weeks to cover our expenses. Because of that, I developed a system where I wrote down the days of the month and then filled in the bill and the amount on the day that it was due. When the bill got paid, I marked it off with a high-lighter. As a constant reminder, I've posted it on my fridge, for at least the past 10 years, for all to see. It keeps me humble and accountable and it's worked. I can honestly say that at one time every single line was filled with some kind of debt between the two of us. With the exception of our student loans and mortgage, we are nearly free of credit card debt and loans. Statistics say that a majority of Americans are 3 weeks away from declaring bankruptcy. 3 weeks! Early on we resolved to no longer be a slave to debt because it is a cruel, cruel master. I am so thankful that each month we are that much closer and even though it has been difficult, we have persevered.

Day 18

Food in the Fridge

Perhaps it is hard to imagine, for some, opening up the refrigerator to find little to nothing inside. For years, that is how it was in our cabinets and fridge. My parents would often come over and open up the big white beast to find only half-empty condiments. There were two reasons for our lack of food supply. First, money was really tight and second, because of our lifestyle we bought food as we needed it. Since moving to Kansas, I have been working on a food storage and try my best to keep our pantry stocked up, you know, just in case. But there is another amazing thing about this. There are thousands of people living in this world who will never have the luxury of having any kind of food surplus because that is not a reality in their desperately impoverished lives. I am truly, truly grateful for each and every meal that God provides for us every day and freely give away my surplus whenever charity calls.

30 Days of Thanks: My House & My Dog

Day 15

My House

(14217 W. Hunters View St, Wichita, KS)

I love my house! There are times when I still can't get over the fact that I own a house and that it's so perfect for all my needs. I love doing yearly projects in it, and watching the grass grow, and all the little types of wildlife that passes by, and all our neighbors are fantastic! Every day I am thankful to have a sturdy roof over my head, walls to keep out the wind, windows to let in the light, and carpet to squish my toes in.

Day 16

My Dog

(8 month old Davey getting his belly scratched while lying on the couch.)

I've always wanted a dog of my very own and in April of this year I got just what I asked for. Davey has brought a new sense of wonder and happiness and excitement to this quiet little house. He has managed to melt my husbands heart and extend my patience. He loves every moment of attention that we lavish on him every day and makes it all worth it when he runs in circles from joy when we come home. He may be the only pet I ever have but I love him so!

30 Days of Thanks: My Birthday

Day 14

My Birthday

I have two birthday's. The first one was 33 years ago today. I'm excited to be alive and thankful for all the great gifts that I have been given.

The second one is March 3, 1999. This is the day I became a Christian. I have always known of Christ all my life. I knew what he taught, I knew the timeline of his life from church, and that he was coming back someday. But I never had a real relationship with him until the end of 1998. 1998 was not a very good year for me. It was filled with heart-ache, disappointment, confusion, anger, and great sadness. There were moments when I had to force myself to breathe. There were moments when I begged to fall asleep so that I could escape from this world only to be tortured by my dreams. No amount of work, or detailed house cleaning, or long walks in the desert, or empty relationships could fill the God-size whole in my soul. I had finally come to the end of myself. One night, I could no longer stand under the weight of sin and despair. I fell to my knees and begged God to love me and make me new, to wash me clean, and let me start again. I cannot fully explain the immense peace and calm that washed over me instantaneously. The pain was gone and in place of emptiness I found hope. Each day was better than the last. The most amazing part was experiencing my soul healing from the past. I was free to forgive myself and others. My intense anger and bitterness and jealousy melted away and was replaced with compassion and love and mercy. My old nature was fading away while the new me began to shine.

I was baptized on March 3 and my life has been amazing ever since. I have seen God work many miracles in my life. There was one time when it was the very last day of the month and I needed to make exactly $117 in tips so that I could make rent on time. I can remember saying a prayer and telling God my need and that I didn't think it was possible because it was one of the slower days of the week. At the end of my shift, after paying the house and tipping out I had exactly $117! Can you imagine my glee! I have seen God work in other peoples lives to and transform them in astonishing ways. I still make mistakes, I am human after all. I am not perfect-yet, but I am forgiven. And that makes all the difference!

