Y'all Just Can't Get Enough

In the past few days I've received two requests from two separate people to do a new blog entry. They even gave me ideas. The first person encouraged me to make cookies so I could blog about it. I did make the cookies, and have decided I do not love the classic Joy of Cooking peanut butter cookie recipe. Not moist enough for me. The second suggested I blog about the experience of being featured on a News 13 story. Ok.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving Phil and I went to Mass Ave Toys. We didn't need any toys, but it's a neat store, and we'd seen a spot on channel 13 about Local Merchant Saturday or something. You know, you've got Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and now Local Merchant Saturday. It's a stupid gimmick of a day, but I do really like the shops on Mass Ave, and wanted to take Phil into some of my favorites. When we got to Mass Ave Toys the news gal and cameraman were headed back into the store. We held the door for them, told them we'd seen them on the morning news, which prompted them to ask us for an interview. Uhhhhh. I shoulda known not to be friendly to TV people... many years ago I saw some TV people I knew at the Festival of Trees. I said 'hi' and they said 'let us interview you!' Don't say hi to TV people. So, they miked Phil, and used a clip of him saying, 'this smells kinda good.' It also happened to be the day winter arrived in Indianapolis, so Phil, having left his winter hat in Illinois, had to use a stupid old baseball cap from my trunk. Before we left the house I told him he looked a little cancer patient-ish. Then he was interviewed on TV. All in all it was super funny and fun and goofy. We got a lot of laughs, watching the video clip about 11 times on my aunt's DVR.

Now I'm sitting here in my cold cold house in this cold cold city, listening to Christmas music. Elvis is singing 'Here Comes Santa Claus.' A few songs ago they played Frank Sinatra. I love Christmas music, and have been listening to it at home and in the car for about two weeks. One of the worst songs is on now... the one that goes, 'HERE come the bells, blah-blah the bells,' etc. That song sounds more like a war chant than a Christmas carol. Oh, and while I was washing dishes tonight they played my all-time favorite (well, one of them)-- that Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet of Little Drummer Boy.

And in closing, I killed one of the worst spiders ever today. I was almost out the door to go to work and saw just a totally disgusting spider, the likes of which I've never seen before, hanging out there on the wall. Grabbed the most substantial shoe I could find, and shuddered as I felt it squoosh (what? I think I'm trying to use a word that doesn't exist). Ugh. I thought about it all the way to work. So horrible. Why are people so afraid of spiders? And mice, and all that stuff? I am really afraid of all of it. I almost called Henry over to eat the spider, but I am proud to say I just sucked it up and handled it like the adult I am.

Mini-vacation '10

We got a four day weekend last week, so Phil, Hen and I went to Fort Wayne to see a Tin Caps game. I guess I took this picture as soon as we got there, because for most of our time at the ballpark it was cloudy and sprinkling. Then there was a bit of thunder and lightening. We made it to about the 5th inning, I think. It seems they played the whole game, 'cause while sitting over at a bar on Wayne Street we heard the fireworks. Maybe next year we'll get in an entire game...

After a fun day in Fort Wayne we went up to the Lauer's lake. This is a good lake because there aren't tons of boats all around and the cabin is really cute. It was so so so awesome to fall asleep under an open window, all cozied up with blankets. And Henry, oh my gosh. He loves going to the lake... he just tears up and down the hill from the cabin to the shore. He's so cute.

I brought back a bunch of corn from lake country and boiled it all up to freeze. These are cobs waiting to be de-kerneled. Once the kernels were removed, I spread them in a single layer on several cookie sheets, froze them, then packed the kernels in quart sized freezer bags. Kinda time-intensive, but fun. It'll be neat to have delicious farm-fresh corn this fall and winter.

Summertime Remix

A ton of fun stuff has been happening this summer, and here are some of the highlights...

On July 3rd members of my family and I attended Symphony on the Prairie, where the Indianapolis Symphony plays outside at Conner Prairie. It was so great. There were thousands and thousands of people there, enjoying one of the few non-humid evenings of the summer. After a wonderful performance of American-type songs there was a great fireworks display. This is a great event that everyone should go see.

