Goodbye Twenty Ten!

(My Absolute Favorite Event of 2010)

We've laughed, we've cried, sometimes within moments of doing one, we've done the other. We've been overjoyed and underwhelmed. We have great highs and some pretty (average) lows. It has been a rollercoaster ride 2010, and now we part as friends. I will look back at you fondly because within that 12 month span of time, I have grown and changed all for the better.

Times I've loved most of all:

• Rescuing My Little Remy- it is true love
• Weddings- being in them, being at them, planning them
• Being a bride- now matter how much I do not like the spotlight, It was the most fun day of my life
• Having a hot lil groom- Man! I love that face!
• Camping trips- fires a-blazing, s'mores a-roasting, trails a-hiked
• 4th of July in Telluride- It was like being in a postcard
• Picnics in the park- though we didn't particularly like picking burrs out of the blanket
• Reuniting with old friends- always pick up wherever we left off
• The Freakin' Honeymoon- Woot woot! Pura Vida!
• Falling in love again- at least once a week

I am a New Year's sap. May everyone have a safe, but boisterous night!



Two years ago, at 11:59 p.m., Shawn dropped down on one knee...

A Very Married Christmas

Hubby and I had a wonderful Christmas 2010. It was the first we have celebrated as a married couple. It was also the first with my dog-child, Remy. It was also the first that neither of us saw our families. I kept wishing for a teleportation device to whisk us away to the blizzardy-cold frozen tundras of New Jersey and Illinois, but, alas, those Christmas dreams were not realized. On to wish for it another year!

Hope all had a very wonderful Christmas. Remember the reason for the season. God Bless one and all!!

(This is Remy's "smile." His ferociousness cracks me up. He's wishing you all a holiday full of wonder.)

The Sun Rises in the East

If you live in Arizona, you know these were taken about a week and a half ago (before Winter came crashing down on the Valley). There were taken at 7 a.m. on my drive to work. I had kept saying that I wanted to photograph the incredible sunrises on my early commute. They are about 5 minutes apart (stopping at a couple of stop signs and traffic lights; no twisting my body around while driving, safety first), but the color variance is striking.

Speaking of the sudden season change...
One day we had 83 degree heat (yes, deep, deep into December) and the next...

BANG! Our tree dropped all of its leaves. It was literally overnight. Hubster had a swell time raking it and bagging it. Little Remy didn't want anything to do with the piles of leaves.


So there you have it! Proof that Chandler gets more than one season. So what if it happens all in one week?

Reindeer Games

At the CW6 Holiday Party, we had a bit of fun. One of our games was to dress up a team member as a reindeer. The materials were a dark brown shirt, 2 felt "hooves," a white felt "belly," a pair of tan pantyhose, six deflated balloons, a red foam "nose," and two really creepy fur eyebrows. I knew as soon as we pulled the nylons over Doug's face that we had won.

What did we win, you ask?

Why a bag of reindeer poop!
**chocolate covered raisins and chocolate covered peanuts

Candy Coated Everything

There is nothing like taking something beautifully nutritious and drowning it in caramel, chocolate and cookie chunks. 'Tis the season, right?

Isn't Happy Husband cute?

The Joy of Baking!

Let the Season of Sugar officially commence!

Every December, as far back as I could remember, I bake Christmas cookies - a lot of them. I have done the tried and true recipes (the chocolate chip, the oatmeal, and the holiday staples - sugar cookies and snickerdoodles). A few years ago, I dove into Mom's cookbook collection and selected the Betty Crocker Cooky Book from the 60s or 70s. I cannot praise that masterpiece of baker's delight enough!

I have tried to recreate a couple German cookies that I fell for during that year: Zimtsterne and Pffernusse. Hubster and I love spiced cookies and these two have a real zing! Zimtsterne, so heavenly-cinnamony,  are rolled out then cut into star-shapes and basted with an eggwhite-wash before baking. I have also seen them iced.* Pffernusse have a good dose of black pepper in them, but that heat is subdued by the dusting of powder sugar on the outside (after baking). The cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg make this a real warming treat in a white snowball.