30 Days of Thanks: Friends

Day 13

Friends

(Bottom: Joe LePore, Mike Larson, Tommy Harris, Alex Pavlovich, Nick Mavradas, Zoran Pavlovic. Top: Sara LePore, Emily Brashear, Amanda Pavlovich, Anna Mason, Jennifer Welsh.)

The countless number of friends that I have made throughout my life have enriched my world more than I ever could have imagined. Each one holds a small snippet of who I am and a delicate place in my heart. Without them, my life would have a whole lot less joy. I am so thankful for each and every one of them.

30 Days of Thanks: My Brother's-in-law

Day 11

Jake

I love my very first wacky brother-in-law. He has the cutest little giggle, always cries when the National Anthem is played, and is the only person I've ever met that willingly gave up his parental rights to name his children for the opportunity to run for a politically elected position. He has a good heart and knows when to laugh at himself. He has always been there right on the spot whenever we needed help. I'm glad that my sister has found such a nice companion and I'm happy that he's a part of my family.

Day 12

ZJPJ

I have known Zoran since he was 8 and barely knee-high to a grasshopper. Way back then, he wanted to be a great and mighty architect but now he's grown taller than the average tree and thinks being a doctor would be just dandy. We've wrestled, we've talked, he's tortured me with smelly socks, and yet turned around and gave the most wonderful speech at our wedding. I love my little brother and know that he'll be successful at whatever he does whether its in medicine, graphic arts, or as a plumber.

30 Days of Thanks: My In-law's

Day 10

Ma-in-law 1 (Slobodanka)

Alex's mom is really amazing. She has always been very loving and gives so much of herself to her family. She welcomed me into the family from the very beginning and has always treated me like a daughter.

Pa-in-law (Zoran)

Alex's dad is usually full of life and is always looking for the next reason to celebrate. His interesting twist of wisdom, street-smarts, and impulsive determination always makes for a good conversation filled with amusing stories.

Ma-in-law 2 (Anna)

Alex's step-mom is pretty fantastic too. (She might not be too happy that I put this early morning Christmas picture on the internet for all to see, but I just love this picture. It's full of pure joy because this was her very first Christmas stocking EVER!) Ma-in-law 2 is zany, quirky, and really quite brilliant.

Each one of my in-laws brings a spark of love and energy into my life. I love them all dearly and I'm so proud that they are a part of my family.

30 Days of Thanks: Emily

Day 9

Emily

What would life be like without our sisters? Probably a little less bright. I've got to say that I wasn't too thrilled 28 years ago when I realized that a baby sister was, well... a baby and not a baby doll. I have been blessed with a beautiful sister that is extremely intelligent, easy going, a little mischievous, and totally gets me. I love you, Em, and only want the very best for you. I hope you have a wonderful 28th birthday!

30 Days of Thanks: Tommy & TJ

Day 7

Tommy

I love my little brother. There are times when he can be very understanding, loving, and generous. Even though we don't always get along or see eye to eye, I am thankful that he's been a part of my life.

Day 8

TJ

I absolutely LOVE my nephew! He's grow so much since this picture and I wish that things would have worked out differently so that I could have been closer to him as he grows up. I'm hoping that someday he'll get the chance to know just how important and loved he is by his grandma, aunt's, and uncle's. Because of him, I have the privilege to feel one of the deepest loves I have ever experienced-instantly! I love you little Tommy!

30 Days of Thanks: Step-Parents

Day 5

Brian

Brian has been a part of our family for a little more than 10 years now. He's a lot of fun to talk to about all kinds of interesting things, is a fantastic Master carpenter, has a cute mischievous laugh, and a great smile. Most importantly, he makes my Mom happy, and for that I am truly thankful.

Day 6

Linda

Linda is an amazing cook, a marvelous seamstress, and has a strong enough patience to deal with the innate, stubborn streak that we Harris' have. Circumstances cut short her time with my Dad but I am thankful that he had such a caring person with him right up to the very end.

