Recap of My Month Long Bender

Conscious decision to enjoy my weeks off during the holiday to unpack, organize, and explore Cincinnati and make some new friends in the process.  All while unplugging from this bad boy.

Without further a do, my December bender, in review:

Went to frigid Bengals games (twice).
Got harassed by large man behind us sick of the selfie-cam in his face, hence the photo of us in the bottom right.

Braved the latest Hobbit.  Unsure what part of the 14 part "trilogy" we are now on.
They are clearly all the same, and all entertaining nonetheless:
Hobbits fulfill little-people fetishes, Orlando bats for the other team, Dumbledore visits from Hogwarts.

Missed the Santacon memo.
Preparation have begun for next year.

Found Finnley a friend.
Meet Bertha, my new pet pelt.

Regretted not purchasing Galaxy Cat Pants from Target.

Reunited with roomie and friends from freshman year at UPenn!

Met up with my cousin and her bf in NYC!

Learned what it's like to fly out of not-Atlanta.

Saw the Nutcracker and washed it down with some amazing ice cream.
Added ice skating to our Cinci bucket list.

Checked out the home rival game of Xavier - Univ of Cincinnati.
They serve beer, so I don't know who won.

Celebrated Christmas our way, with meat, cheese and booze (also the traditional Ray crab bisque!)
The underage kid at the package store assured me Fireball + Rum Chata are what the kids drink these days... 

First bathroom stall selfie!
Added "maturity" to my 2014 Resolution list.

Explored Mt. Adams (patio bar).

Pre and post-gamed our NYE celebrations with these bad boys.

Toasted NYE at a delicious Italian place in OTR.
I do consider myself cooler because I know what OTR means and you don't.

Brought in the New Year with new friends, our next door neighbors!
Vowed never to return to the Cinci casino for fear of catching bankruptcy and airborne herpes.

Killed another animal for my new Eskimo jacket.
What did this fox say?  Nothing his grandmother would be proud to hear.

Got stuck in the airport for 8 hours trying to get to an engagement party I co-hosted for my childhood bestie.
Made some new friends [on my iPad].

Finally arrived to be greeted by this fool, unsure where the people driving the jetway were.
Waited another 30+ min for them to page someone to attach us to the airport.

Visited the gorgeous Raleigh outdoor museum, including Rodin sculpture garden for bff's engagement photos.
Not stealing her thunder, so I won't post any... but wow.  What a location and what a gorgeous couple!  Will link once she posts!

Link ups: Funday Monday, Transatlantic Blonde, Monday Bloom

My First Link-Up: Someday I Will...

First let's get this party started with a good 'ole WTF.  WTF is a Link Up?

Link-Up: (LU?) - when someone much more clever than I comes up with a super snazztastic theme and those of us less clever Bloggerinas copy the idea and make it their own.  A blog theme!  I have heard about these, seen these online before, and never been as thoroughly amused as the one I found today, thanks to Two Thirds Hazel whose own post legit made me LOL and The Daily Tay, who made the thing up.
 
Has anyone else noticed that LOL is coming back?  Similar note: my future cousin-in-law sent me a Snapchat of an AOL CD she received in the mail today?  There's a lot of pop culture happening in this sentence...
 
This one in particular is kind of like one of those email chains we all used to go bananas for, where you answer 43.2 nearly embarrassing, or faux-enlightening questions in an email and then forward it around to as many addresses as you can find, hoping someone, SOMEONE will respond back that they, in fact, have a crush on you!  Romance, ladies and gents.  Middle school romance.

Without further a do...
 
1.  Someday I will... get out of bed without perusing every Ruelala, Gilt and One King's Lane app looking for a "steal" on something I already have, cannot afford and do not need.  My name has changed, and so must the Jew-itis.
 
2.  Someday I will... follow through on my sometimes-morning declaration that today! should be a sober day.

3.  Someday I will... look up the meaning of denial and investigate that spa Lindsay Lohan keeps hanging out at...

4.  Someday I will... have enough shoes.

 

 

5.  Someday I will... admit to the Hubs how horribly I've failed #4 and divulge my secret shoe closet behind my secret trap door accessed only through the laundry room via a size 5 shoe laser identifier thingamabob.

6.  Someday I will... stop acting horrified and surprised when my knees start to kill after I've been sitting with my legs tucked up underneath me for more than 20 minutes.  Mom warned me about this decades ago.

