birthdays are the best days

It's Dan's birthday today so I posted this picture on his facebook wall hoping that it might make up for the fact that I definitely was too tired(/grumpy) to remember to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY AHHH LOVEEE YOUUUU this morning. I'm up for the most neglectful wife of the year award. I almost had most awesome wife of the year award when I surprised him with a nice bottle of scotch on a random Friday... I think forgetting an obligatory "happy birthday" nixed that good deed though. 

But seriously, I love this guy. And I don't care who knows it! 

Happy Birthday, Dan. 

That purse is way too expensive. Oh, Anthro.

Well, sometimes clothes make me happy. How cliché of me. :)

funky

Today had all the makings to be a good one. I forced myself to go for a jog knowing that I would feel so good/proud of myself after (I was right). I enjoyed a yummy fruit smoothie for breakfast. AND it was like 70 degrees today - Wilmington decided to skip Winter and go straight into Spring. But I've been in a funk lately. I think I might be burnt out from twelve continuous months of school. Or just overwhelmed that my undergraduate years are coming to an end. I'm not sure, but a funk I am in and it needs to go away AAAAAsap. I gotta finish my senior year strong!

The Bandwagon: Why That Loss Might've Hurt Us Few More Than You Faithful

{via}

The Niners lost last night (is it too soon to talk about this? Never mind, I'm a bandwagon-er. I have no soul). As all my Niner facebook friends dutifully make obligatory comments about massive jersey returns today, which, let's face it, were last-minute, knock-off Walmart jerseys anyway, I say kudos; Walmart is likely to take back your __insert player name here__ t-shirt that reeks of B.O. with cheese dip stains down the front. Real fans hate you but I admire your frugality.


But, here's the thing, I think that this Niner loss might actually hurt worse for a bandwagon fan like me than a "forever faithful" fan like you. Here's why: you're used to this. You take this beating all the time. (This is the part where I make huge generalizations about a subject  I know very little about) You knew that Alex Smith (or was it Adam? Aldon? Justin?) was... inconsistent at best. That he relies almost entirely on what his defense manages to maintain in their 50% of field time. I didn't. I really thought they had a chance. You can blame that on my lack of expertise in all things pertaining to football. 


But, really, for us it's like the beginning of a whirlwind relationship. We got so caught up in the fantasy of it. The first touchdown. The amazing sacks by the defense. Every awesome play was like the first kiss or touch of a hand -- that honeymoon phase when your lover can do no wrong and all is wonderful with the world (did you see the last 10 minutes of the Niners-Siants game? Who could not fall in love??). And then they drop the pass or don't call you back and you just feel lonely and defeated and there is no one to cuddle with.


But you, you've been here before. In fact, you're that girl who keeps going back to the guy who treats her like crap. He's cheated on you, lied to you, stood you up, and yet you run back with open arms and your heart on your sleeve. You know, that girl who complains every time they break up or get into a fight, but she keeps going back. At some point you stop feeling sorry for her and just start to pity her. Even when her boyfriend was getting counseling from this really great Dr (I think his name was Harbaugh?) we all just kinda nodded our heads in feign understanding.


But the Niners made it into the playoffs and all of us from the greater Bay Area got really excited because the last time a team from the Bay Area made it to the Super Bowl they choked (do you hear me Raider fans?). We all scrounged around for some red and gold and updated our statuses thinking, "We're going to be a part of this! This is exciting! It's the Bay! Ya, Bay!" And we were legitimately excited. 


But then people started taunting us. "Get out of here bandwagoners; you're not welcome." What? Wait, either I root for your team or I root against your team. And don't tell me you prefer the latter -- I got pretty well facebook shanked for rooting for the Rangers in the 2010 World Series (I heart Ron), and I had a pretty legitimate, baseball-knowledge reason for rooting for the Rangers (hello, Ron's a hottie. Plus, that whole cocaine bust thing was kinda badass). 


I had no business rooting for the Niners because I hadn't put the time in. But part of me had. Can I tell you names and stats of every player on the team? No, but I can tell you that my childhood was filled with Sunday afternoon football. You can bet that my dad laid out that big Niners blanket on our living room floor and we devoured a casserole dish full of nachos as my dad tried to watch the game while we four sisters pestered him with questions. "Daddy, what's going on?" "Daddy, why are you yelling at the t.v.?" "Daddy, it's okay, here's a chip full of nachoey-goodness."


I think I've put in some time, after all, I was raised in the Bay and unless you lived under a rock you knew about the Raiders and the Niners and you took a side. Any side would do. And, since the Niners made it all the way to the playoffs why not root for them, huh? I thought you would be happy your team had more support, more love. We could even create a "Put Vernon Davis on on SNL" facebook page, wouldn't that be fun guys? Wouldn't it?


But, Faithful, I know how it hurts -- I am an A's fan. We know all about that so-close-and-yet-so-far-away feelings. 


So I guess my question is: How does one get off the wagon? Is there an application process? A probationary period? Please, guys.  I'm doing the work, I'm baby-stepping, I'm not a slacker. (Bonus points if you can name that completely irrelevant but truly amazing film.)

"things change...

...bread molds... people die..."

If you haven't seen Get Over It get on that, stat. 

Speaking of these changing. I just watched season seven of The Office (I kinda gave up on it after season four so I've been catching up) and Michael left. I cried. Dan thought I was crazy. He was just going to leave without anyone knowing! 

