NYC!!!!!!!!

I'm lucky enough to get to head to NYC on Thursday afternoon for work.  I'm giving a training session in our NYC office on Friday.  The hubbs is coming with me.  He's been busy plotting out all of the places he wants to eat.

I love Manhattan.  It's been too long since I've been there for very long.  I loved wandering around by myself.  With so many people around, it's just a blissful feeling of alone but not lonely that's very hard to replicate elsewhere.  Of course, this trip I won't be wandering around by myself, but that will be fun, too.  We've never stayed in Manhattan together, and we've been together 5 years as of last week.

I'm planning to hit the hotel gym at least once.  I actually managed to hit my exercise goal last week of working out 3 times, and I'd like to repeat it.  I also actually tracked all of my food for the week, which is a HUGE accomplishment.

Ahhh...mindless television

Last Restaurant Standing has started again!  I love this show.  Constructive criticism, food, business...what more could I ask for in a reality show?  It amuses me that they subtitle Raymond Blanc.  I wish I could be on it, even though I have no idea for a restaurant concept.  And I am simply not a creative cook...I tend to stick to the same set of dishes, or at least the same genres.  A lazy cook, to boot...I'm not one for frou frou presentation, and if it can get cooked all in one pan, even better.


I am a bit of a sucker for food-related reality TV...Top Chef, Chef Academy, basically everything on the Food Network (well, except that Ann Burrell chick or the Neelys), I'm there.  And Amazing Race.  And Tabitha's Salon Takeover.  And Project Runway.  I need a lot of shows on the DVR to give me something to do when I'm not wanting to do my homework, or clean :)

I think my feminist sensibilities are offended

There are those who might say that I'm over-educated.  I have two master's degrees, and am working on a third.  My career is going fairly well.  I've busted my ass at every turn to get everything I have.  My husband is a relatively recent addition to the picture.  We met exactly 5 years ago next week...which means I had 26 years, one master's degree and another in progress while working a full time job I was very good at under my belt before I laid eyes on him. 

Don't misunderstand me, I love having him in my life and don't want him out of it any time soon. 

But can somebody tell me why the school I got my first master's degree from started addressing the alumni magazine to "Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Solipsist" once they found out I got married???  The name on the bank account the tuition checks came from and the name on the student loans certainly isn't Mr. and Mrs. anything.  Bite me.

Oh well, it's not like I really needed another reason to not give them another dime anyway.

I should've just gone to some crunchy, femi-nazi, man-hating place.  I bet they wouldn't have changed who the alumni magazine was addressed to.  The problem is I don't know any of those places that actually do business degrees.  *sigh*

)#%(*&! Cold

Well, the Arctic blast came through as promised. With some drizzle apparently, cause my car was covered with a decently thick sheet of ice. My doors were freaking frozen shut. And Patrick was happily snoozing away while I was out freezing because he didn't have to go in until late today. I finally managed to get the passenger door open, and had to crawl across and push the driver door open from the inside.

Then the ice on the windshield laughed at my ice scraper. Bitch. So I sat with the defroster running for 10 minutes until it melted enough to scrape off.

Fortunately that was the end of my adventures for the day. The drive in was uneventful and the day at work was reasonably calm. It's just bitter bitter cold out there and the wind is gusting like crazy.

The split pea soup turned out fabulously. And since you begged, here's the recipe:

1 lb split peas
1 onion
1 lb carrots
1 tbsp olive oil
9oz ham lunchmeat (or whatever kind of ham you have...I've also used the bits and pieces leftover from a Honeybaked ham in this)
8 cups chicken broth
garlic powder
Penzey's shallot pepper
1/2 c fat free half and half (you could go crazy and use cream or regular half and half, but ff is what I had)

Sautee the onions in the olive oil. Then add the carrots and let them cook a few mins. Then dump in the peas, broth, and spices. I could tell you how much of the spices, but then I'd have to kill you. Actually, I have no idea how much I used. Until it looked right. Maybe a teaspoon apiece? Start there and adjust to your liking. Simmer on medium for an hour or so until the peas are done. Stir in the half and half and let it come back up to temp and then it's done.

Makes 8ish servings, depending on how big your servings are. It was enough for 2 bowls apiece for 3 adults and I've got enough for lunch tomorrow. Scratch that. Not enough for lunch tomorrow.

Laundry, oh Laundry

Who knew I could ever be so excited about laundry?!? Yep, the new washer and dryer came yesterday and I just had to rush to try it out. I did two whole loads of laundry before bed last night. AND did a load of towels tonight. Whoo! I am a domestic diva. Or something like that.

I am so far resisting the temptation to post a list of THE RULES for the new washer in the laundry room for the hubbs and my dad. I'm terrified they're going to use the wrong or too much soap in it and make it blow up with soap suds or something. But not terrified enough to start doing their laundry for them. Hell no. New washer or no, I'm doing good to get my clothes washed. And since the husband is particular about how his laundry is done, even more reason for him to do his own.

To further my domesticity, I actually cooked dinner. Sort of. Definitely a Sandra Lee-style dinner tonight. Frozen potato and cheddar pierogies sauteed in olive oil with onions, smoked sausage, and green beans.

Tomorrow night is split pea soup. Cause it's going to be Armageddon or something. An arctic blast is coming through tonight and our high is going to go from 50 today to 25 tomorrow. We don't handle cold so well here in Texas. Oh well, I'm sure we'll be back to the 50s next week.

New Year's Goals

It's that time of year, and not to be left out I've compiled a list of things I want to try to do better. I'm aiming for doing better than not at first, and we'll advance as the year progresses.

- journal my eating
- exercise regularly
- keep up my blogs and work on my writing skills
- find a volunteer project
- find a community theater group to participate with
- clean the house and keep it clean
- maintain the yard
- recycling more
- going for more local produce
- eating more sustainably / ethically produced meat

I went out and got a new washer & dryer today. They get delivered on Tuesday. That means that the garage has to get cleaned out so the delivery people can get the old ones out and the new ones in. I'm horrible at procrastination, particularly with cleaning tasks, so I really need a hard deadline to get it done. I put a good dent in it this afternoon. Fortunately the weather is nice...50s and sunny. Broke down a lot of boxes to take to the recycling center.

So there, in one fell swoop, taking care of lots of goals! Reduced water and energy usage from the new washer. Starting to clean the house. Recycling the boxes. Exercise. Whoo!

This blog is for my amusement

The things that amuse me, in no particular order, are:

Cooking

Jack Daniel's



travel

the Texas Rangers

beer



the Dallas Stars

the Dallas Cowboys

my husband



my cats




Harrah's - owned casinos

wine

the beach

New Orleans

and much, much, much more because I am easily amused.

It's all about me

I have decided that 2010 is about my finally acknowledging that at the core of my being, I am a solipsist.

Narcissist.

Hedonist.

Jen-ist.

Whatever you wish to call me.

I am centrally preoccupied with my well-being or lack thereof.

Fond of hearing my own words.

Full of myself.

Firmly convinced that there is no other being in the world who is right who holds an opinion other than my own.

I am Jen. Hear me roar.