*My Zimtsterne were a bit different because I do not own a cookie cutter that is not in a Halloween shape. So I made mine into a drop cookie, making them a softer-pillowy texture unlike the hard and crunchy texture they are "supposed" to be. Also, the photo above is from audrinapatridge.com (I am writing this at a time inconvenient for plugging my camera into computer... tee hee hee)

For the Children

I know I have had a long day at the office; it is evident in the recent goings-on in my mind. Several times in the past hour, I could swear I heard a baby's cries. "Not normal," I thought to my (already overheated brain) self. Again, a baby cries.

"I really do have baby fever!"

Wow, not even a minute later a pair of children run by my desk. Today is our TV station's Childrens' Party.Whoops!

What a way to realize that I do have babies on the brain. Is it also normal to blush when I embarrass myself only in my head?

Wunderkleen!

Behold ladies and... well... ladies! I have discovered a miracle solvent to clean just about anything! Okay it is a powder that is not a solvent, but it certainly solved a cleaning dilemma we have faced.

Our fantastic kitchen knives cut cut about anything with the greatest of ease. I use them all (bread knife, paring knife, fish knife, santuku knife, slicing knife, chef's knife, etc) and Happy Husband uses the steak knives to cut it all. All of this chopping/slicing/dicing/mincing/julienne-ing has caused these beloved kitchen features to accumulate rust spots here and there (okay, I admit that the steak knives are fine and it is only the ones I use that have the blemishes).
 
The genius customer service-guy at Home Depot (if you have a cleaning problem thay are the dudes to talk to!) suggested Bar Keepers Friend to keep my gear spotless. Grab a rag - not a kitchen towel, like I did, dampen, then dust it with the powder. Scrub the knife for just a few moments, washing off after no more than a minute. Voila! My wedding present knives look as good as new!

But wait! There's more that this "Friend" will take care of for you! My glass cooktop (inherited from the previous owners of our home, who apparently burned food on the stove surface more than cooked food in a pot) has been cleaned to better-than-when-we-bought-the-house condition! Our everyday stainless steel flatware shines and sparkles! Hoping I can get my hands on Hubby's golf clubs to get them twinkling soon!

Go here for a coupon (it's 55 cents, but for such an inexpensive product, that discount creates a real bargain!)
If I didn't work myself into such a scrub-a-dub frenzy, I would have taken some before and after photos.

XOXO

Stupefy!

Saw "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" last week. I give it several thumbs up. Excited to see the final installment this summer :) It is a little bit scarier and darker than previous films in the franchise. Let me know what you thought of it

Not the best start to the day

7:15 am:

• Attack of Morning Coffee down front of white cardigan; too far from home to drive back and change.
• Must wear brown splotchy badge of defeat until return home at 6 pm

8:45 am:

• Toner Explosion from ancient technology known as fax machine
• Hands blackened, white cardigan unbelievably remained unscathed

10:00 am:

• Cuticles sliced by toilet paper dispenser (seriously, the roll was waaaay too big for the plastic dispenser)
• Developed mild paranoia will contract deadly tropical disease despite "antimicrobial" sticker

Currently is 12:00 pm. Hoping bad luck really does come in threes and I am done for the day. Ugh. I want to crawl under my desk and hide from my future.
 

***UPDATE: ***
12:30 pm:

• Phone died (this may have been averted if I did not leave charger at home)

2:00 pm:

• choked a bit on a Granny Smith Apple; feeling intimidated by equally raw and crunchy baby carrots

The stakes in this game of bad luck are getting a little high for me. As of 2:10 pm, have not found voodoo doll in office. Searching for alternative explanations to "Unfortunate Happenings" phenomena

Listening to: "Fleur de Saison" by Emilie Simon

El Fin

Le Jour Trente
A Photo

Le Jour Vingt-Neuf
3 Wishes

1. I wish for incredible health...

2. I wish for adequate wealth...

3. I wish for all your dreams to come true!

Steam Comin' Out My Ears

Le Jour Vingt-Huit
Something that Stresses Me Out

Traffic! There are very few things that make me completely lose my cool, but traffic is far and away has its finger on my hair trigger. I drive with my windows up so my fellow commuters do not hear the incredible obscenities I spew. Yes, I am that crazy woman that waves her hands violently, gesturing (no I don't flip the bird) emphatically to the offenders.

