ddrt

*I am very ready for Summer to be here...even though I will be unemployed once the school year ends which, will cause other stresses. I guess I'm ready for a different stress. You know, gotta switch it up.

*I cut a large chunk of skin out of my finger this morning. It hurts. I hate having to wear a band-aid in the same place for many days at a time (which I am anticipating). It makes your skin gross.

*I've decided that it's probably a good thing that cheese is so expensive. Because I love it. I love it a lot. And if it were cheaper I would be cooking a lot more main dishes with the primary ingredient of cheese.

*I love Oregon in the Spring. And Summer. And Fall. Winter's ok...as far as winters go.

*I wish I liked to run. But I don't. Not even a little bit.

*I miss the days where there were movies in the theater that I actually wanted to go see.

*Do you want to go to work for me tomorrow? You do?! Thanks.

*I'm on the lookout for some good light gray work pants. You know, like Matlock color. It's been a dream of mine for about the past year to own a pair of light gray suit pants. You'd think it'd be easy to find. Well guess what? It's not.

*I think that my life would be a lot easier if I had someone style my hair every day. I'm pretty sure that everyone would be happier. Good hair = happiness.

*Two words: homemade brownies.

dd, things that make me smile edition

*a good kitchen tea towel

*a child skipping as his/her mode of transportation

*graham cracker crust

*hearing birds chirping in the morning

*comfortable lounge pants

*a good clothing sale

*really really nerdy people on jeopardy (as opposed to just nerdy or really nerdy people)

*wrapping up in a blanket

*seeing children trying to act like adults

*going to bed knowing i can sleep-in in the morning

*when i've finished an organizing project

*when i've created something nice

*knowing i have a vacation planned

*talking with old friends

*puns

*family

dd, decision edition

The first step to making a decision is to have options.

I don't have options yet, so I can't make a decision.

But once those options come up (if they come up), how does one make a decision?

I tried the list-making thing already...didn't help.

Maybe I'll flip a coin? Or try a magic-8 ball.

dd, only once, I promise

8 things I'm passionate about
**First of all, I don't like the phrasing of "being passionate about" something.
I really like (in no particular order):
1. food
2. kid's books
3. family
4. friends
5. church
6. traveling
7. being a teacher
8. movies

8 words/phrases I use most often
1. Yikes!
2. Oh, really?
3. Stop.
4. Not okay.
5. Well...
6. Hey girl.
7. I need your attention in 5...4...3...
8. mmhmm (mumbled uh-huh)

8 things I want to do before I die
1. Sound of Music tour in Austria.
2. Attend a Wimbeldon match.
3. Go to New England in the Fall.
4. Anne of Green Gables tour on PEI.
5. See the house they used for Pemberly in A&E's Pride and Prejudice (along with the other Jane Austen-y touristy things in England).
6. Be an elementary school librarian.
7. Be on Wheel of Fortune (and win lots of money).

8 places I want to visit
1. England
2. Austria
3. Switzerland
4. Greece
5. PEI
6. Sweden
7. Africa...I don't know where, though...wherever people vacation in Africa
8. Bahamas

8 favorite restaurants
1. Marzini's (RIP)
2. Macaroni Grill
3. Olive garden
**Do you sense a theme here?
4. Local Boyz
5. Arby's (in the fast food category)
6. Papa Hayden's (for dessert)
7. Mother's
8. Gustav's

8 shows I watch
1. The Amazing Race
2. The Bachelor(ette)
3. Jeopardy
4. Project Runway
5. Grey's Anatomy
6. Ugly Betty
7. Modern Family
8. Greek

dd, list edition

Proof that I've been commuting too much:
*I am getting sick of listening to music...
*...which has made me resort to the nerdy endeavor of: books.on.cd.
*I am enjoying books on cd.
*I have caught myself using cruise control on 25 and 35 mph streets.

New dream job list, in order of preference:
1. Vanna White
2. Phil Keoghan's right hand (wo)man (actually, this could be #1...it's debatable)
3. children's book shop owner
4. elementary school librarian

Favorite winter Olympic sports (in no particular order):
*freestyle skiing
*luge
*short track
*alpine skiing
*figure skating (I think that Scott Hamilton's commentary has become the most entertaining part. How has his voice become so recognizable in my life?!)

ddrt

*You know how I said my dream job was to be an elementary school librarian? Well I lied. My real dream job is to be Vanna White.

*My most embarassing guilty-plesaure show? ABC Family's "Greek." I love it. I don't know why, I just do.

*I wish I wouldn't fall asleep after reading for 5 minutes. I'd get a lot more books read if I didn't.

*I would fry more foods (pioneer woman has a recipe for dougnuts, plus won tons are good), but I despise the smell of oil. It permeates. I hate permeating smells.

*It's hard for me to be motivated after 3pm.

*The sun was out today!!! I am very ready for it to be summer.

*Conflicted feelings are the worst.

*There is an owl that has been hooting many nights for the past couple of weeks. I love it. I think I will name the owl Henry.

dd, my kitchen edition

I really like my apartment. It's spacious, the location is great, the rent is a good price, etc. While I'm grateful to have a job it's sad not really living in my apartment.

That doesn't stop me, however, from decorating it and making it the exact place that I want to live. I may have gone a little overboard with some decorating ideas (like the "ledges" on the wall), but I still love it. It feels like me. Because I kind of took over in the decorating department (sorry, roommate).

I have a pretty well-equipped kitchen. And I am going to continually add to my "stuff," for lack of a better word, until I have a utility equivalent to that of Jan's. I kind of have this weird anxiety where I need things to be complete, and thus my kitchen will be...probably sooner than it needs to be, but nonetheless (or nevertheless?), eventually it will be complete. I already have some of those obscure items, like a crepe pan and an aebelskiver pan, but am still acquiring some basics.

Yesterday I bought dishes. I have deviated from the original plan (from my last ddrt), which is good because it makes having China more of a possibility. I bought twelve four-piece settings of this lovely dinnerware, and I really like it. The bowls are backordered so I will get the rest of them (they only had two in the store) in a few weeks when the shipment comes in. I was pleasantly surprised by the mugs - they are almost as big as the bowls! So they will be perfect for hot chocolate or even ice cream or soup! So now my kitchen color-theme is black and yellow. I will at some point put a bowl of lemons as a centerpiece for my table. Maybe I will even throw some limes in there to spice things up. Or oranges! But I'm not likely to get that crazy.

So now that I have dinnerware, I can get my white-with-possible-platinum-accent china someday. Good plan.

It's mildly depressing that I just wrote this whole post on things in my kitchen. But hey, my life's not very exciting, ok?

P.S. I have been listening to Louie Armstrong-esque jazzy music all day and have been thoroughly enjoying it.