If you've read much of this blog, you know that I love the grocery store. It is my retail therapy. I like to go at least once a week, sometimes more. I got really thrown off over the holidays because my weekly run was disrupted and I'd just pop in and pick up what we needed rather than going through the whole ritual of sitting down with the grocery store flier and plotting out my scheme to take over the world with my shrewd manipulations of "limit one per customer" rules. I haven't even been for a "pop in" visit since December 30.
I started jonesing really badly when the flier came last week. Peter Pan peanut butter for less than $1 per jar. LESS THAN $1!!! Should I go buy some? Never mind that we have 2 unopened jars and 2 opened jars in the cabinet. WE EAT THAT KIND OF PEANUT BUTTER.
Then I started making up excuses to go. I need gas, there is a discount if you bring in your grocery store receipt. I NEED TO SHOP AT THE GROCERY STORE OR ELSE I CAN'T BUY GAS.
I couldn't even make up an excuse that we needed some fresh produce because Office Space gave me some delicious FFA fruit. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, I feel sorry for you. Maybe we can't be friends anymore. Unless you ply me with free fruit, that is.)
In the end, it's for the best. After all, if I don't go to the grocery store, I can't spend money on impulse purchases. (OH MY GOD, I'M TOTALLY MISSING OUT ON THE BEST DEALS EVER!) Plus I can follow through on that promise to myself to eat through our freezer and pantry. (BUT THE MEAT! IT'S ON SALE! CHICKEN IS 79 CENTS A POUND! WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHICKEN IN THE FREEZER ANYMORE!)
In the end, everything will be just fine. After all, we'll need more milk eventually. (Keep repeating that to yourself, rocking back and forth, curled up into the fetal position. Just fine.)
________________________
I'm probably going to have to go back to the grocery store this weekend as we don't have the usual suspect ingredients for Step-Daughter's lunch. In actuality, the last run I made was on 12/30--not much time has passed but it seems like forever to me. Also, I've decided to start a list of everything I've made since 12/30 that uses only the ingredients in our house. Here goes:
Erik Estrada
Chicken Fried Rice Hamburger Helper with some extra veg and rice but no eggs
Shrimp and broccoli penne alfredo
Sausage nacho dip
Smitten granola bars
A stock pot of chicken broth
Orange glazed pork chops and stuffing
I'll add to this list as I go and I'll let you know when I make another pantry-clearing dish.
As for my food cost daily totals--they're coming back next week.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Erik Estrada
SimpliFried launched this week. It's a sister blog to Unclutterer. I'm looking forward to following this blog for awhile to see what kind of advice and delicious dishes they come up with.
One of the first posts on the SimpliFried blog is "Elastic Recipes"--ones that are generic enough to incorporate whatever is on special at the grocery store or left in your fridge or freezer. This is a topic I've been thinking about for awhile, so in honor of the SimpliFried launch and my first recipe post of 2011, I'm posting one of my elastic recipes: Erik Estrada.
I love stratas. You can make them ahead of time and warm them up. I always have breakfast when I arrive at work so I want my morning prep to be grab-and-go before I leave the house. Let's face it, I'm usually running late, so whatever I grab for food for the day has to be quick. Plus, stratas feel more like a celebration--a fancy brunch dish--than a granola bar. They are hearty and the aroma of them warming in the microwave makes all of my coworkers jealous because Erik Estrada is all mine.
And Erik Estrada is very flexible. He has a few basic needs: eggs, milk and bread. Beyond that you can dress him up or strip him down as much as you like. (We're still talking about food, not a television motorcycle-riding member of the California Highway Patrol. Quit being gross!)
I can't find the strata recipe I used for my base, but I remember it pretty well. (I think). Anyway, there are lots of recipes for strata online that you can consult if you think the proportions or bake time are off on this.