The biggest problem is that I commute for over an hour EACH WAY to/from work. I spend a lot of my waking hours in my dirty, manual transmission, two-door car. Something's gotta give, and it most likely will not be all the wackadoos on the 60 or I-10.

Stress is my biggest problem. It eats me up and I have a very difficult time relaxing (as in I really do not know how).

Here is my shortlist of meltdown triggers:

1. Money (almost any talk about it creates a huge knot in my shoulders followed by complete tailspin)
2. Being late (me and Hubby being late really, really stresses me out, more-so than others being late)
3. Not finishing a project (it will be always top of mind, even in situations where it should be the last thing I am thinking about)
4. Arguing with Others (I am desperately trying to work on my assertiveness; Shawn would disagree ;) )

Listening to: "Sleepy Seven" by Bonobo

****I need to chill after all that stressful thinking***

Mon Petit Chien

Le Jour Vingt-Sept
Pet

Remy

Mon Petit Chien

My Family, My Heart

Le JourVingt-Six
A Picture of My Family

I love my nutty family! Everyone of us is a totally different flavor of fun. This super-family has grown ten-fold since I married, too. Lookout! We're everywhere!

Scoobs, Kid Sister, Bubs, Grandma, Mamasita, Daddy-O, Moi, Mi Amour, Mama K, Daddy C, Grandpa, C, Jay and Cor

Adventures in Food City

GIANT, HUMONGOUS, INCREDIBLE CONGRATULATIONS to two of my friends (K and N) who were each recently engaged! They are superb women and deserve the best of the best. D and T are the luckiest men in the world.

You all make me smile an ever present obnoxiously ear-to-ear grin. I love love!

With that said...

In my search for champagne to celebrate the blessed events, I ran into a local grocery in a neighborhood that can be at best time described as "sketchy." I bee-lined to the booze and was quickly followed a a diminutive man. He spoke to me in mumbled Spanish.

"I'm sorry, what did you say? Say it again slower," I smiled.
"What is your name?"
"Monique."
"[Your shoes are dangerous on this floor. You can fall]," he said*translated* gesturing to my stiletto boots.
"I like them!" I smiled, still perusing the limited bottle collection.
"Yes, yes! Sexy shoes!" he said in emphatic English.
I laughed, "Thank you." I motioned to leave the area, decided the discount bottle wasn't really worth the $2 cost. The man followed me, speaking more rapidly, as I took a few steps.
"Sexy Shoes! Camarones! Sexy Shoes Camarones!"
I laughed again, obviously confused. "It was nice to meet you."
I walked to the bread aisle, he followed. "Sexy Shoes! Camarones! Sexy Shoes Camarones!" he exclaimed. To the juice aisle, "Sexy Shoes! Camarones! Sexy Shoes Camarones!" To the produce, "Sexy Shoes! Camarones! Sexy Shoes Camarones!"
After this third aisle I booked it out the store, straight to my car, keys in hand. "Do you work at the bank, he asked"
"No, I'm going to a friend's house," clearly I stopped making sense because I was so confused. He waved goodbye from the store exit as I drove away. I called the hubster right away, cracking up. He forbid me from ever walking into another store of that name.

If you, or someone you know speaks Spanish, knows slang of any kind, can you ask them to explain why that man was yelling "Shrimp" at me. I promise I was not wearing and shellfish or seafood at the time.

Congratulations, my dearest friends. I will only be harassed for you and you alone!

Music, Sweet Music

Le Jour Vingt-Cinq
First 10 Songs When Ipod is on Shuffle

1. "Watch You Sleeping" by Blue Foundation
2. "Crawl" by Kings of Leon
3. "Re: Stacks" by Bon Iver
4. "Boy With a Coin" by Iron and Wine
5. "Into the Groove" by Madonna
6. "Dare" by Gorillaz
7. "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him
8. "In the Waiting Line" by Zero 7
9. "American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz
10. "Wonderwall" by Oasis


I actually do not have very many songs on my ipod. I usually listen to Youtube.com random playlists, the radio, and pandora.com stations (one of my favorites is Broken Bells station).

Happy Hanukkah!