We also switched up dinnerware. I think we're past our plastic phase, but I'm keeping the plastic just in case because I'm kinda scared to use the new ones. But aren't they pretty! I wanted to have a dinner party the minute I pulled them out of the box. 

Soon.

graduation is nigh

The final semester of my undergrad career has commenced! I cannot believe it's here. There is a teensy bit of senioritis I am feeling, but I think I'll get through. As my graduation draws near I can only think of two things: my family coming aaaannnd what I'm going to wear. 

My parents and grandma have purchased their tickets and they are coming to celebrate. I am SO excited.

As for clothes, here is one of my ideas. Thoughts? I love that print. 

EEEep! Graduation :)

vets are like doctors; no one likes to see them.

I thought the view was rather zen-like, Athena didn't agree. 

Here is my cat-ladyness coming out to play. Although, in real life, I enjoy dogs much more. But I think only a cruel person wouldn't love the pets in their possession and so love Athena and Houston I do. Athena was sick (I'll spare you the details as to how we knew that) and I got to take her to the vet. We had never taken her before -- she had all her shots/operations when we got her -- so I was interested to see how she'd react. Houston got waaay more loving when I took him to the vet; he wouldn't stop clinging to me. Is it slightly sadistic that I was hoping that Athena would be so scared that she would jump in my lap and purr at me to never let her go? Probably, but that didn't happen. She was fine, a little nervous, but fine. 

And then the vets came in. And she didn't want anybody, least of all me, anywhere close. She ran to the safe corner underneath a chair and the vet assistant had to grab her by the scruff (of which, she has so little) and practically pin her to the examining table. It's really bad how poorly I took this. And then they brought out the needle, she was due on her rabies shot, and I almost died. Poor thing. I was no help. 

I hate needles. Seriously, when I was nine my mom took me to the doctor to get some shots (it was probably a shot but in my memory it was ten. TEN SHOTS.) They got me set up at the little kiosk where the woman at Kaiser would stick me. My arm was on the table, my mom was trying to focus my attention on her, but then I saw the needle. And I ran. I ran down the hall so fast. I'm not sure where I thought I could go but anywhere seemed better than my own personal hell with needles. Mom was not pleased. 

Anyway, Athena did not have the luxury of running away though I'm pretty sure the fight, in lieu of flight, instinct was coming out judging by the way her mouth was twitching and her nails were protruding out of her paws. It was funny because I had just read this and I realized what a train-wreck of a mom I will be if I am on the brink of tears watching my cat get a shot. I think I'll stick with cats for the time being. 

tofu and scrabble.

I watched Forks Over Knives the other day. It's all about whole foods plant-based eating and what meat can do to your body. So, of course, it freaked me out and I was like "I NEED TO STOP EATING MEAT AAAHHHHH ARRGHH!" But then I remembered I really like meat and I'm a picky eater. I told Dan about it and he was pretty enthusiastic about making our eating habits healthier (he loves vegetables. I told him he should just marry them) so we tried tofu. TOFU. Our first attempt was tofu-burgers. Probably not the best item to start with. It definitely didn't taste like a hamburger. It didn't really taste like anything. 

Well, it's a start. But, I didn't finish the burger. 

Scrabble made me feel better though. I won. 

made it.

I made a quilt!

I don't want to brag but it's my first one on my own. I made one for my older sister one year, but, if I am honest, my dear friend Mrs. Dent probably made most of that one -- she at least fixed everything I did wrong! This one was entirely my own making mistakes and all :)

When I saw this tutorial/pattern I had to make it and my beautiful pregnant friend was the perfect recipient. It was a pretty easy pattern which was good because it made it doable. 

How cute is that animal print?! I loved it! I'm so in love with the green theme Brandilyn is doing for her handsome little boy.
I can't wait to meet him!

Sometimes I Repeat Myself

Like, I'm pretty sure I've posted really similar pictures. The truth is, I really love Banana Nut Bread. AND I really love Darjeeling tea. Put those things together and I have one heck of a Winter Break. This girl is a party animal. But, to be fair, it is really good banana nut bread. I'm gonna post the recipe, pretty sure I already have but I'm not gonna go back and find it because it's my break and I'm lazy. 

So, here it is. My advice: use copious amounts of cinnamon and extra walnuts because it's yummy. 

Banana Nut Bread

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp Baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup walnuts

2 large egg whites

¼ cup canola oil

¾ cups sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ salt

2 bananas

¼ cup milk

Mix Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.

Mix eggs, milk, sugar, bananas, vanilla, and canola oil.

Add the flour mixture in a little at a time while mixing it into the wet mix.

Stir in walnuts.

Cook at 350 for 45-50 min in a greased bread pan. 

selling

Well. The new year got me all motivated. I decided I had lots of clothes that I was keeping because I loved them but they didn't fit or I never wore, and I need to get rid of them. So, I went through my closet and took a bunch of stuff to Plato's (and made a hefty sum), and the things that I knew wouldn't sell I am taking to GoodWill, but there were some things in my closet that I wasn't willing to sell for three bucks so that Plato could make quadruple what they bought it for -- I like them too much. So, I am selling them on Ebay. That green number sold in minutes (I loved that dress)! I really like all these pieces but I never wear them. I'll add more as the Ebay limitations let me.

Take a look :)