Flexible Erik Estrada
10-12 slices of bread, cubed. Whenever we get down to the heels, I throw them in the freezer. Same thing with bread that is getting stale or has been around too long. I planned to use it for stuffing/dressing but I used it all for the strata. This was taking up a lot of space in my freezer! What I used was a mix of homemade bread and store-bought heels, but for argument sake we'll call this 72 cents.
A dozen eggs. I had 10 eggs. Luckily, I had a carton of egg whites that had the equivalent of 2 eggs left in it. I uncluttered my fridge and freezer with just one recipe! This time at the grocery store there wasn't a sale so this cost about 2.04.
2 cups half and half. I used a 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream that was leftover from Christmas Ice Cream and 1 1/2 cups of milk. Just milk would be fine and it would cost 48 cents.
1/4 cup bacon. Here is where the fun starts. Just use any meat you'd like. Use however much you'd like--within reason. We have some leftover ham that I wish I'd used. Don't like meat? Don't use it. I used 4 strips of bacon. It cost about 60 cents.
2 cups shredded cheese. Again, use any you'd like and as much as you'd like. $1.28
Can of mushrooms, drained. I don't know what it called for, but I used mushrooms. Here you can use whatever you want. Use up whatever isn't going to last too long in the fridge. Cook up some onion and pepper. Pop in some roasted asparagus. Open up your freezer and use the last bits of broccoli, spinach or corn that is lingering. Lots of possibilities--Erik Estrada loves him some vegetables. 69 cents
Ok. best as I remember, you mix up the bread, meat, cheese, and veg and dump it into a greased 9 x 13. If you've got a small house like me, maybe cut this recipe in half. I've been chewing on Erik Estrada every morning for a week.
Whisk up the eggs and milk. If you've opted for soft cheese, you can whisk it in here. If you want to get fancy with your pantry, throw in some spices or herbs. Salt and pepper are always good options.
Pour the eggs over the bread. Refrigerate for a while. Overnight would be best. Bread gotta soak up them eggs otherwise it's just the old, stale freezer-burned shit you had cluttering up your freezer.
Bake in a 350 oven for like an hour I think. If it gets too brown, cover it with foil. If it gets too smelly, you're probably done baking. Check the middle and if it's not runny, you're probably done. Remember, I said probably. If you get salmonella, it's not my fault. It's Erik Estrada's. Maybe you can get some of that money he made for being on The Surreal Life with Ron Jeremy and Vanilla Ice.
Let your Estrada sit about 10 minutes. Then dig in! It's better than the critically acclaimed telenovela Dos Mujeres, Un Camino.
Total cost: $5.81. This could probably serve 12 so total per serving is about 48 centavos.
One of the first posts on the SimpliFried blog is "Elastic Recipes"--ones that are generic enough to incorporate whatever is on special at the grocery store or left in your fridge or freezer. This is a topic I've been thinking about for awhile, so in honor of the SimpliFried launch and my first recipe post of 2011, I'm posting one of my elastic recipes: Erik Estrada.
I love stratas. You can make them ahead of time and warm them up. I always have breakfast when I arrive at work so I want my morning prep to be grab-and-go before I leave the house. Let's face it, I'm usually running late, so whatever I grab for food for the day has to be quick. Plus, stratas feel more like a celebration--a fancy brunch dish--than a granola bar. They are hearty and the aroma of them warming in the microwave makes all of my coworkers jealous because Erik Estrada is all mine.
And Erik Estrada is very flexible. He has a few basic needs: eggs, milk and bread. Beyond that you can dress him up or strip him down as much as you like. (We're still talking about food, not a television motorcycle-riding member of the California Highway Patrol. Quit being gross!)
I can't find the strata recipe I used for my base, but I remember it pretty well. (I think). Anyway, there are lots of recipes for strata online that you can consult if you think the proportions or bake time are off on this.
Flexible Erik Estrada
10-12 slices of bread, cubed. Whenever we get down to the heels, I throw them in the freezer. Same thing with bread that is getting stale or has been around too long. I planned to use it for stuffing/dressing but I used it all for the strata. This was taking up a lot of space in my freezer! What I used was a mix of homemade bread and store-bought heels, but for argument sake we'll call this 72 cents.