I may not be Jewish, but I love the food! When I was in elementary school (2nd-4th grades), I got to learn all about Judaism -as much as a little kid with a Baptist background could understand anyway. I particularly enjoyed when my second grade teacher brought in latkes, rugelach, and I {think it was} kugel for us kids to enjoy during Hanukkah. We made dreidels, lit the menorah, and snacked on chocolate coins. I loved every second; it was so different than Christmas, yet felt so familiar. Here is my recipe for yum-o latkes.

2 c. grated potato (wring out to removed excess moisture)
1 egg, beaten
1 Tb. grated onion
2 Tb. matzo meal (or flour, if you don't have it)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. peanut oil for frying

Mix together first 5 ingredients. Heat oil in pan until hot (drop a water droplet in it to see if it sizzles, if it does, then you are ready to party). Place large spoonfuls of potato mixture into oil, pressing down until flat (approx. 1/2 inch thick). Brown on both sides, then drain on paper towels. Serve piping hot with sour cream and/or applesauce.

Enjoy!

I am a Know-It-All

Le Jour Vingt-Quatre
Something I Have Learned


I know that I am a Know-It-All. I know that it is supposed to be a fault, but I can't help but be a smidge smug of my gigantic brain (I am very modest, too, can't you tell). I love-love-love to learn. I live to read and sponge up new info. I actually enjoyed school, well maybe not geology and any of my math classes, but all of my journalism, sociology, film history, literature, language, psych, public relations, etc. classes. I am the embodiment of curious. I think of weird stuff, then look up anything I can about it. Yes, I read the entire Encloypaedia Britannica when I was a kid (I am sure it is pretty outdated by now, and am in pursuit of updating my knowledge bank). What a fun child, huh?

"I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." -Abraham Lincoln

During our car ride, Shawn, my gorgeous and happy hubby, and I would enter bizarre conversations (Like "Do sharks menstruate? Most have live births, so does that mean they get their period?" and "Do birds urinate?" and the magical "Can you grow hair on your tongue?"

{Answers: 1. No, but the babies inside the mom eat each other until only one survives and when its born the mother abandons it so it fends for itself. That also explains the anger sharks seem to possess. 2. No, birds produce uric acid (not urea) and it comes out when they poop; its the white part of the poop. 3. No, you cannot grow hair on your tongue, but chewing tobacco can make it look like it. We both agreed that would be "nasty."}

That was about a ten minute conversation and phone googling. You can imagine the other gems that came up during the total 13 hours of driving.

Listening to: "Timshel" by Mumford & Sons

The Grateful Day

Just returned from Cortez, Colorado for the merriest of Turkey Days. Happy Husband and I gathered up My Little Remy and way too much clothes and headed north(east) for a holiday in colder climes. Our friends, H and S (and Lil' C), invited us to Shane's hometown to stay with his parents and we jumped at the chance.

And so... We took off, a merry bunch of three (one a bit fuzzier then the others).

We marveled in the splendor that is the desert landscape.

We ate until we were giddy.
We played until we could play no longer.

We faced off with wild, ferocious beasts.

We climbed every mountain (in our deepest slumber).

We blazed down the open road to open arms.Thank you for EVERYTHING

Joyeux Thanksgiving, mes chers!

Working for the weekend

Le Jour Vingt- Trois
My Favorite Vacation

My honeymoon in Costa Rica! 7 days in the jungle and on the beach = paradise on earth.

Pura Vida!

Bright Lights, Big City

Le Jour Vingt et Deux
Favorite City

I love new places, different places, culture shock places. But, something about Chicago draws me in. I love the food, the architecture, the pace, but especially the people. Midwesterners have my heart.

But Miami has my soul!
The people, the sounds, the culture, the vibrancy of life and my beloved beaches!

Listening to: "Music" by Madonna

How Very Bridal of me

Le Jour Vingt et Un

A Photo of Me

May 1, 2010, approximately 20 minutes before I became a Mrs.

Eenie-Miney-Mo

Le Jour Vingt
Nicknames

I dole out nicknames to my family practically each month. My Happy Hubster has about twenty variations of nicknames, My Little Remy has at least ten, I lost count when it comes to my parents' old dog, Powder (Pow-Pow-Chicka-Pow is a favorite), when I reached about forty.

I, however, have very few nicknames. Most that I do have center around the "Mo" in Monique.