7.  Someday I will... embrace the Hubs' smelliness (in his terms "respect the scent")...  False.  What a crock.  A gross ass crock.

8. Someday I will... shower more often than when it just becomes "obvious."

9. Someday I will... stop cracking up every time anyone says the word duty... you know you can't help it either!

10. Someday I will... not have to follow a salty snack with a sweet one... then a salty one... then a sweet one...

11. Someday I will... stop collecting girl friends who need saving and start collecting girl friends who just need girl friends (that was a deep one).

12. Someday I will... spell friend without having to say "fri-end" in my head.


Lucky You, Hubs wants to Guest Blog:
**. Someday he will... invent an anti-turd-backsplash-device and market it to the masses.  He will call this "H2No."  Write it down.  Act now and two turd thwarters can be yours! 

He has now taken this theme Broadway, and is singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" substituting "You're Just Too Good for My Poo" where appropriate.   My husband.

7 Month Hiatus No More!

Alright.  There were admittedly some things that went down since last I wrote... 7 months ago... whoops:

• Plethora mental breakdowns and planning near-disasters due to impending wedding that don't need to be detailed.
• Got muhrried surrounded by our family and friends and had the most fun reception ever.
• Went on the most amazing honeymoon ever with the hubster.
• Started traveling to New York for work 5 days a week.
• Had a few "Devil Wears Prada" moments (the frantic running around bits, not the Chanel boots bits.)
• Started working 18 hour days regularly (read: another excuse for not blogging).
• Found out we're moving to Cincinnati with 8 weeks notice.
• Located Cincinnati on a map...
• Decided to sell home after living in it for <15 months.
• Started Pinning many more winter-approved items.
• Determined blogging was a a good idea again.

So here I am again, back on the wagon!

Nevermind the half a year that disappeared with no comment, I barely knew what was going on either.

For the record, let me just say, the "Wait, are you the real Rachel Ray?" is just as old and annoying as you'd expect.  I do think I got a magical Delta upgrade though... so... worth it! 

I have, however, had time to cook more frequently since the current project I am on took a turn for the work-at-home zone.  That and my new attitude of "you can't even TRY to divorce me over a crap meal!" means I have been playing with new recipes and learning new lessons on substituting normal person ingredients for weird stuff the real Rachael Ray may have on hand... like zucchini blossoms.  Who does that?

Finally Time to Resolute

I never make resolutions because, frankly, I never keep them except when it's convenient.   But I've had a month to think about it and I'm ready to commit!

1. Better skin care regimen - hotel sheets and travel stress are doing me no favors 
(inspiration from @CamilleStyles article on @SkinOwl: http://camillestyles.com/life-2/embracing-your-best-self-annie-of-skinowl/?slide=5#slideshow)

2. Tune in to current events - faux newsy Facebook and CNN twitter blasts don't count

3. Read a non fiction book - maybe 2, but I'm thinking my honeymoon reads will likely be at a 16-year-old reading level...  P is well read and I'm jealous

4. De-poochy by making healthier food choices - less prosciutto sammies, more greens.  And admit that salad doesn't count if all I do is pick off the good toppings...

5. Eat fish at least once a week - lobster drenched in butter, or that escargot I discussed from Chez Fonfon is clearly considered cheating

6. DIY that damn nailhead trim headboard already - http://www.designingbynumbers.com/2011/08/nailed-it.html

7. Quit the gross cuticle/nail picking when stressed - I was just doing it while re-reading this, that took all of 4 minutes to break

8. Grow up and send cards to people, especially the GPs - not just thank-you ones that all start off "Thank you so much for the..."

9. Figure out whether calling out Twitter people on here has any effect - I suspect that I look like an amateur 8th grader throwing around @s like no big thang

10. Get a blog follower.  - just one of you little people has to think this is mildlyyyy interesting to read while on the toilet... maybe?  Likely not... that's what Garden & Gun and/or Scramble w Friends is for.

11. Get MURRIED! - without tripping, puking or otherwise making a total ass of myself.  Except on the dance floor, where it is not only encouraged, but expected.

12. Successfully throw a dinner party - with correct timing and little party favors and the whole nine.  Maybe one of these "large format" ones with a big ole wine jeroboam and everything: http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/the-supersize-dinner-party

13. Figure out what to do with our disaster of a backyard - not so lovingly nicknamed the Pit of Despair. 

There you have it.  I'll check back in 6 months and see how many of these I actually accomplished!  I better at least get that married one done :)