Author: Amy

What gives?

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It started on Thanksgiving.

I dripped turkey grease all over my foot. Yes, it was my own fault, for kind of tipping the turkey wrong as I was trying to carve it.

Last night, I sliced the top of my thumb off with my new super-sharp knife. It’s so super-sharp that it only took a layer of skin and I never even bled.

Later last night, I dropped 2 eggs on the floor and, well, you can imagine what happened next. Or you can’t, since it kind of kicked off a mini-meltdown for me.

This morning, I opened a new jar of Justin’s almond butter to take to work. I decided to mix in the oil on the top before I left, since I only have plastic knives at work. SPLORP! I launched several tablespoons out of the jar and down my sweater, my pants, and even on my slippers. Not to mention, all over the floor and the counter and the outside of the almond butter jar.

No, seriously… what gives?

Back on the pony.

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Ate well today? Check.

Got outside and enjoyed the 61-degree day? Check.

Went to the gym and stayed on the elliptical for longer than 8 minutes? Check.

I am ready. I swear, I declare… I vow to lose weight over the holiday season.

Struggling.

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Today, I am struggling to get in here and post something, anything at all (done.).

I am struggling to not eat cold stuffing with my fingers while standing at the fridge (I heated it up and put it on a plate. And ate it with a fork.).

I am struggling to stay awake (I get to sleep in my bed tonight after three nights on the air mattress!).

I am struggling with really, really not freaking feeling like going to the gym (but I will, I promise.)

All I want to do is curl up on the couch and turn on the tree and the little Christmas village houses and stare at them.

ahh. that's better.

 

ahh. even better still.

 

Recap.

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The table is set.
The "buffet" is ready to be stacked with food.

And then I forgot that I owned a camera. Imagine: Me carving the turkey (and only swearing at Alton Brown a little bit for making it look deceptively easy), making the gravy, mashing potatoes, and Mr. Thor carrying all of the dishes out here.

And then.

And then, we feast.

Giving Thanks.

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thankful.

What are you most thankful for this year?

I am thankful that I have a place of my own, where I can make blueberry muffins whenever the mood strikes and wander around in my pajamas at all hours of the day and night.

I am thankful for my wonderful, hilarious, supportive husband, who makes every day better.

I am thankful for my friends, who have encouraged me and stuck with me when it seems that, in reality, maybe I do have the thickest skull of any human, ever.

Thank you for the part you play in my life. You have helped me along, even if you don’t know it.

Y’all…

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I don’t think my house has ever been this clean. I think I need more guests so that I can stay on top of this place.

I am beat, exhausted, totally sapped… and Thanksgiving isn’t here yet. I still have so much to do, like shoveling the turkey and stuffing the snow (name that movie).

Actually, I don’t stuff my bird. Not with stuffing, anyway. I put  onions and apples and stuff in there. I just kind of wing it, you know, with whatever scraps I have laying around the house. Craft projects, balls of yarn, old candle ends, whatever. It all goes together and really lets you explore the flavor of the bird.

At any rate, in all seriousness, moving right along… My mother-in-law and my brother-in-law are coming tomorrow night and staying for two nights.

May we all bow our heads for a moment of silence.

Actually, I can’t say I’m dreading them coming at all. I used to live with them, and I know from past experience that they are REALLY fun holiday-ers. Low key, easy to please, and game-loving.

I have planned a super-simple meal this year. I am not making candied yams. Sacrilege, in some circles, I know. But, I am on my quest for collarbones, you know, and I can’t lose sight of my goal. Especially not in a sticky-caramelized-marshmallowy pile of yams. Sigh.

Anyway, my super-simple menu. Turkey. Steamed green beans. Stuffing from a box. Mashed potatoes from scratch.

Yeah, I also bought boxes of mashed potatoes in case I chicken out and decide I don’t have it in me. When I confessed that to Mr. Thor, he immediately replied, “You mean TURKEY out!” Sometimes it’s like living with Satchel from Get Fuzzy.

So, I guess, other than cleaning like a madwoman, I really am not stressing over this whole thing. I’m just kind of tired. I just want to keep eating right, and I also want to enjoy myself, have fun, eat a few tasty morsels, and also? lose weight next Thursday when I go to my next Weight Watchers meeting.

Is that too much to ask?

Amen.

The Story of Us: Part 4

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So, at the end of Part 3, we were left with our heroine in a car on a cold night with a handsome man. They looked into each others’ eyes… they embraced… she gave him… her e-mail address.

I think that night was some time in December.  After that night, there were no e-mails from Mr. Thor. Nothing at all, except the occasional shift together at work.