A dozen eggs. I had 10 eggs. Luckily, I had a carton of egg whites that had the equivalent of 2 eggs left in it. I uncluttered my fridge and freezer with just one recipe! This time at the grocery store there wasn't a sale so this cost about 2.04.
2 cups half and half. I used a 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream that was leftover from Christmas Ice Cream and 1 1/2 cups of milk. Just milk would be fine and it would cost 48 cents.
1/4 cup bacon. Here is where the fun starts. Just use any meat you'd like. Use however much you'd like--within reason. We have some leftover ham that I wish I'd used. Don't like meat? Don't use it. I used 4 strips of bacon. It cost about 60 cents.
2 cups shredded cheese. Again, use any you'd like and as much as you'd like. $1.28
Can of mushrooms, drained. I don't know what it called for, but I used mushrooms. Here you can use whatever you want. Use up whatever isn't going to last too long in the fridge. Cook up some onion and pepper. Pop in some roasted asparagus. Open up your freezer and use the last bits of broccoli, spinach or corn that is lingering. Lots of possibilities--Erik Estrada loves him some vegetables. 69 cents
Ok. best as I remember, you mix up the bread, meat, cheese, and veg and dump it into a greased 9 x 13. If you've got a small house like me, maybe cut this recipe in half. I've been chewing on Erik Estrada every morning for a week.
Whisk up the eggs and milk. If you've opted for soft cheese, you can whisk it in here. If you want to get fancy with your pantry, throw in some spices or herbs. Salt and pepper are always good options.
Pour the eggs over the bread. Refrigerate for a while. Overnight would be best. Bread gotta soak up them eggs otherwise it's just the old, stale freezer-burned shit you had cluttering up your freezer.
Bake in a 350 oven for like an hour I think. If it gets too brown, cover it with foil. If it gets too smelly, you're probably done baking. Check the middle and if it's not runny, you're probably done. Remember, I said probably. If you get salmonella, it's not my fault. It's Erik Estrada's. Maybe you can get some of that money he made for being on The Surreal Life with Ron Jeremy and Vanilla Ice.
Let your Estrada sit about 10 minutes. Then dig in! It's better than the critically acclaimed telenovela Dos Mujeres, Un Camino.
Total cost: $5.81. This could probably serve 12 so total per serving is about 48 centavos.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
It's an Affirmation, Not an Excuse: Starting the New Year Right
A couple weeks ago, I Googled "I can't afford it." A lot of the sites that came up in response to the query admonished readers against saying "I can't afford it." The argument being that it's a question of priorities and that most people can afford most things, if they choose to do so. "Focus on the positive" the websites seemed to say. "Don't wallow in a negatively-framed excuse." Saying "I can't afford it" is on par with that most dirty of phrases to our self-affirmation-soaked culture, "I can't."
But for me, "I can't afford it" is an affirmation. Before I can explain that, I need to explain that the way I use the phrase is as a short-cut way to make a decision. (Much like turning in a straight party ticket on voting day because you didn't have all the time you wished to investigate the candidates.) It seems like we have more decisions to make than ever. Think about shampoo, for instance. In the Target where I do most of my shopping, the shampoo and conditioner spill over into multiple aisles. There is the regular discount-store aisle, the up-scale salon products aisle and the all natural sections. And most brands have five or more different options to choose from. In reality, one soap could suffice for most everything you can imagine. Marketing. The shampoo aisle(s) is all about marketing and if you investigated all your options, you could waste hours choosing something to clean the collection of dead cells that hangs from your head.
For me, saying "I can't afford it" and choosing the cheapest option is just as valid of a decision-making shortcut as is brand loyalty or however else you select a shampoo.Similarly, the phrase allows me to set up "rules" to follow that help me to achieve more of my goals. Is it absolutely true to say that I can't afford cable tv or a parking pass or a massage? No way! But if I choose those things, I can't choose to get a new laptop or hot water heater. If I choose to buy lunch every day I work or hit the fast-food joint on the way home, I can't achieve my goal of saving more money.
