june’s adventure in cooking

i made spaghetti...like brandy showed me last month...with hamburger, some spices and some garlic.  it was pretty tasty, but i'm sure i'll get better at it.  and, as most pastas, it got better with time...the fourth meal was the best!

so i went to LA today

b-dizzle (i-brooke) and i tagged along with Espi today so she could audition for The Singing Bee.  she made it through round 2, which is very exciting...and now we await the call to say she's gonna be on the show.

it was a great day.  we ate breakfast at Denny's, checked out the Hollywood sign, drove down Rodeo Dr, did some shopping, read some homework at the coffee shop...and ended with dinner at the Schnitz.

i don't recommend driving to LA and back in one day, but now i know it's possible.  sorry we didn't get time to hang, djg.

b-dizzle

let it be known that brooke will be referred to as "b-dizzle" from here on out.

it needed to be documented.

golf skilz

dad's always said "drive for show, putt for dough."

i chose not to pay attention to this...until now.   i went to an easy par3 course and awesomely tee'd off 8 out of 9 holes.   and then i struggled...putting, pitching, chipping...it's all hard.  my potential score went from par to 10 on one hole.  ridiculous.  so now i get to work on the little stuff in golf.

last time dad was in town, i said, "if putting were more fun, i'd be better at it."

awesome words

yak & i have been discussing awesome words, so i thought i'd jot down a few of our favorites...feel free to comment with others:

flummoxed
flabbergasted
catawampus
cacophany
discombobulated
lollygagging

kind of a big deal…

this apparel rocks.  talk about a great gift idea!

mexico city!

i'm going to mexico city!!!  there are better places to go, but this is on the company.  we've got a new HR girl that needs to be trained in...july 8 -12.

so what do i do there?  suggestions?  contacts?  friends for me?

bacon

wendy's has a new burger.  the Baconater. nasssssssssssty.  please go directly to the emergency room after eating one.

830 calories...51 grams of fat....1920 mg sodium....

(i first read about this on buck's blog)

modified golf

i have to suggest that we cut the long game of golf down to 14 holes.  i'm now good enough to enjoy the first 12 holes, can push it to 14...but after that, i lose focus. 

man, it was a beautiful day for a long game of golf, though.  now i just need to improve a lot...

gangsta

Your Rapper Name Is...

2 Skittles

What's Your Rapper Name?

handwriting analysis

so i took an online handwriting analysis test yesterday and it's pretty interesting...these can't be taken all that seriously, but...it's fun.  my favorite paragraph:


Kristie is moderately outgoing. Her emotions are stirred by sympathy and heart rendering stories. In fact, she can be kind, friendly, affectionate and considerate of others. She has the ability to put herself into the other person's shoes. Kristie will be somewhat moody, with highs and lows. Sometimes she will be happy, the next day she might be sad. She has the unique ability to get along equally well with what psychology calls introverts and extroverts. This is because she is in between. Psychology calls Kristie an ambivert. She understands the needs of both types. Although they get along, she will not tolerate anyone that is too "far out." She doesn't sway too far one way or the other. When convincing her to buy a product or an idea, a heart rendering story could mean a great deal to her. She puts herself in the same situation as the person in the story, yet she will not buy anything that seems overly impractical or illogical. Kristie is an expressive person. She outwardly shows her emotions. She may even show traces of tears when hearing a sad story. Kristie is a "middle-of-the-roader," politically as well as logically. She weighs both sides of an issue, sits on the fence, and then will decide when she finally has to. She basically doesn't relate to any far out ideas and usually won't go to the extreme on any issue.

quote of the day

I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.
  - Augusten Burroughs

(are you sensing a trend in my thinking lately???)  :-)

secrets of skinny chicks

secret #12:  have a cheat day once a week to eat what you want

as long as you make it a one-day-a-week indulgence, you can loosen the reins and eat what you want!  it's what you do the majority of the time - the other six days - that will dictate what your body looks like.  so go ahead, have a cheat day, but plan for it! (p 124)

this is really hard for me...once i cheat, it's all down hill.  but i gotta stop.  i gotta start eating better and stick to it 6 days a week.  i think my cheat day will be saturday.  i'll keep you posted on how that goes.

karaoke

ghouly said, thursday at the Claran

a new treat

the other day i strolled by some coworkers as they were putting hot sauce (tapatio) in their popcorn...so i tried some and it's FANTASTIC!  a healthier way to spice up your popcorn (which is ok in phase 2 of South Beach)

running shoe convert

for years i have been a huge supporter of Asics running shoes.  i didn't think there could be anything better...

and then came Mizuno.  i bought my second pair over the weekend, and they're just as much a taste of heaven to my feet as the first pair.  the fit and support can't be matched.  oh!  and they're at least $40 cheaper!