Mr. Thor and I worked with relatively few people at the Dirty Store – maybe 5 other people? So there were many, many opportunities for our co-workers to observe as our friendship developed. Two people told me that Mr. Thor had a crush on me, and I pulled off what I thought were the best performances of my life as I scoffed them away. “What? no… we’re just friends!”

I was smitten with this man. Totally undone. I could talk to him about things I could never talk to men about before. I could be completely honest with him. He listened to my stories and remembered the cast of characters. He was interesting, intelligent, clever, funny, and kind. He had a heart of gold.

And then, on January 14, 2008, I received an e-mail with the following subject line: “The Day You Never Thought Would Come!”

It was from him. Finally. Almost a month later.

He had a day off, and he was telling me all about what he did.

Read a book, sat outside, enjoyed the sun.

He sent me a link to a cool NASA website.

And then he said this.

“I’ll see you sometime this week I hope. By the time you read this you should be at
home and done with work, so enjoy your evening, have fun!

Hugs and Kisses,

Mr. Thor”

 

Now.

I am as clueless as they come. Before Mr. Thor, I had never really even had one boyfriend. But, even I. Even I, who thought no guy would like her, ever, who thought love was for other people – even I realized that straight dudes do NOT SIGN E-MAILS LIKE THAT. Not if they are just writing to a co-worker/friend type person.

I forwarded this e-mail to my best friend from high school and said, “I’m gonna date him.”

And then I did. The end.

Just kidding. It’s a little bit more interesting than that.

Surprise, surprise.

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Well, contrary to my own denial about how much I had to do over the weekend belief about how much free time I would have over the weekend, I did not do any pre-blogging. So, dear readers, this week you will just get me, on the fly, with whatever catches my fancy or my eye.

This morning, it was my brand new stack of mismatched dinner plates. I’ll just say that they were inherited form the living, and they came like this, all together. And they are all brand new.

Most people probably wouldn’t care for this, but I have actually dreamed of having a set of mismatched dinner plates for about 15 years. Because of the transient nature of my life since then, I actually only came to own any glass plates for dinner about a year and a half ago. They are cute and square and perfect for me and Mr. Thor and the small meals we frequently eat. But they are not quite fancy enough for Thanksgiving.

30-*cough* years old and I finally have plates for guests.

The one on top there is my favorite, due to its coupe style and its totally rad pattern. I shall eat turkey from that plate.

The other plates that I have had for a few years, but have been in almost-constant storage, are some adorable brightly colored glass dessert plates. Of course I had to choose them all in different colors; that’s just the way I am. I know it’s hard to see under the glaring overhead light in my dining room, but the plate on top is actually a different color from the plate on the bottom.

My favorite plates in the universe. Purchased at a now-closed boutique in Nashville, TN.

So, there you have it. My fancy plate collection in its entirety. Aren’t you glad that you tuned in today?

Married life: Billy Mays

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Mr.: I just saw an Oxi-Clean commercial with someone else doing it.

Mrs.: Well, yeah, Billy Mays is dead. Did it suck?

Mr.: I just watched it for a second. It didn’t do anything for me.

Mrs.: Did Billy Mays do anything for you?

Mr.: HE WAS AWESOME!

My favorite things: Coffee

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Today, because it’s the weekend before thanksgiving and just looking up recipes on the internet gave me panic attacks, I decided to post a nice easy post about something I truly love.

This is coffee from a local roaster and coffee shop, Heavenly Cup. I recently got into a great conversation with the daughter of the owners. She explained to me how meticulous her dad is about his roasting. He sends her samples to try out new roasts, and he is just devoted to getting it right.

I have to tell you, his dedication really shows. Every cup I ever had in the coffee shop was so delicious that Mr. Thor and I decided to forgo buying our coffee in the grocery store and start buying the beans exclusively from Heavenly Cup. What a great idea. This is our third pound so far. Coffee used to be just kind of daily medicine just to kick start my brain. I would fill a travel mug every morning and leave most of it in my mug. No more – now coffee is a pleasure that I anticipate. This may seem like hyperbole or flattery, but I assure you that I am dead serious.

I have tried other local and regional roasters in an effort to spend my money locally and support small businesses. I am a coffee snob in my own way, and this is the first place I have purchased coffee that I would describe as perfect.

It makes a heavenly cup, if you will.

(ha, ha, ha)

So, if you’re stumped for gifts or stocking stuffers, or just sick of your coffee, consider Heavenly Cup. They even have a gift page and offer a sampler. Honestly, though – you’ll probably just want a whole bag.