And I don't see that as a negative thing. I may have grumbled in the past and I'm sure I'll grumble in the future, but being able to rely on the short-cut "I can't afford it" frees me from having to make a choice or use some other justification.
So call me lazy for having a fall-back phrase, but I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone-it, I can't afford it.
But for me, "I can't afford it" is an affirmation. Before I can explain that, I need to explain that the way I use the phrase is as a short-cut way to make a decision. (Much like turning in a straight party ticket on voting day because you didn't have all the time you wished to investigate the candidates.) It seems like we have more decisions to make than ever. Think about shampoo, for instance. In the Target where I do most of my shopping, the shampoo and conditioner spill over into multiple aisles. There is the regular discount-store aisle, the up-scale salon products aisle and the all natural sections. And most brands have five or more different options to choose from. In reality, one soap could suffice for most everything you can imagine. Marketing. The shampoo aisle(s) is all about marketing and if you investigated all your options, you could waste hours choosing something to clean the collection of dead cells that hangs from your head.
For me, saying "I can't afford it" and choosing the cheapest option is just as valid of a decision-making shortcut as is brand loyalty or however else you select a shampoo.Similarly, the phrase allows me to set up "rules" to follow that help me to achieve more of my goals. Is it absolutely true to say that I can't afford cable tv or a parking pass or a massage? No way! But if I choose those things, I can't choose to get a new laptop or hot water heater. If I choose to buy lunch every day I work or hit the fast-food joint on the way home, I can't achieve my goal of saving more money.
And I don't see that as a negative thing. I may have grumbled in the past and I'm sure I'll grumble in the future, but being able to rely on the short-cut "I can't afford it" frees me from having to make a choice or use some other justification.
So call me lazy for having a fall-back phrase, but I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone-it, I can't afford it.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Resolute
This is a long post about my resolutions. Feel free to skip it. Edit: You guys! I totally manipulated the code in the dumb looking button over there to redirect you to my resolution-tracker tool thingy! In html code! I feel smart--undeservedly so because it was pretty easy! Bla-dow!
Apparently, people have been making resolutions since time immemorial. Perhaps they were making good on a debt because it was the equinox or making promises to the gods on the winter solstice. No word on how far back the practice of breaking resolutions goes, but I'd guess it goes back as far as does the tradition of making resolutions. According to this article, a 1997 University of Washington study showed that 47% of Americans who make resolutions give up within two months. I'd guess another 40-50% of Americans who participated in the study were either lying or deluded themselves into thinking they were still on track with their resolutions. I can't even remember what resolutions I made last year to know if I followed them or not.
But, I'm still a sucker for fresh starts. Whether it is January or September (I still get the "new school year" push of optimism, despite not having been in school for awhile.), the first day of the quarter or the month, I feel a sense of promise. What I'm saying is, I'll always make resolutions. That's part of the planner in me. I'll even think through a plan of how to stick with them. The trick is in the follow-through.
Before I can even start to make a good resolution, I started thinking about the word itself to get me in the right frame of mind. Ever since my first Spanish class in high school, etymology has fascinated me. When you slow down and actually study a word, it can begin to reveal new things to you. For example, Webster says that to be resolute means that you are "marked by firm determination" or you are "bold, steady." As a noun, resolve means "fixity of purpose." As a verb, resolve could mean a lot of things, such as to deal with something successfully, or clear something up or to reach a firm decision about something. But this is my favorite verb definition, "to make progress from dissonance to consonance." It is a musical definition, but I think a lot of what resolutions are all about is making progress from the dissonance between who the resolver is and who he/she want to be, to consonance or bringing the two into harmony. I love the image (or sound?) that definition creates. To think of a resolution as something about which I am marked by firm determination, something that I am bold and steady in the pursuit of, something that I've reached a firm decision about in order to deal with something successfully and bring who I am and who I want to be into consonance...well, that's not only a horribly loaded run-on sentence, but it's a lot more exciting than reciting some old overused "resolution" just because you've turned all the pages in a calendar.
