Money Saving Tip

Did you know that you can save 5 cents per bag at Albertsons if you bring your own bags for your groceries? I have four of these bags that I plan to keep in my car & reuse each time I go grocery shopping. Just a money-saving, earth-friendly tip :-)

Bark!

Every year I seem to forget what hard work it is to lay bark! Today, my sister Mandi helped me lay 2 yards of bark (which is the equivalent of two pickup truckloads) around my landscaping. We had to make two trips to the nursery - I was glad there is one only 1/2 mile away! I know that I'm going to be sore tomorrow from all of that shoveling, but it is well worth it!

Shrimp Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

I tried this new recipe tonight and thought I'd share. It's super easy and delicious!!!

12 ounces dry fettuccine
2 red bell peppers, julienne
3 teaspoons garlic
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup chicken broth
raw medium shrimp
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
dash crushed red peppers
salt and pepper to taste

1. While the noodles are cooking, saute red bell peppers, garlic, & cayenne pepper on medium, in 1 tablespoon olive oil, for 3-5 minutes.
2. Stir in sour cream & broth, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
3. Add shrimp, crushed red peppers, salt, & pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes until shrimp are done. Stir occasionally.
4. Remove from heat & stir in cheese.
5. Toss with pasta.

Unoriginal Inventions

I think in a past life I must have been an inventor. I come up with the best new ideas, only to find out that I'm not the first to think of the idea. It's not that I've seen these ideas somewhere before and then later recall them thinking the idea originated in my head. It's truly that I think of something cool, useful, etc. that would be really nice to have, and then see that someone else has not only thought of the idea, but developed and marketed it as well. Take string cheese, for example. I love string cheese, but I really love pepperjack cheese. A couple months ago I was talking to my friend Kris about how someone should really make pepperjack cheese sticks - what a great snack idea! Well, a couple weeks later, as I was shopping at Albertsons, I came across pepperjack cheese sticks. Hmm..... wonder why I never saw those before. Maybe someone just started selling them that week? Is my office bugged?

The most recent idea I had, however, actually has to do with blogs. I seem to spend more time recording my life on this blog than I do in my journal... so why not start a company that can actually publish my blog in a book? Just think, wouldn't it be nice to be able to pick which blog entries, pictures, comments, etc. that I'd like published, and maybe even play around with the layout? What a novel idea, right? I know, I thought so too. Turns out there's actually this company out there (that happens to be going out of business) that publishes blogs in the form of books. Not sure if their company offered everything I was envisioning in my mind, but the basic idea is the same. Anyone have some extra cash that would like to invest in/purchase this company with me??? Because it was my idea, after all :-)

Softball Season Comes to a Close

Well, tonight marks the end of softball season. Can you believe it's already been 10 weeks? Our team wasn't too bad - I think we actually ended up in 3rd place with a record of 7-3. And the two teams ahead of us have a record of 7-2-1, so they didn't win any more games than we did. Plus, we beat both those teams, and we scored more points in the season than any other team, so I like to think we're the best :-) Like my logic??? Anyway, I'm glad I played. I was kinda nervous at first, but it all turned out okay. I had fun - it was nice to get out, do some physical activity, and meet new people. Maybe I'll have to hit the batting cages this summer in case I get invited back to the team next year. I actually got a decent hit tonight - it flew into center field, so I was happy with that. I'm going to miss playing - it was nice to have that once a week. Guess I'll have to find another activity to take its place. Maybe I'll play some volleyball - some of the people from the team are planning on playing pickup games on Thursdays. Maybe I can move from one adventure to the next!

Power Rush

I remember clearly the first day that I rode my motorcycle on a 35 mph road. I cautiously turned out of a subdivision onto Ustick Road, and felt a huge rush as I accelerated to 35. Prior to that, I had gone only 20 mph in neighborhoods - it was amazing the difference that 15 mph made! Needless to say, the excitement of going 35 is long gone, and even going 55 doesn't thrill me like it used to (although I still love feeling the wind!). Well, last night I experienced that same rush that I felt last year... for the first time, I rode Ryan's Honda Shadow - a bike that is more than twice the size of mine. It was incredible to feel the acceleration. I was going 30 in a matter of seconds, and I was still in first gear (on my bike, I would have already shifted to third). A big smile spread across my face as I enjoyed the power of the bike under me. What a ride. I still love my little Rebel, but now know what excitement awaits me when I decide to upgrade :-)

A Season for Fruit

A couple years ago, my mom and brother transplanted a few raspberry plants from their garden to mine. I didn't get any raspberries the first year, and I think I can count on one hand how many raspberries I got last year, but this must be my year for raspberries! I was so excited this afternoon to walk out back and see red amongst the green vines of my raspberry plants. Of course I had to try some out right away - they're delicious! It's amazing how good fruits & veggies taste when you pick them from your own garden. I can't wait until I have vegetables to harvest. That won't be long! I've got little tomatoes starting to grow, and I should be able to harvest some zucchini in a week or two!