30 Days of Thanks: Mom & Dad

Day 3

My Mom

My Mom has given me everything. I could not have asked for a better Mom. She never gives herself enough credit because she's really smart, has a great sense of humor, and can accomplish just about anything that she sets her mind to. It is through her guidance, love, and nurturing that I am able to be as she says "an island in the middle of the ocean".

Day 4

My Dad

I could not have been blessed with a better Dad! Even though he's been gone for a just a little more than a year now, I can still hear his little bits of advise, love, and kindness in some of the quietest moments. He was my model of faith, justice, and integrity. And because of him, I probably tell the lamest jokes in the world and think they are hilarious!

30 Days of Thanks: Alex & His Job

I've decided that for the rest of November I'm going to focus on all the things that I'm thankful for. Of course, I'm borrowing this fantastic idea from a friend who borrowed it from her sister. Why re-invent the wheel, right? I have some catching up to do if I'm going to name something for every day of the month so I'll probably post 2 things a day to catch up and I'd better hop to it. So, today I am thankful for...

Day 1

My Husband

I really do love Alex. There is no doubt that there are days when he drives me absolutely crazy but those moments are far and few between. He is a wonderful companion, a great kisser, absolutely hilarious, so darn handsome, and I can't think of another person that I want by my side for every single major life event and every mundane task. Because of his support and love I have the strength to grow and dream impossible things. With him by my side, my future seems brighter and it's definitely more adventurous.

Day 2

Alex's Job

The seven months that Alex was out of work were indeed trying times filled with perplexing questions and uncertain answers. It is a difficult place to be in when you are waiting and trusting in God to answer a million prayers. I have to say that in the process we grew closer to God, realized the value of saving (we lived off our savings account for six months), and how much our families and friends truly loved us. Alex has since then found a home at the Wichita Country Club as the Director of Food & Beverage Service. The job comes with a unique set of challenges but doesn't everything in life? Through this, God has continued to provide for our needs and even some of our wants (like me going back to school) so for all those little things that add up, for this I am grateful!

VICTORY!

Yesterday, I finally had my Labor Board case heard by a judge. The Compton's/Eaton Steakhouse conceded in the case and the judge awarded me the total amount of my final paycheck, plus the NSF fee's accrued from the bounced checks, and interest! All in all, I was awarded $950.37. The process from beginning to end took 10 minutes tops. I should receive my first payment on December 30, 2009 and my second payment on January 15, 2010. (Let's hope these checks don't bounce too.) The restaurant finally shut its doors on October 23 but there are rumors floating around that they are planning on opening up again at another location down the street. Sadly, in this case, it is not the location that will cause them to fail, but the shear fact that they have no idea how to run a restaurant and that Mrs. Stephanie Compton is probably the world's worst accountant. I will be even more over-joyed when 8 months from my last day of employment I will finally be able to wash my hands of the situation for good. As far as I know, all the other employees with wage claims have been awarded their full payments too. It's an awesome thing when justice is served!

Our 3rd Anniversary

We had a great anniversary this year.

First, we went on a tour of the last Prairie style home that Frank Lloyd Wright built.

It was very nice and had a beautiful kitchen and a subtle Asian theme. This was built in 1918, if I remember correctly, so it was very modern for the time period. Then we went to my favorite place for lunch!

Then we went home and relaxed a little, played with the dog, and then started getting ready for the main event. We decided to go to a fancy steakhouse for dinner.

Scotch & Sirloin is one of the nicer steakhouses in town. Our dinner was delicious! Alex had a ribeye and I had a small filet topped off with crab meat and Bearnaise sauce. And then we were off to see "Wicked".

This play is absolutely AMAZING! It is worth every penny that you pay to see it. The actors were phenomenal! I have to say, my favorite part would be when Galinda decided that she was going to make Elphaba popular. It's not exactly like the book but that's okay. It still has a lot of the same elements and tells a fantastic story. Alex loved it! I'm so glad that we had an opportunity to see it while it was here in town. It was a perfect way to celebrate a total of 10 years together!

{Out of the Blue}

Sometimes

Out of the blue

My husband

Will think of me

And bring me

A beautiful

White Rose

From

Someone else's

Wedding.

I

Love it

Just

The same.

Karma?