I used the idea of SMART goals to write my resolutions this year. Mostly, it was a way for me to hone in on what I wanted to do without wasting a lot of time creating a complicated "plan" that I'd abandon by January 7. If your unfamiliar with what a SMART goal is, here what it stands for with my 5 cents.
S = Strategic. For me, this means moving from dissonance to consonance between what I do and who I want to be. I've also seen "Specific" for the "S" but I think the rest of the letters cover that fairly well.
M = Measurable. These have a number or end-goal in mind so that I know how I'm doing and if I've achieved what I resolved to do.
A = Achievable. None of my resolutions are shooting for the stars. I purposefully scaled some of them back. I'm not trying to be perfect, just better.
R = Realistic. My resolutions are within my realm of what is possible.
T = Timely (meaning that there is a deadline). Duh, a year.
So here they are. Twelve easy resolutions in three categories.
More or Less
I resolve to read more days than I don't. Work doesn't count, nor do Facebook status updates.
I resolve to write more days than I don't. Again, not at work or a sentence on Facebook. I won't be posting to this blog everyday. I have a couple other writing projects I have to work on.
I resolve to exercise more days than I don't. Everything counts except walking to the mailbox or across the parking lot. But 10 push-ups, squats, and crunches or just a mile run? Yes and yes. And hopefully that will grow into a more impressive workout.
I resolve to argue less days than I do. I dislike the discord and have little to argue about so why engage at all?
By the Numbers
I resolve to read 24 books.
I resolve to get rid of 100 things.
I resolve to write 5,000 words of my thesis.
I resolve to run 365 miles.
Better Than 2010
I resolve to run the half faster than last year.
I resolve to finish knitting my scarf and knit a hat. I don't even remember when I started knitting this scarf. How dumb is that?
I resolve to double my savings. Unfortunately, this is not unreasonable for me. I've done the math and it will only be just hard enough.
I resolve to track these resolutions.
So now it's just a matter of follow through (Resolution 12). I'm going to try to use an online tool to track my resolutions and figure out how to post a button to connect the two. I'm using The Happiness Project Toolbox to track my resolutions. Not all my resolutions fit into the "resolutions" category so I'm shoehorning some of them into the "lists" category. The reason I'm using this particular tool is because I already had a username and I'm too lazy to learn something new.
Now I'm done boring you. Happy New Year.
Apparently, people have been making resolutions since time immemorial. Perhaps they were making good on a debt because it was the equinox or making promises to the gods on the winter solstice. No word on how far back the practice of breaking resolutions goes, but I'd guess it goes back as far as does the tradition of making resolutions. According to this article, a 1997 University of Washington study showed that 47% of Americans who make resolutions give up within two months. I'd guess another 40-50% of Americans who participated in the study were either lying or deluded themselves into thinking they were still on track with their resolutions. I can't even remember what resolutions I made last year to know if I followed them or not.
But, I'm still a sucker for fresh starts. Whether it is January or September (I still get the "new school year" push of optimism, despite not having been in school for awhile.), the first day of the quarter or the month, I feel a sense of promise. What I'm saying is, I'll always make resolutions. That's part of the planner in me. I'll even think through a plan of how to stick with them. The trick is in the follow-through.
