More than a tweet but less than a post

Neko Case singing about home! If you don't know about the pretty parts of town this song could make you think about the gritty parts of a bigger city. 

I started at my 'new' store today. I neglected to tell most of my customers that I was moving stores. Yeah, I know, shame on me. They found me anyway. Their main concern? Can they still order from me since I've been promoted/moved? "Of course you can." is my reply. My manager says that I have a following. A following in wholesale? Okay. Customers who are used to seeing me at my old store, in addition to asking me if I'm lost, are asking if this is a permanent relocation. I've been replying with something along the lines of 'not too much is permanent around here'. The only constant in this company is change. 

A guy friend of mine told me that I have to stop working out, I'm looking good. I laughed and I thanked him. It's a nice compliment to hear. 

For some reason, I've really been digging Supertramp as of late. I've been wishing for a set of really great speakers to blast Bloody Well Right on a Saturday morning while I sit on my porch and drink my coffee. Is it the harmonica, the horns? I don't know, but I like it. 

I've noticed that I've been laughing more in the last year. It's a nice feeling to be happy. I have my little-black-rain cloud days but overall, I'm in a good place. 

Too quiet.

I've received a promotion. I've earned a promotion. I've been promoted. 

I think my parents are more excited than I am. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of what I've accomplished to get to this point. I've worked hard to get to this point in my career. It's a huge stepping stone to my (so-far) ultimate career goal with this company. I told my mom and dad over the phone, I think my dad may have jumped out of a chair when he heard the news. Mom was just as thrilled and I know that Wood was just as happy and proud of me as they are. I'm a lucky kid to have that many grown-ups looking out for me. Dad and I are going to go to dinner to celebrate. Mom decided that she would drink a margarita for me, I'm sure Wood drank a beer in salute as well. 

What did I do? I went to the gym and lifted for an hour and then ran for 30 minutes to get to that 3.2 miles. Well, I ran about 2.75 miles before I ran out of gas and then had to slow down to an easy jog. But who cares, I did it. :)

Isn't this one of those movie moments where you're supposed to go out with your friends and at least celebrate at happy hour? Or go goofy-golfing? I'm not complaining, just saying. 

Anyone want to come over and help me drink this bottle of wine?

The House on the Corner.

Brothers in Arms just came on the internet radio station.

I remember cold winter nights, rain on the big windows, the rhodie was still living large in front of the window in the living room. The lilac tree probably had yet to make an attempt on my life. Wooden floors. A fire place. The Dan Debower chair. Doing laps around the first floor with my brother, baby-gate hurdles included. Grass in the backyard, tall enough to lose a little sister in. Mom playing Zelda. My step-dad singing with gusto to whatever was playing on the CD while cooking dinner for us kids. Mom making hot cocoa for my 15 guy friends after a game of football played in the snow. A little girl with curls who could go to the moon but still knew we weren't really having monkey brains for dinner. The Tuna (before he was The Tuna) at the computer in the corner, The Boy perched beside him. 

A house full of people who loved each other even though we didn't always get along.  

Send Happy Thoughts

Here 

Fud.

Tonight's kitchen experiment will be baked chicken.

I don't want to use a flavored marinade because I will be doing my damned-est to make these pieces into as many dishes as possible. I figure baking it in a 'marinade' of olive oil and minced garlic should be enough to give it some flavor, but not so much that it will overpower whatever I turn the leftovers into. 

 I'm trying to avoid the grocery store this week. I know have enough in my pantry to make it to payday. It's time to learn creativity. 

EDIT/ADDENDUM: 

The bird seems to have done well in the oven. I think I was a bit heavy handed with the garlic. 

...

Nah, you can never have too much garlic. Wood taught me that.

You're stronger than you thought

And you're not as smart as you think you are.

Flicker::pictures

Styling::hair

Episode: One. As in Star Wars

Sexier: shoulders than you! 

Studious: Hopefully me. Class officially started today. Hooray Intertubes.

Mushroom: 1 up

8 minutes: run hard

Bald: uncles

Immunity: reality tv

Sectioned: oranges

(found here)

In other not-news...

I ran 1.5 miles today in 16 minutes. Not too shabby. I'm very proud of this run as it means I'm in better shape than I thought. And I had the discipline to keep running for the entire time. I now know that I can run three miles with no problem as long as I train smart. Smart is not historically something I've done well. Ask my parents, they'll tell you. 

I bought an already seasoned cast-iron indoor grill/griddle jobbie yesterday. I used it tonight to grill(!) some chicken. Verdict? I need more fans. Or to learn how to cook with less smoke emanating from said grill. Casa de Pooh looks alot smaller when the kitchen is filled with a light grey chicken smelling haze and the living room is quickly filling with the same. At least it wasn't burnt-food smoke. And the fire alarm was very forgiving, I really do appreciate that it didn't go off. The towel that is still hanging over the alarm might have something to do with that.

Mom, if you're reading this; the Christmas stockings you made me? They make excellent pot holders. Just in case you were wondering about the multi-taskablilty of your crafts. Wonder no more, now you know. 

And knowing is half the battle.

Dinner at 10pm

This is not a good idea. 

I cooked some rice, edamame, opened up a can of tuna and the bottle of ponzu sauce that's been sitting in my pantry since I moved in and ta-da! Dinner.

The best part is, besides it being a fairly decent off the cuff concoction, I've been learning how to cook smaller portions so fewer leftovers!

It's a good thing I went to blockbuster tonight. At least I have something (hopefully) interesting to watch while my dinner settles.  

I must be nuts.

I want to do this next year. 

I hate running. I haven't even run a 5k. Hell, I haven't run for a good two months or so and when I did it was a challenge to keep myself on the treadmill for more than the USN standard 1.5 miles. I will lift for two hours rather than run that 1.5 miles.

This should be an interesting year. 

Juh?

This is what the cable box told me after I started pushing buttons. 

I think I should go to bed. 

A warm place

I know I'm frustrated when I start looking at tattoos. 

The standard chick wisdom is that you never go to the salon after a break-up or when you're pissed-off at the world at large. The whole getting a tattoo when you're looking for direction falls into the same category of bad ideas. 

That's why I look. 

Thank Bob for the intertubes.