Moni-Moni
Mo-Fo
Super-Mo

Happy Husband just mimics the ones I give him (a tiny sampling)

Toops
Toopy
Baby
Most Beloved Goddess Divine (one can only wish)

My Daddy-o is a fervent believer in nicknames as well.

Mo-Girl
Neaker-Sneaker (apparently, I hid in cabinets and closets as a kid... a lot)


Listening to: "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child

Those were the days

Le Jour Dix-Neuf
Something I Miss

I truly, Truly miss the days before I had a J-O-B. The last time I did not work was my first semester of my freshman year of college (I had jobs in high school, but I was adjusting to college dorm life during those first few months).

Oh the freedom! Woe is me ;)

Listening to: "Not Fair" Lily Allen (be careful, its a little explicit, just a little bit)
Reading: "Dog On It" by Spencer Quinn

Should-a, Would-a, Could-a

Le Jour Dix-Huit
Something I Regret

All of my decisions, I have my fair share of good and bad, make me who I am. I have my *face-palm* moments too often I fear, but I do not tend to have regrets about anything. There is one big thing that I do regret, and I do not think I will do anything about it...

I should have switched my major from Journalism/Public Relations when I wanted to during my junior year at Arizona State University. I should be in early-childhood education.

I have had a life-long dream of teaching children how to read.

Literacy + Children = Lifelong Passion. I wanted to write children's books when I was seven, and loved to read to the little kids (those a year or two younger than me) when I was in middle school. I used to read books with my three younger siblings and help them with their English homework. I worked with the local YMCA After-School Care Program during high school, caring for/playing with/teaching elementary school kids.

I don't know going back to school is in the cards for me (I have a very difficult time grappling with taking on more student loans/debt). I know that I would be very happy teaching, but I would be more miserable adding to any kind of financial strain on Hubby and myself. Damn that practical side of mine!

(I have also seriously thought the idea of going to nursing school - I would love to work in either pediatrics or geriatrics, but my hang-up is huge and I don't know how to get over it).

Listening to: "Meddle" by Little Boots

Taste the Rockies

Le Jour Dix-Sept
Something I Look Forward To


Going to Colorado on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Thanksgiving Day (hence tasting and rockies, clever, no?)! Happy Hubby and I are driving up with one of my besties, her little guy, and her happy hubby to see her in-laws. We have celebrated Thanksgiving at her house in Mesa for several years and have developed a great relation ship with the in-laws. I am super excited about driving up, (her MIL is a fantastic cook) and we get to bring My Little Remy.

Hooray for Turkey Day plans in a place with leaves that actually change color!

Listening to: "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga
Reading: "The Exile" by Diana Gabaldon

Logo is from a T-Shirt for sale on cafepress.com

Happy Birthday to Moi!

Joyeux anniversaire à moi!

This Saturday marked my 27th year. Alive and Dancing since 1983! Happy Husband suprised me with one of his most thoughtful gifts ever! He bought me a new camera and photography lessons to go with it. Check one item off the yet-to-be-written bucket list! We threw my Moulin Rouge-themed party; it was a smashing success. 27 will be the best year yet, I think we have great things in store for us.

(I am missing my red lips in this photo and my elbow length gloves, and I still had a fantastique time)

Listening to: "Like a Star" by Corinne Bailey Rae

Catching up on the past few days

Le Jour Treize
Goals

Goal 1: To crate a bucket list and start checking things off immediately
Goal 2: To elevate my career and be fulfilled in doing so
Goal 3: To re-start my running (the race wasn't supposed to be the last time, whoops)
Goal 4: To continue my education in some form or another
Goal 5: Think of more goals, I should probably shoot for more stars


Le Jour Quatorze
A Picture I Love
Le Jour Quinze
A Bible Verse

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."
Ecclesiastes 3:4

and another favorite:

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy."
Psalm 30:11

Le Jour Seize
A Dream House

I dream of my perfect house often. A funny thing because I focus more on where it is, with whom I share it, and the sounds coming from it, more than what it looks like. I don't mean to make this deeper than t should be, but it is true. The house of my dreams is filled with laughter and music, the smells of good cooking (particularly fresh bread), with lots of children, my husband, my friends and my dog. I dream of living near a beach. It won't matter how large our home is - we do not spend much time in it, being outdoors building sandcastles and walking in ocean puddles much of the time. When I picture it in my mind, I see myself on a wraparound porch, standing my dark green shutters on white walls, the cieling of the porch is a light blue (keeping in custom with the homes in the keys). That is my dream house. The photo above is Hemingway house on Key West, a favorite place of mine.