Before I can even start to make a good resolution, I started thinking about the word itself to get me in the right frame of mind. Ever since my first Spanish class in high school, etymology has fascinated me. When you slow down and actually study a word, it can begin to reveal new things to you. For example, Webster says that to be resolute means that you are "marked by firm determination" or you are "bold, steady." As a noun, resolve means "fixity of purpose." As a verb, resolve could mean a lot of things, such as to deal with something successfully, or clear something up or to reach a firm decision about something. But this is my favorite verb definition, "to make progress from dissonance to consonance." It is a musical definition, but I think a lot of what resolutions are all about is making progress from the dissonance between who the resolver is and who he/she want to be, to consonance or bringing the two into harmony. I love the image (or sound?) that definition creates. To think of a resolution as something about which I am marked by firm determination, something that I am bold and steady in the pursuit of, something that I've reached a firm decision about in order to deal with something successfully and bring who I am and who I want to be into consonance...well, that's not only a horribly loaded run-on sentence, but it's a lot more exciting than reciting some old overused "resolution" just because you've turned all the pages in a calendar.
I used the idea of SMART goals to write my resolutions this year. Mostly, it was a way for me to hone in on what I wanted to do without wasting a lot of time creating a complicated "plan" that I'd abandon by January 7. If your unfamiliar with what a SMART goal is, here what it stands for with my 5 cents.
S = Strategic. For me, this means moving from dissonance to consonance between what I do and who I want to be. I've also seen "Specific" for the "S" but I think the rest of the letters cover that fairly well.
M = Measurable. These have a number or end-goal in mind so that I know how I'm doing and if I've achieved what I resolved to do.
A = Achievable. None of my resolutions are shooting for the stars. I purposefully scaled some of them back. I'm not trying to be perfect, just better.
R = Realistic. My resolutions are within my realm of what is possible.
T = Timely (meaning that there is a deadline). Duh, a year.
So here they are. Twelve easy resolutions in three categories.
More or Less
I resolve to read more days than I don't. Work doesn't count, nor do Facebook status updates.
I resolve to write more days than I don't. Again, not at work or a sentence on Facebook. I won't be posting to this blog everyday. I have a couple other writing projects I have to work on.
I resolve to exercise more days than I don't. Everything counts except walking to the mailbox or across the parking lot. But 10 push-ups, squats, and crunches or just a mile run? Yes and yes. And hopefully that will grow into a more impressive workout.
I resolve to argue less days than I do. I dislike the discord and have little to argue about so why engage at all?
By the Numbers
I resolve to read 24 books.
I resolve to get rid of 100 things.
I resolve to write 5,000 words of my thesis.
I resolve to run 365 miles.
Better Than 2010
I resolve to run the half faster than last year.
I resolve to finish knitting my scarf and knit a hat. I don't even remember when I started knitting this scarf. How dumb is that?
I resolve to double my savings. Unfortunately, this is not unreasonable for me. I've done the math and it will only be just hard enough.
I resolve to track these resolutions.
So now it's just a matter of follow through (Resolution 12). I'm going to try to use an online tool to track my resolutions and figure out how to post a button to connect the two. I'm using The Happiness Project Toolbox to track my resolutions. Not all my resolutions fit into the "resolutions" category so I'm shoehorning some of them into the "lists" category. The reason I'm using this particular tool is because I already had a username and I'm too lazy to learn something new.
Now I'm done boring you. Happy New Year.
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010
This is a year-end quiz that Linda over at All & Sundry does every year. It seems like a good tradition to start and a good way to end my 2010 blogging adventures. Also? Finishing up Reverb today.
1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?Cooked a Christmas dinner for my family (in January). Turned 32. Ran a half-marathon. Took two yoga classes. Planted my first real garden. Traveled by myself (but not to anywhere new). Ran a faster 5K. Had a wedding anniversary. Became the bread-winner. Bought a bunch of home improvements (two exterior doors, a storm door, a hot water heater, a window).
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t remember what my resolutions were but yes, I will make more for next year. (Stay tuned, they'll become public tomorrow.)
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Two people I work with gave birth. I know tons of people who’ve had babies or gotten pregnant this year.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No
5. What countries did you visit?
Does Texas count? It's like a whole other country, I've heard.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
I will have better health insurance, something I lacked for ten months of 2010. I would like to have a less cluttered home and to cultivate more peace in my life.