I busted my pinkie toe last night. I caught it on the coffee table while running around the living room. It took a good 15 minutes to catch my breath. I've got to say, I've learned a few lessons since then.

Karma Lesson # 1: I immediately heard the echos of my parents childhood warnings of why I shouldn't run in the house. It turns out that Mom was right.

Karma Lesson #2: What goes around, comes around. For all the little toes I've stepped on in the past I now have a painful reminder of my own.

Karma Lesson #3: Pinkie toenails are a little over-rated. Or at least they are for the moment. The impact of the crash sheared my clean off. What you see here is one pinkie toe, twice the width as it used to be with the circular remnants of what will probably grow back in 2-3 months.

Ouch!

My Broken Puppy

Davey is 7 months old today. He weighs an amazing 82 pounds and is longer than my refrigerator is wide. He's now up to eating 8 cups of food a day. I've starting running again, which hasn't been that bad, and I'm even entertaining the idea of someday running in one of the 5K+1 mile (4.10 miles) events that they have in Wichita in the Spring and Fall. But that's not the reason why I started running again. I started to run as a way to run down the energy-meter on my puppy. When he started using our living room daily as an obstacle course for his "Zoomies" (or what we used to call them as kids- Rampages), I realized that the 1.3 mile walk that we were taking everyday just wasn't enough. It's helped tremendously! I'm still finding it a challenge to get him to behave when another dog or human comes around and I'm holding out hope that this stage won't last very long. On the other hand, I really love how curious he is. Everything fascinates him. Like the electric can-opener, and the bath tub water spout, and the taste of UFO's (Unidentifiable Field Objects). He has developed an incredible smell and taste for random articles of junk (and Goose poop) in the back field and thinks nothing of devouring it quickly only to puke it back up 2 days later. Have no fear! I don't take pictures of that.

But, I kind of broke my puppy the other day. We were walking back home after a long walk when he started to slowly limp. As we got closer to the house the limp got worse. When we got in the house he immediately laid down. He wasn't to thrilled with me when I examined his foot and discovered that his pinkie toe was really swollen and the toenail was cracked from the top almost to the bottom. It's the white streak on the black toenail.

I'm not sure if I stepped on it when we were walking or if he did it on something out in the field. I felt horrible. He was a good sport about letting me play doggy nurse when I propped up his leg on a rolled up blanket and fed him ice cubes. He slept like this for a good 2 hours.

Have no fear! He was back to his normal self today as demonstrated by the picture below. He likes to walk around the house with a long strip of an old fleece blanket hanging from his mouth. He'll chew on it, toss it around, lick it, and happily place it soaking-slobbering wet on your lap when he's all done. For all the "Eeeeewwww" moments that I have with him, he makes me laugh and give him lots of kisses everyday.

This is what it's looked like outside for the last week. The weather channel says it will look like this until Saturday.

It's one giant formless grey cloud that doesn't seem to move. Now I know what it would be like to live in a nuclear winter, minus the falling ash and the radio-active burns that would randomly appear on my body. It's dreary and dull and 7 AM feels the same as 5 PM. Plus, it's really not raining either. It's just constantly misting so everything stays damp and cold all the time. It's wonderful hot-cocoa weather and the fall color on the trees are really beautiful!

Mid-terms are almost over. I'm glad last week is over. It was probably the most difficult, most stressful 2-week stretch that I have ever had in all my college experience. I had a major research paper due for my upper-division Roman history class on Monday, a mid-term in my Science class on Tuesday, a major take-home mid-term 8 paged essay for my upper-division Asian history class due on Wednesday, along with an autobiography and another essay about my conceptual framework of teaching for the College of Education that was due on Monday, and random homework assignments for my Educational Psychology class. For two weeks I slept 4 hours a day, 2 hours from 2-4 AM and 2 hours from 2-4 PM. Did I mention that how well I did on my Asian history mid-term would determine whether or not my professor would write a letter of recommendation for me? No pressure there! Plus, I have put an immense amount of pressure on myself to get the best possible grades so that I can make the Dean's List again this semester. I have to say, at the end Wednesday's classes I just about threw-up from the amount of stress and nearly had an anxiety attack/break-down in my car. Honestly, I think the running helped most of all in the stress department. I have another mid-term tomorrow and on Monday, so the grades should be posted soon!