J Morneau

after seeing his "favorite things" basket for the auction, i decided that he should ask me to marry him. 
- Wild Team Signed Jersey
- AC/DC CD
- The Office DVD – Season 1
- 2 Free Jimmy John’s Subs

happy father’s day!

to all the fathers in my life, especially my own, i hope you have a fantastic day!!!

and kudos to my little brother who has raised his son to choose the MN Twins over Spongebob at a mere 2 years of age. 

i’m pretty gross

You Are 48% Gross

You're more than a little gross, but probably no more gross than the average person. Maybe it's time to drop some of those disgusting habits that could eventually embarrass you!

How Gross Are You?

dog hair

i just found a Murray hair in my keyboard at work...and it makes me a little uncomfortable.  i love the guy, but does he have to send pieces of himself with me everywhere???  this whole shedding thing is overrated.

The 911 Challenge

 Last night I watched a ridiculous college kid take on and conquer the 911 challenge.  You see, University Chicken makes some mean wings...and if you accept the challenge, you have to eat 12 of the hottest wings in the world within 10 minutes.  And then you get a t-shirt, your picture on the wall and a whole lotta pride.

Yak & I are planning to build up our tolerance and take the challenge in six months - December 12, 2007.  Save the date.

The 911 Challenge Rules are as follows:

1. Sign Waiver and admit you are an IDIOT for attempting the 911 Challenge.


2. Eat 12 911 Wings to the bone in 10 minutes or less.


3. Nothing else to eat or drink while taking the challenge.


4. No napkins allowed during the challenge.


5. Lick fingers clean after eating the last wing.


6. After licking fingers clean, wait 5 minutes before eating or drinking anything.


7. The Most Important Rule: Participants — wash hands very, very, very well before going to the bathroom or rubbing your eyes (think about it)!

stuck on dumb

yasuda just coined this phrase and i love it...we couldn't figure out how to find a silly report until someone pointed out to us that we were looking in the wrong place.  stuck on dumb.

i hate it when i forget to think outside my current box.

ending it kristie style

2007 Eclipse 14blue parted ways for the last time yesterday.  overall, we had a great season and they improved a ton...that's all i can ask for.   i surprised myself and went through a little "i'm gonna miss 'em" moment.  they're cute & make me laugh...even if they drive me nuts at times.

anyway, we had the Great America tourney this past weekend.  saturday is pool play, sunday is more pool play with the first place teams from each pool going on to tournament play.  our pool had somewhat of a three way tie - we beat a team that beat the team we lost to.  we had fewer points than the team we lost to, so i assumed we'd be in second place.  i waited twenty minutes for the tourney directors to figure it out and went up to see the other team's name on the bracket to go on...so i let the girls know we were done for the season and they could change to head to Great America (roller coasters).

on our way out the door, the tourney director caught me to let me know we were actually in first place and should be playing.  they'd calculated wrong the first time, and we'd actually won because we'd only played 5 games and they'd played 6.  CRAP!  i asked the girls what they wanted to do...two jerseys were already on the road with parents, they were in their teenybopper cute clothes, they were torn...i looked at the other coach, who was all set to play, and figured we should just leave & let them play it out.  they had flown all the way from hawaii, so it just seemed like a better option.  we could go to roller coasters & they could play some more volleyball...

a few girls on my team were disappointed with our decision, but got over it.  i was disappointed, but seein' the look on the other coach's face made it worth it...she was so happy to be playing more. 

so, even after four years of coaching, i struggle with reading the stupid tourney schedules.  i hate them.  (though this time the tourney director actually messed up first)

 update:  just found out that the Hawaiian team took first place.  it coulda been us.

where does your inner Californian belong?

You Belong in Los Angeles

Whether you'll admit it or not, a huge part of you likes being in the spotlight. And you may just have enough star quality to make it big in LA! Even if you don't become famous, you still belong in a place where you can get a year round tan.

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

Twins/Braves tix available!