After the July 4th fireworks we conducted an official IPA- off. Contenders: Bell's Two Hearted Ale and New Belgium's Ranger. At the taste-off Crystal, Chad and I all sided with the Bell's, and Phil preferred the Ranger. But tonight, when I drank one of each again, I think I might be shifting to a Ranger preference. It just took me about 10 tries to spell 'preference' correctly.

A few weeks ago Crystal, Chad, Phil, and I were sitting on the back porch. Crystal mentioned having recently read about a taco truck in a parking lot in Broad Ripple, so we took off in search of said tacos. They were good and beefy and spicy, and got us out to Broad Ripple on a Saturday night! It was pretty fun, really-- not the jerk-fest I'd always thought it would be. Well, there were certainly lots of jerks around, but we had fun walking about and drinking at a dive bar where they played Punk Rock Girl by the Dead Milkmen.

This is my favorite pie to eat and make. It's peach-blueberry with cayenne and brandy. It's not a pie for wimps. We had this just before going to Broad Ripple for tacos.

And this is right now. Chad and Crystal are in Fort Wayne for the night, so I have both dogs here with me. They are doing their best to constantly keep tabs on one another while seeming non chalant about it. This is a skill upon which they could improve. What I love most about this picture is that their little paws are touching. How cute!

New Place

I live in my new apartment now, and it was a much easier move than I'd expected-- it took about 45 minutes to unload the moving van, which is a great incentive to never buy anything ever again. Each move I've made over the past year I've moved less and less stuff, and I still have a fully furnished place to live.

So, this picture shows the selling point (the renting point?) for me with this new apartment-- I love love love the woodwork around the doors and windows and baseboards. This is a camera-phone picture, 'cause I just don't think it's necessary to walk all the way over to the table to get my camera and cord.

The weirdest thing about the move, however, is that I lost my travel coffee mug. I remember bringing it out of the car with me last night after a trip to Meijer, but I can't find it in the house anywhere now. I keep thinking it will turn up, but things are clean and organized throughout the apartment and still no coffee travel mug. :(

Story In

It's wine-drinking season. Last week Dad, Mollie and I went to a festival-type thing in a little town in Brown county called Story. Lots and lots of people came to sit around in this clearing in the middle of the woods to listen to music and sample wines from around the state. It was a neat time in a beautiful place.

These are just a couple of the many tents that line the perimeter of the clearing. Nearly every winery in the state could be found under these tents, and tastings were complimentary (of course, there was an admission charge to the festival).
I very much liked the first band... they were kinda alt-county/sea chanty music. Those who best know the types of music I like know this is perfect for me. Also, the covered stage is neat looking.
Then it rained. Most people were prepared and continued to enjoy the music.
I didn't as much like the second musician... it was a girl with a guitar. Those who best know the types of music I like know this is not at all what I want to listen to.

The drive down to Nashville then to Story was beautiful with the new leaves on all the trees that line the windy roads lined with rustic homes and cabins. It's pretty neat that such a great place is just an hour away.

I'm a Jerk

I have some stuff to blog, but my preferred computer has been infected with a horrible virus, I guess. I have pictures from last week's trip to Story, Indiana, pictures of some of the new stuff to decorate my new apartment, and will be going out of town again this weekend, so will have those pics, too. I'll get that stuff on my mac and get on it.

Tonight's last patient was an 11 year old boy for an MRI of his ankle. I went out to get him and groaned on the inside... this kid was SUCH a dork. I know it's not very nice to think that, but I did. He came stumbling back with me, walking down the wrong hallways and getting lost on the way out of the bathroom, and I was like, gimme a break. I mean, when I first saw this kid I thought, "Wow, what a relief to not be a parent... what a disappointment it must be if a kid turns out this dorky!" But he was so sweet and such a great patient! He asked a lot of questions and was very eager to see the machine and to lay very still... when I told him how important it was that he not move, he quickly laid his arms at his side and looked up at the ceiling-- he was ready to go! I burned his images onto a CD for him to take home so he could look at them and keep them, and he carried the CD out to his mom as if it were made of gold, using both hands.

Ok, lesson learned... even if a kid is super dorky he can still be nice and well-behaved and a pleasure to be around.