I hope you have all had a wonderful October so far. Any Halloween/Fall parties planned?

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

It has been far too long since I've posted a recipe so here is one of my very favorites.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

4 boneless chicken breast halves cut into 1-2 inch cubes

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

4-6 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes (I like the Delmonte diced oregano, basil kind)

4 cups of chicken broth (I use bullion cubes because they add more flavor)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup of frozen corn kernels

1-2 (9 inch) refrigerated roll-out pie crust (Pilsbury is the best)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prep all ingredients first.

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add chicken and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned on all sides. In a large stock pot heat 2 teaspoons of oil, add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken to the onions. In a small bowl combine flour, thyme, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add flour mixture to the chicken and stir to coat. Stir in carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes including the juice, chicken broth, and Dijon mustard and mix well. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in corn and immediately transfer to a large casserole dish. Place pie crust on top of the casserole (you might need to use 2 depending on how long your casserole dish is) and pinch around the edges to seal the crust to the dish. Prick the surface 1 to 3 times with a sharp knife or fork to allow steam to escape during cooking. Place casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden. Let rest for about 10 minutes or you can eat it immediately.

*If you don't want to use the pie crust or you don't want to wait an extra 10 minutes or so you can make Bisquick drop-biscuits (my second favorite to the pie crust) or the refrigerated canned biscuits. After stirring in the corn, cook for a few minutes more and serve the pot pie stew over biscuits.

I've made this several, several times and the cooking depends on how thick your carrot and potato cubes are. I've served it over biscuits and cooked it with the pie crust. Both ways are fantastic. For a cold autumn or winter night, this comfort food is awesome!

For This, I Am Grateful That I Can Remember

Today marks the 8 year anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center. It feels like it happened decades ago. We all have our own memories but this is what I remember the most...

I was sleeping when my brother, Tommy, woke me up suddenly. He was calling for me to come downstairs. At that time, Alex and I lived in a town home and Tommy had stayed the night and had crashed on the couch. It was kind of an overcast day, if my memory serves me right.

I remember sitting in shock on the stairs leading down into the living room as I watched the footage of the first plane hit the first Tower. It was around 9 am PST so the action was already in motion by the time we were aware of it on the West Coast. I remember thinking that it was so movie like while both Tommy and I quietly listened to figure out what was going on and what the newscasters were saying.

Then the second plane hit the second Tower and you could hear and feel the shock of the reporters who were absolutely dismayed at what was going on. I wouldn't be surprised, if at first people thought that a plane had lost control by accident and collided with the building. I did, at least. I guess I couldn't believe at that time that someone would purposely plan so much destruction of human life. I was hoping that mechanical error was the true answer and not that Man could be that evil, but when the second plane hit, it became apparent instantly that this was not the case. At this time we didn't know exactly how many (or how few) people were on board each plane or in each Tower. I was immediately moved to tears and sadness by the massive amount of lost lives. So yes, I cried. I wept openly. I wept for those on the plane that lived the last moments of their life in terror. I wept for the people busy at work who were taken by surprise by the high-impact collision that would soon take their lives. I wept for the countless number of families that would never see their loved ones again. I wept for all the boys that I worked with or ever knew because I felt that soon they would be pulled into a war the likes I had never seen. I wept because a tad bit of my innocence was forever gone.

I remember the push for donating blood, although, I didn't understand why. Maybe people need to feel like they could do something, something to make them feel less helpless in an out-of-control situation. Maybe.

I remember that I called my Dad that morning and told him that I felt like packing up my bags and going... somewhere but I knew that I would just be driving to drive and I would have to come back home eventually. I remember calling my Mom but I don't remember the conversation.

I remember the American flag being flown by almost every home.

I remember the silent and empty skies that followed for the next week.

I remember the panic, the speculation, and the genuine fear of not knowing or comprehending what was next. But most of all, I remember that for a short time our nation put aside all its differences, all our problems, all our past hurts, and for a brief moment in time we acted together as a caring community. For this, I am grateful that I can remember.

A Painting Adventure

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