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I’m no good with dates. By 2012 I probably won't even remember what year I did these things. See why this is a good exercise for me? Late March’s half-marathon, Labor Day Weekend’s 5K, Mid-September wedding anniversary and celebrated my parents' 40th anniversary, husband's job loss first Friday in November, Christmas’s sledding.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
The half-marathon. It seems like such an unachievable task when you are back at the fitness level of trying to run for 13 minutes. It takes a lot of training to get from that point to running 13 miles.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't know if I'd call it a failure, since it is still a work in progress, but we've had a couple of arguments wherein we are still figuring out how to be better as husband-and-wife.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No. I had a situation wherein everything in my abdomen slightly malfunctioned all at the same time. It was painful and a bit scary playing the "what if" game, but it wasn't serious. As far as the medical community of my community could tell, it was probably the rupturing of a functional cyst on my ovaries, a bladder infection, and constipation all at the same time. (Just in case you wanted those details.)
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Yoga class and race registrations. A new basement door.
12. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, Taxes, Home Improvement, Grocery Store, Target
13. What did you get really excited about?
The Wilderness Run (always excited about that) and blogging and book club starting next year
14. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Live and Let Die by Guns and Roses because it was first on my running playlist. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga because it was near the end of my running playlist and I knew I would be close to done with long runs. Freedom by Wham! became my new favorite old song but I don’t know that it will specifically remind me of 2010 in any way. I will remember a particular discussion with my husband about Freedom 90 by George Michael and how things reveal different meanings as you age, learn new information and gain more understanding about the world. I would like to make the disclaimer that I’m not particularly a George Michael fan although the preceding sentences may seem to contradict that fact.
15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? Right now I’m probably happier but I’ve had some black moments.
– thinner or fatter? Same-ish?
– richer or poorer? Well, technically poorer but I don’t feel it.
16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Wandering, wondering, laughing until my abs were sore, running, gardening and yard work, enjoying life
17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Wasting time online or with a computer game.
18. How did you spend Christmas?
At my parents' house. We got up, had breakfast casserole, opened some gifts, bundled up and went sledding, came inside and warmed up, lazed around and visited family. Great day.
19. What was your favorite TV program?
This year, I watched DVDs of Magnum P.I. and The Office. I caught a couple episodes of Parks and Rec. I also got involved with The Biggest Loser, The Sing-Off (Who doesn't love Ben Folds?), Project Runway, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, all courtesy of the internet.
20. What were your favorite books of the year?
I can only remember a few books I read this year: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides was the first book I read and probably the best novel. Pretty in Plaid, Jen Lancaster, which I enjoyed much more than Bitter is the New Black. The End of Overeating by David Kessler was interesting. The most memorable book I checked out from the library was Twinkie Deconstructed by Steve Ettlinger and the best audio book I listened to was A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. I really was into nonfiction this year.
21. What was your favorite music from this year?
I was never really in a music vibe this year. Lately it may be Donavan. His greatest hits were in the CD player while I was wrapping presents. Thankfully, I was too lazy to change it. How can you ignore a song that begins with a spoken word lesson about the myth of Atlantis or with the lyrics, "I'm just mad about saffron?" And "Sunshine Superman?" You gotta love it.
22. What were your favorite films of the year?
True Grit, Inception, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Shutter Island (Again, not particularly a Leo fan, these things just happen.)
23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Awkward and Office Space joined me for a tour of a coffee plant and we enjoyed brunch.
24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?My attitude. In 2010, I really started to take charge of it. It's a work in progress.
25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Black, grey, and shades of brown. I have my favorite turtleneck from the Gap in black, oatmeal, grey and white. I wear them all the time and I love it. I even wore one during the half-marathon. I've decided I'm bringing purple back.
26. What kept you sane?
I talk to my mom twice a day during my commute. Just a little something to break the monotony.
27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Probably the most valuable life lesson is that I can choose how I want to feel.
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