More Zoo

This was one of the few butterflies we saw at the butterflies exhibit at the White River Gardens at the zoo. I said, 'It looks like an owlface!' and about 12 feet away was a little sign telling us these are called owl butterflies.One of the highlights of the zoo was this tree. What kind is it? Who knows. It was really cool though, all bloomy and hangy.
Teeny daffodils that look like they top chives.
Dr. Seuss tree in the desert part.
The first peony!
I love these little dancing turtle guys that adorn a few pools in the gardens.
Makes me long for Holland.
They had some smokin orchids... this pic is my fave.

Soap Opera Blog

I'm not at all ashamed to admit that I just bid adieu to Palmer Courtland with tears in my eyes. I don't know when I first started watching All My Children... I know Dawn (who was married to Don... they were Don and Dawn), a woman who watched Scott and me before Laura was born, watched All My Children, so that's taking it back to at least 3rd grade. Was AMC a part of my life before then? I have a feeling it was... did Grandma W. watch it? Anyway, Palmer Courtland was a major figure in my childhood-- he was the most powerful, well-dressed, ruthless person I knew of. When his rival Adam Chandler came along in the mid-80s or so I scoffed... this Chandler fellow was no Palmer Courtland, that was for sure! The farewell to PC episode of AMC was pretty great, really. His daughter, Nina was there, as was Nina's mom, Daisy, Brooke (who is back and in love with Adam.... AGAIN!), Jackson Montgomery (my mom always thought it was neat that his first and last name were the state capitals of Mississippi and Alabama), Opal... it was a great episode filled with old-timers.

Work was complete shite today-- I didn't even have time to run back to the kitchen to get my salad to eat while I scanned. The best thing in the world, the thing that cancelled out the rotten day, was pouring a big glass of wine, eating that salad, and watching this episode of AMC.

Lions and Tigers and Bears... Not Pictured

But they were there! They just didn't inspire me to photograph them. These guys did...

The desert part of the Indy Zoo was pretty neat. I was gonna say 'pretty cool,' but it was actually very warm in there.
It was just a perfect day for a visit to the zoo, or anywhere outside, really. While there were plenty of families and and kids and strollers at the zoo, I wouldn't say it was too crowded. And the landscaping and foliage at the Indy zoo is great-- I think that will be the next post.
While looking at the rhinos this little boy was standing there laughing, laughing, laughing and pointing at the rhinos and repeating, "Look it's his butt! Hahahahahahahahahah the rhino butt! Haaahahahahahahahaaha! His butt!!"
A huge walrus poking his head out and a normal-sized one swimming by.

Lots of hungry giraffes!
If you know me at all, you know I hate monkeys. I was, however, quite taken with these baboons. They were screeching and active and had little babies running around. A kid walked around the corner to see this group and exclaimed,"Look-- those baboons are having a party!"
The loner baboon.

Really great day with Mollie and Aunt Sandy. We started with lunch at a restaurant called Taste, which I guess is in SoBro (South Broad Ripple, of course). Mollie had a rare roast beef sandwich with balsamic onions and horseradish mayo, Sandy had the fluffiest quiche ever and a fruit cup, and I had a deli salad trio plate with curried chicken salad (which was awesome), orzo salad, and roasted beet salad. The portions were good, the prices were very reasonable, and the staff, while very busy, was great. I look forward to returning to Taste.

My First Roller Derby

Last night I went with Crystal and Chad to watch the last bout of the season for the Indianapolis Tornado Sirens. They are really good, I guess, because they won both bouts of the night by around 100 points. I was kinda surprised by how many normal people and kids were there. Even Mayor Greg Ballard was there. It was a fun time with good beer and great popcorn (you may not know that I don't like popcorn too much, but this was really yummy). Oh yeah, and good friends. This strange move to Indy this has been, well, strange, but Crystal continues to make it so much easier. I don't think I've ever had to ask for her help or time-- she's always there to offer before I even realize I'd need her. We're very fortunate our friendship has been so long-lasting and is at the pinnacle of strength.

So, phone photos from the roller derby...

There are about as many officials and scorekeepers and refs on the track as there are girls playing!