More Stuff I Like - Video and photos added

1. I like when i cook something new and it comes out like it's supposed to. Recently i made my own hummus with roasted red pepper. I made it with tahini. Something i never heard of until i went to that cooking class in Ellensburg a month ago.

2. I like the day before a long vacation. It's raining so hard it's as if God turned his hose on to water the Earth. Spring break is next week. It might not get any better next week, but at least i don't have to work the whole time. We're out of here to play gin rummy, stratego, Scrabble, cook, drink wine, and watch a bunch of DVDS for 5 days on the water.

3. I like when little kids smile at me. (Who wouldn't?)

4. I like people who encourage me to voice my opinions.

5. I like seeing my name in print. My Letter to the Editor that i had to write last week was published two days ago. As a result of that i got a call from another letter writer i've noticed for years. Like me, he appears in print pretty often. Apparently we are both admirers of each other's op ed pieces. He called to invite me to a group of writers who are like-minded in their politics and who meet up with various citizens who match our politics, including the county prosecutor, another Tribune columnist, the elected sheriff, and some former legislators. So i'm going this May. I'm really looking forward to it.

6. I like when i bowl anything over 125. (Tonight is bowling night!).

7. I like finding out that someone i like likes the same people i like.

8. I like finding out that someone i like, DOESN'T like the same people i don't like!

9. I like new pajamas.

10. I like when i am running against the traffic and the car coming at me gives me a wide berth by moving over for me. I always wave a thanks to them.

11. I like when they wave back.

12. I like coming home to a clean house, especially the kitchen, which is the first thing i see as i walk through the garage into the house.

13. I like the sound of birds chirping outside my window when i wake up. Sounds of spring! 

14. I like my husband and my brothers and my husband's new band Blues Oasis. (and of course my nieces and nephews and in-laws)... The top photo is my brother Troy with my sister's daughter Jessica. The second photo  is my brother Scott and that's my sister's son (Jessica's brother) Chris in the middle. You can't tell from this photo but Christopher is about 6 feet 6 inches tall. And finally my husband, Brian the drummer. We were all at Rock the Dock last Saturday while Brian's blues band played. It was a very fun night and so many people came out to see them.

Here is their website: Blues Oasis website    (You can hear their music here too.)

This is a cute 38 second video of my nephew Brian dancing with a sweet old white haired lady.
Brian L. dancing

Notes to Self:

Sunset: 7:38 pm

Longest Run this week: 1 hour 30 min.

All time blog views: 26,731

Views last month: 1023

Would you order this soup?

Menu of the Day:
I haven't done this in awhile. So let's order up:

Music: Shawn Mullins "Can't Remember Summer"

In my glass: I know, i know, it's Wednesday and i've been pretty good during the weekdays with all this running, but today i poured an Evodia Spanish red blend. It's so good.

The reason i'm drinking on Wednesday: This special legislative session is taking over my whole work day. I get to the office this morning with stuff to do and i get an email from Communications asking if i can write a Letter to the Editor about health care. Plus i had to meet with veteran union members during my lunch-time taking notes on my laptop for another communication. I didn't start my run this evening until 7 pm cause i was tweaking my letter after i got some Communications feedback late in the day.

Who am i kidding?: it's not the first time i've been drinking wine on Wednesday.

The best news this week: I got a letter from the IRS. It told me that i missed a 1099-B form when i filed my taxes last year and we owe $4000. I freaked out. (I cannot stand those capital loss/gains new reporting requirements.) So i called the tax guy we use at work. Not only do we NOT owe $4000, we are getting back $760. So then i sent him the 2011 taxes i had already done on Turbo Tax. And he found me another $300. (Though part of that was carryover loss from the amended 2010 taxes.)

What we're going to do with that money: I am going to get my Xanax prescription filled and next year we are going to Hawaii for two whole weeks. That's our plan.

Funny thing my husband did this past week: See that photo above? That's his new soup recipe. (No, this one doesn't have lettuce in it.) I honestly have no idea what's all in it, but i do remember raw cashews. But isn't it ugly? It does taste better than it looks. (Linda and Amanda, if you are reading, i blame this on both of you!) 

Good thing about my husband's cooking: My jeans are fitting better. I am not sure if it is the healthy recipes he is cooking or the fact that i don't want seconds. (I can say that because i don't think he's been reading my blog lately!)

What i am procrastinating about: I bought a pair of $79 yoga pants one night from Garnet Hill while Facebooking and drinking wine when i should have gone out for a run. (This time it was on a Tuesday, not a Wednesday.).I don't even do yoga. I am not even sure they look good on me. I need a true friend who will tell me the truth about the VPL...

Notes for me:

Longest run this week: 1 hour: 27 minutes 

Sunset: 7:26 pm (since daylight savings kicked in) however we have rain/snow mix in the forecast tonight and tomorrow for our area. 

All time blog views: 26,384 (not counting my own views)

Popular blog topic views this month: Interestingly enough, it was the last post about Keen Observations with 133 views. People are reading, just not posting.

My Keen Everyday Observations... come add yours.

I have no idea where this is going to go, but i've been trying to make these shorter anyway. So winging it might help with that.

1. I am a pretty fast reader, but i seem to tear through books more so on the Kindle Fire than i do when reading books made from former trees.

2. The people with the biggest egos are often the least smart person in the department.

3. Employees who tell you they give a 110% or even more  have a pretty low bar in the first place. (Also they are not good at math.)

4. White wine tastes better when it's just slightly above room temperature.

5. Actually most things do. Including my morning yogurt. And most definitely cheese!

6. The moment i see crocuses spring up from the ground makes me already want to pull out my open toed shoes.

7. Like Lay's potato chips, it's hard to have only one glass of wine. As i said in my past post, i don't have this same problem with beer, though i really like strong microbrews.

8. Digital photography is wearing. I promised to format and upload the photos i took from the cooking class at our last trip and while some of the photos are fun and pretty good, i just hate going through them on PhotoShop in order to do this. I miss the days of just taking a roll of 36 to the one hour photo.

9. But i really hate breaking promises so i will get to it eventually. I just wish sometimes that i didn't take so many photos.

10. Blogging is going the way of the cd, the newspaper, snail mail. And that's too bad. I really love this medium. (It feeds my writing desire) and of course, my desire to share opinions and hear others' opinions!)

Notes to self:

All time blog posts: 25, 877 (I swear this was the same number as last time)
Popular blog post of the week: last week's post: Just Your Regular Weekday Menu with 44 posts
Sunset: 6:02 pm
Longest run this week: 1 hour and 20 minutes (Saturday)