Christmas in June

I have wanted the Willow Tree nativity set ever since I saw it several years ago. I love it - it's simple, and I think it's beautiful. Well, today I got my first few pieces of the set (thanks mom, dad, Beki, BJ, & Mandi)! I was stoked. The sad part is that in a day or two, I'll box up the pieces and store them until the day after Thanksgiving. But when that day arrives, I'll smile as I arrange my new nativity set. This gift will bring me joy for years to come!

What Does This Tell You?

Last week, Ryan excitedly told me that he bought one of my birthday presents. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but you could tell that he was proud of his find. I couldn't help but smile when I opened the box to find this t-shirt. Of course, I had to take a picture to post on my blog! What does this tell you about me? :-)

Girl Power

Camille, Heidi, Diana, and I all skipped out of work an hour early today to hit the mountain biking trail for our first "Girls Only Mountain Bike Ride". We've been talking for months now about biking together, and finally made it happen today. And what a day to pick! The sun blared down on us with 97 degree heat as we biked during the hottest part of the day. What were we thinking? Oh well, sometimes you have to sacrifice for fun :-) Anyway, I had a blast with my fellow coworkers. It was Camille's first ride so we picked an easy trail (and I'm glad we did so I didn't pass out in the heat!) I thought it was funny that we all wore blue shirts with black shorts - we sure made a great team. I can't wait for our next ride together.

Body Fat Testing?

Today I met with a personal trainer at the BSU rec center and completed a fitness assessment. With the info he got from the assessment, the trainer will put together a program design especially for me, and we will meet in about a week or two to go over the program. I'm excited to see what he comes back with to see how I can improve my workouts. Part of my assessment, though, was that body fat pincher. Have you ever seen those before? He had to pinch fat on the back of my arm, on my stomach, and on my thigh. I remember seeing one of those pinchers in high school, and opted out of that test then. I couldn't opt out this time (well, maybe I could have, but didn't want to mess up my assessment), so I let him use the pinchers. I didn't ask him about the results - I didn't really want to know :-) Anyway, hope I don't have to do that again. It's not fun having someone pinch your body fat!!! (The picture isn't me getting tested, but I wanted to put it up in case you've never seen one before. I'm not making it up!)

Boy Jobs

There are definitely certain jobs that I consider "boy jobs". You know, the ones that involve climbing up ladders, crawling under the house, digging up big shrubs, fixing the car, etc. Well, tonight I did a boy job - all by myself :-) I recently remodeled my kitchen, which involved new appliances, counters, and cabinet hardware. One neighbor when admiring my new kitchen asked why there weren't knobs on the drawers. Well, because there weren't knobs on the drawers before the remodel! She convinced me that putting knobs on the drawers would dress up the kitchen a little more. I'm glad I listened to her. Tonight, I measured, used an electric drill, and installed 11 new knobs on the drawers in my kitchen, and it looks so much better! I was so proud of the fact that I figured out which drill bit to use, where to place the knobs, etc. Now that I know I can do it, I'm ready to tackle other boy jobs :-)

Thought of the Day

Sorry - I can't help myself... I thought this was too funny not to share :-)

Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section in a swimming pool?