If I could find a dilapidated home on the island and fix it up, it would be a true dream house come true. I love a good restoration-dream (not so sure about my real life abilities, but I am super talented in dreamland).

Listening to: "Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse

Do you believe in magic?

Le Jour Douze
What do I believe?

I believe in a great many things. I believe laughter is a cure for all ailments. I believe in the power of a positive mind. I believe in love. I believe in free will. I believe in making up your own mind. I believe in standing on your own two feet. I believe in compliments and complements. I believe in liberty. I believe magic. I believe in God. I believe that a pot of gold is at the end of the rainbow. I believe in fairy tales. I believe in forever. I believe in painting your life with broad brushstrokes. I believe that all men are born equal. I believe there is goodness in everyone. I believe in salvation. I believe that secrets and mystery make for good stories, but less than whole relationships. I believe nothing is all black or white (even zebras' tongues are pink). I believe the children are our future. I believe in creating your own destiny. I believe in having many soulmates, but marrying just one. I believe that dreams do come true and it can happen to you.

As seen on tv...

Le Jour Onze
Favorite television shows

I work for a television station in Phoenix, a CW network affiliate actually, so clearly tv is something I take seriously in a not so serious way. My taste runs the gamut, really. Here is a sampling of my can't miss:

• All time favorite channel is PBS (sorry employer, they show more documentaries and nature shows): Masterpiece Classic & Masterpiece Mysteries, Circus, and Ken Burns's special program, Nature, Rick Steve's travel shows and the list goes on
  
• Favorite cooking show: French Food at Home with Laura Calder (I write down almost all of her recipes and vow to cook my way through her cookbooks)
• Favorite procedural: Law and Order: SVU
• Favorite reality: any of the Real Housewives franchise (super guilty pleasure)
• Favorite dramas: House, Bones, and Fringe
• Favorite guilty pleasures: Vampire Diaries (Thursdays on CW!)
• Favorite comedy: 30 Rock and Talk Soup
  
• Favorite talk show: Chelsea Lately

The list really can go on forever.

Listening to: "Playing God" by Paramore

Are you afraid of the dark?

Le Jour Dix
Something I am Afraid of

I know it is completely irrational, but...

I have a fear of falling backward. Trust me I fall all over myself going forwards and to either side, but going backward gives me the creeps. I tighten up the chair-back at my computer because if I lean one inch too far back... total spaz attack. This irrational fear also does not allow me to do those terrible "trust tests" where you fall backward into your very trustworthy friends' arms. I just can't do it, I get anxious and teary eyed and become an emotional wreck. It is definitely NOT because I do not trust my friends; I am a very trusting person (maybe too much at times - I wear my heart on my sleeve). Could this be because I am a control freak? Perhaps...


Listening to: "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver

New Music Obsession

During my daily scourings of youtube.com (I listen to the videos while I do my work all day, pretty much every day) today, I stumbled across some beautiful songs by a French artist, Emilie Simon.

No, I have no idea what she is saying. My French is limited to foods (expresso, croissant, brioche), greetings ("Bonjour, monsieur. Mon nom est Monique."), and compliments ("Vous etes si joli, madame!"). That last one I copied from a free translator, ah! the glories of the web!

Have a listen, I promise she is quite talented. If you know what she is singing, let me know!

"Il Pleut" by Emilie Simon
"Dame de Lotus" by Emilie Simon
"Fleur de Saison" by Emilie Simon

A Little Help from My Friends

Le Jour Neuf
A picture of my friends

G, Little Sister, Moi, Nat, Linds, Heather

There is always room for a fun one in the wedding album. I truly have the best friends; ones that I will count dearest to my heart for the rest of my life. All very different, all very brilliant, funny and social. As I said, they are the best (though I am admittedly biased in this opinion)!

Listening to: "Sleepyhead" by Passion Pit