My CA friends don't get to come to MN any more...and they have two sweet seats at the Twins game next week...let me know if you want 'em and we'll overnight 'em to you. 

Braves at Twins
Wednesday, 6/13/07 at 7:10PM CDT
Lower Reserved

Section Row Seat Price Type
134 2 27 $29.00 Full
134 2 28 $29.00 Full
Total Convenience Fee for 2 seats $6.50
Price for 2 seats $64.50

MLB - i found my song!

this is at least five years coming...
i've been trying to decide which song i'd walk up to the plate to if i were a major leaguer, and it finally hit me on saturday night...50cent's In Da Club. 

the lyrics  -
It's your birthday
We gon' party like it's your birthday
(don't read the rest of the lyrics, 'cause they're nasty)

the ESPN article from 2004 is here.

Team Fox!

i joined Team Fox yesterday to raise money for the Michael J Fox Foundation so they can fight Parkinson's better.  i'll be running the Big Sur Half Marathon in November, so you've got plenty o' time to donate...or you can donate over & over & over.

my site is here.  you may have already received an email on this, but i figured it should hit the blog, too.

yay, running!  (i apologize if i said i'd never run a half-marathon again...i lied)

a new read

i think it was Real Live Preacher who pointed me to Bible Versus, and i'm thankful.  i don't get to it every day, but today i read a bit about judgment and it struck home.  we're always so quick to judge others and their actions...i and my actions have also been judged...and it never feels good.  (back to accepting the messes that we are, i guess)

anyway, check out Bible Versus when you get a chance.  he says the blog is, "A sometimes humorous, spontainious, honest but always reverent view of God, religion and the New Testament by a disabled gay man living with AIDS in Los Angeles. "

from yesterday's post:
"The chapter about judging others is interesting to me as a gay man because of the number of people who are so ready to judge me. Ted Haggard, for example. The hard turgid log in his eye didn't seem to exempt him from declaiming who I am. I've done a lot of stuff in my life, stuff that might make you blush and turn away (nothing violent or evil), so whenever I hear of another's adventures I'm not one to make a moral assessment. Experience is part of the human adventure and judgement is as well."

a reason to journal

...This is something I do all the time, shove bits of paper with prayers and names on them into desk drawers, little boxes, my glove compartment.  I've found that when you give up on using your mind to solve a problem - which your mind is holding on to like a dog with a chew toy - writing it down helps turn off the terrible alertness.  When you're not siphoned into the black hole of worried control and playing fretful Savior, turning the problem over to God or the elves in the glove compartment harnesses something in the universe that is bigger than you, and that just might work.

Anne Lamott - Grace (eventually), p 26

and a coaching season becomes worth it…

we had the big regional tourney this past weekend. 

saturday was rough - i had to give the "i'm disappointed in you" lecture after we were done playing for the day.  they tend to lose focus after the first match of every tourney...like they're bored with playing, or something...and it drives me nuts!  so i finally told 'em...and crushed their spirits a bit before sending them off to turn their attitudes around and come back ready to play on sunday.

fortunately, they stepped up to the plate and played like we'd never seen before. they focused for the entire five freaking matches...we won the second to last match simply because the other team was more exhausted than we were. (but a win's a win) the day made me so very proud.

the highlight of the weekend was playing our club's 14s team.  four of my girls from last year are on it and we scrimmage often during practice.  before the game, my girls convinced themselves that they could win, which is the biggest battle in these match-ups.  and then they played their hearts out.  we handed the 14s the first game, losing 14-25...but then we won the second game 25-23 and barely lost the last game 14-16.  it was intense...and awesome.  i sure as heck ain't takin' the credit for it, but a few parents had to let me know how far along my team has come.  it's awesome.

again, it's more fun for me to coach a team to success than to actually win myself.  and suddenly this season ain't so bad.  :-)

a mom?

i went to costco on friday to stock up on tailgating supplies, and as i grabbed a package of sausage, the costco guy said, "kids love those...but you would already know that."  i was a bit speechless, but definitely got defensive.

to make it worse, the A's beer lady needed to see lisa's license in order for her to carry a glass away, but she let me walk off with two without questioning a thing.  ridiculous.

the Twins are in town!!!

my favorite time of the summer...the Twins come to Oakland.  this weekend i get to hit two games, missing sunday to coach a tourney. goooooooooo Twins!

i wish i knew where they hung out...i'd drink a beer with Justin if i could.