Saving the Earth, Part 2

All right, I know I'm a dork, but I'm really trying to do what I can. And I just thought of something else. I am switching as many bills as possible to paperless billing - just getting online notifications when I need to pay them. Some of them I've set up to auto pay, but the ones that don't allow that, I'll actually have to log onto their site monthly when I get my email reminder to pay the bill. I know, some of you are probably wondering with how much I love computers, how come I haven't done this before? Well, I think there's something reassuring about getting a paper reminder in the mail. It will probably be an adjustment, but a small one. And then my utility companies, bank, etc. won't have to print out that paper bill/statement, waste their envelopes, and send me extra "junk mail" inside my bills that I don't really like to get anyway :-)

Thank You to a Stranger

It was reaffirmed to me today that there really are genuinely good people surrounding us. As I was riding into work this morning, I turned onto University Drive and noticed something a bit odd. There was a person up ahead standing in the middle of the road - right between two lanes of traffic. What was he doing just standing there, I wondered. There is quite a bit of traffic around the University at 8:00 in the morning, and cars were driving right past him. Why wouldn't he move? As I got closer, I realized why. He was blind. He had a cane and must have somehow got disoriented, as he was about a street-width away from the closest crosswalk. I can only imagine how scared and confused he must have been. Then something happened that made tears well up in my eyes. I watched a girl who had parked her car in the middle lane run over to this young man to take his arm and guide him to safety. I want to say thank you to that blond-haired stranger. Thank you for getting that young man to safety. Thank you for reminding me about the importance of serving others. Thank you for showing me that when we are surrounded by darkness and fear and confusion, that we are being watched over, and that someone will be there to reach out to us and help us to find our way.

Rebellious on my Rebel

Tonight was a perfect night for a motorcycle ride. We finished our softball game (which we won, by the way) around 9:15. It was just over 70 degrees, and the sun was setting. I love rides like that. The air smelled so clean, the cool breeze felt good on my face, and I got to really take in and enjoy the changing colors in the sky. The problem is, when leaving the park where we play softball, there's a stoplight. Sometimes, my little 250 Honda Rebel is too light to trip the stop lights. In Idaho, there's a law that allows motorcycles to proceed through a red light if you are skipped in the cycle (I've had to use this law a couple of times in the past). That's just great, but this was the kind of stop light that doesn't actually cycle - I was coming off a side street, and it only turns green if it actually thinks there's a car there. I've been in this situation before, and I've been okay because a car has come up behind me to trip the light. Well I waited for what seemed like several minutes (although it probably wasn't really that long) and there was no car coming up behind me. So I looked both ways, saw there was no car coming, and turned left on a red light. I felt so rebellious :-)

Saving the Earth

All right Ryan, you inspired me. Last week Ryan posted about only using one paper towel after washing hands in a public restroom. I have always been the kind of person that likes my hands really dry, thus using 2, if not 3 paper towels. I caught myself last week after pulling out two paper towels just as I was about to pull out a third to dry my hands. Since that point, I have made a conscious effort to only use on paper towel. Yes, it's tight, but one paper towel really can dry my hands. So I started thinking, what else can I do besides reducing the number of paper towels I use? Well, for years now, we've been recycling our plastic water bottles and our cardboard boxes (like cereal boxes). Also, last year we replaced all our regular light bulbs with the swirly CFL bulbs. And at work, I don't throw a single piece of paper away - everything either gets recycled or shredded. Also, in the afternoons I try to leave my light off in my office and just work off the light coming in through the windows (I have a whole wall of windows). But I know there's always more to do. I looked at the handy-dandy recycling magnet on my refrigerator that talks about all the different materials that I can recycle in my blue bin each week. I started a bag for junk mail, old magazines, and tin and aluminum cans. I was so proud of my bin this week (this isn't an actual picture of my bin, but it looked just like this). I had four brown paper sacks of different types of recyclable material instead of just two. So here's a challenge to all of my faithful readers :-) Just try to do one more thing. Just one. Not sure what an impact we'll have, but it'll sure make you feel better about doing your part!

Lions, Buffaloes, and Crocodiles, Oh My!

I had to share... I just watched this really incredible video and wanted to post a link. The video is a little long, but make sure to watch the whole thing. It's absolutely amazing!

Pine cones, Anyone?

I have this gigantic pine tree in my front yard that likes to leave me presents - pine cones! Each week, I walk around my front yard filling up a sack of the pine cones that fell during the week. I know - I could probably leave them on the grass to be mulched by the lawn mower, but I think that all the brown pine cones make my grass look browner, so I like to pick them up. Anyway, last week I was babysitting a friend's son and decided to give him a job - I would pay him 5 cents for each pine cone he picked up off the grass. I figured there were probably 50 pine cones or so, 100 at most, spread across my front lawn. Well, after just a few minutes he informed me that he was tired and that he didn't want to pick up any more pine cones. I looked at the few pine cones in the bottom of the sack and began counting. The 108 pine cones he had picked up hardly scratched the surface! I couldn't believe it. I was glad he got tired of picking them up or else I'd have gone broke :-) So this week I decided I was going to count as I picked up my pine cones - 394! I'd say that my sack was as full as it was any other week. Can you imagine one tree dropping close to 400 pine cones a week? Crazy! Anyway, the entire point of this post (besides letting you all know that I have assigned myself this weekly chore) is to say if anyone needs pine cones for anything, please let me know! Want to spray them with cinnamon and put them in a basket for air fresheners at Christmas? They're yours. Want to smear peanut butter on them and sprinkle them with seeds to make a snack for our feathered friends? Have at 'em! Come get as many as you want as often as you want :-)

Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees

I just finished reading the book The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, and decided to write my own review of the book on my blog. I have to admit, I started reading this book months ago. It took me a little while to actually get into the book - the first part for me was pretty slow. As of a couple days ago, I was only on page 50, but in the last 24 hours, I read the remaining 250 pages. Kidd's imagery is incredible, and I can picture even the tiniest details as I read the text. I'm a pretty slow reader, reading every word of the book - I don't skim or speed read. At times I felt like I was actually where the story is taking place (South Carolina). I could smell the fresh honey, hear the hum of the bees, feel the stickiness of the hot Carolina air, my heart ached for the characters, and I was even brought to tears a couple of times.

I personally would label this book as historical fiction (although I don't know that it technically is). The setting of the book is 1960 America, just when blacks finally begin to gain rights. Even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is signed into law, there are still huge barriers between the blacks and whites. It is interesting to see life from the eyes of a white fourteen-year old girl (Lily). Although she didn't consider herself a racist, Lily still had some of the feelings that had been rooted in her by society - like whites are better looking than blacks or whites are smarter than blacks. As the book progresses, Lily wishes that God had not created skin pigment at all, and comes understand that it is one's character, not the color of their skin, that defines who you are. The book teaches some powerful life lessons, including standing up for what you believe in, not living with regrets, the importance of giving and receiving love, dealing with grief, and living your dreams. I love the part of the book where Lily is speaking to her black friend Zach about how Zach wants to become a lawyer. Lily thinks this is odd, as she has never heard of a black lawyer. Lily says, "I've just never heard of a Negro lawyer, that's all. You've got to hear of things before you can imagine them." Zach replied with, "You gotta imagine what's never been." I love that line - you gotta imagine what's never been. It makes me want to take a look at my own life to see who I am and who I really have the potential of being. I give this book two thumbs up and highly recommend it!

Weird Weather

Okay, in my last post I was talking about how hot it was. I think Sunday peaked over 100 degrees. Now here it is Tuesday evening, and it's chilly! Right now (at 8:45 at night) it's 58 degrees. And guess what - that's supposed to be tomorrow's high! That's right - a 40 degree drop in temperature in three days! The bummer thing is that I have a softball game tomorrow night - hope it's not too cold and rainy! Somewhere in between Sunday's high and tomorrow's high would be nice :-)

It's Hot!

Boise has had some HOT weather over the last couple of days... I mean August hot! Yesterday we tied the record high at 97 degrees, and I think it was even hotter today. But I don't mind the heat that much when I'm out on the lake. Yesterday we took our boat up to Lucky Peak for the afternoon. I didn't ski or attempt to wakeboard because there were TONS of boats up there and the water was pretty choppy, but I had lots of tun on the tubes and driving the boat. The lake is so relaxing and I completely lose track of time. It was a really nice way to spend the hot afternoon. I can't wait to get back up to the lake!

There's a Redbox in my Albertsons

For quite some time now, my sister Mandi has talked about how cool redbox is. She explained it to me as a "video vending machine" at McDonalds with $1 dvd rentals for new release movies. Well, we didn't have the infamous redbox in Boise until just recently. But I'm not one to drive 3 miles to Hastings to save a dollar or two on my video rental when Blockbuster is less than a mile away, let alone 5 miles to the closest McDonalds. Lucky for me though, my Albertsons has decided to replace their small video rental section with a redbox... and my Albertsons and my Blockbuster share the same parking lot! Goodbye Blockbuster! I can rent FOUR new release movies at redbox for the price of one Blockbuster movie. So unless I want a specific movie and my redbox doesn't have it, I'll be frequenting my local Albertsons on Friday or Saturday nights to peruse the 60 or so new release titles :-)