you + me

I change lyrics to songs so I can include my dogs' names in them.
I get cranky when I'm hungry.
When I'm sick I like new pajamas and socks.
Movies are better when they're cartoons.  And the animals sing.
I hate when people misuse "they're, there, and their".  Hate it.

Band-aids really do make things better.
Given a thousand choices, I will still pick the vanilla ice cream.  With sprinkles, thank you very much.
I could spend all day in a book store.  All. Day.
I am happy in the corner of a party, people-watching.
I like to go to bed early and sleep.  A lot.
Hugs get me through the day.

You sing along to my crazy songs, and help make up new verses.
You have a borderline addiction to energy drinks.
You enjoy eating almonds and then (jokingly, I think) threatening to kiss me.
You claim to hate musicals (especially cartoon ones) but will rent them and watch them with me every time a new one comes out.
You spell words like "zit" and "butt" in Scrabble and giggle about it.
You could spend all day in an electronics store.  All. Day.
You can cut yourself accidentally while working and be bleeding profusely and not even notice. (How do you do that?)
You can talk to anyone and make friends with them.  A neighbor.  The guy working at the gas station.  The person next to you on a plane.  Seriously.  Anyone.
You get random bursts of energy after 10 p.m.
Your hugs get me through the day.

Some people say opposites attract.  I think we're really more complimentary of each other than we are opposites.  As gushy, gross, and hopelessly romantic as it may be, you're my better half.

The best part is that you know the aforementioned kooky things and you still like me.

And there's no one else I'd like to be on this crazy adventure with than you.

The House That Built Us...the story...part 2

A while back I posted part of my story.  You can read part one here.  This is a continuation...

The other day, as we were painting a room, getting things ready to go and listening to our iPod, I had a taste of nostalgia hit me and my eyes teared up.  The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert came up on shuffle.  The house that built me is actually another part of the story...maybe part three...maybe part 27.  Who knows.  I got teary-eyed thinking about this house.  The house that built Us.

When you really stop to think about it, all a house is is a big pile of bricks, concrete, wood, sheetrock and glass neatly organized into several boxes meant for living.  It's funny how such ordinary and singularly boring things can collectively be so significant.

Our house is the first house we bought together.  We only looked at a few, and they were all great, but this one was the winner.  Even though we've only been here about two and half years, we have created so many memories here.

I remember sitting at the closing table being so mad at the former owners who had lied and said flood insurance was not required on the house, only to find out that it was...adding several hundred dollars a year to our expenses.  Just a few weeks later, our city had major downpours, and the creek overflowed, flooding much of our neighborhood.  We were able to laugh at the idiots driving past the "road closed" signs into the flooded water, instead of stressing over not having flood insurance.  The previous owner even stopped by to make sure we were okay - he must have felt guilty.

It wasn't long before we learned what a water dog we really have.  We always knew Bridgette loved water - she used to lay down in her water dish on a daily basis, and has been known to steal a bubble bath.  We never knew that she would be the one enjoying the pool the most.  Bridge quickly took to the pool, first sitting on the stairs to cool down, then taking laps, and then eventually learning how to ride on a floatie.  Her favorite thing to do is to ride with me on the floatie all day long.  She's gotten to the point that she thinks she's the lifeguard.  Whenever Sam and Mike go under water, she swims to where they are and circles above them until they come up.  She hasn't quite mastered diving and bringing them back to the surface yet...

Just a few months later, on the Fourth of July, we had a big party, and Harry set up his giant fireworks display.  We sat along the edges of the pool, and watched the fireworks set off over the backyard.  Of course, we spent the whole next day cleaning the shrapnel out of the pool, but it was so worth it.

We took our first family pictures at the park just down the street.  Some of my favorite pictures ever.

I will never forget the image of Harry the day he bought his first riding lawn mower.  I was driving home, and pulling up into the driveway when I saw Harry whipping around the corner of the house, going full speed on the mower.  I swear he was practically on two wheels.  He had the biggest grin on his face.  It was like a kid on Christmas morning.

There was the Christmas of 2009: we spent all Thanksgiving night at the store picking out our first big Christmas tree, new ornaments, decorations, and lights.  I got so excited about decorating our tree for our "holiday house" that I came running down the wooden stairs in my socks and slipped and bounced my way down all of them on my butt.  I had a wonderful purple bruise for days.  We had the best Christmas ever that year.  The kids were here for two weeks.  We rode their new four-wheelers, and played games.  We lit fireworks and toasted with sparkling apple cider for the new year.  We heated up the pool, and watched Christmas movies on the projector while we swam.

We've had the best parties here.  The evening after our wedding, we invited our guest back to the house and partied all night long.  Harry hooked up his DJ equipment in the back yard and his friend DJ'd while everyone hung out and went swimming.  All our family and friends from childhood and beyond where here.  It was the perfect start to our marriage and our family.

We've had more pool parties than I can count...something we will probably never have the luxury of in another house.  Inevitably, a cannonball contest will commence, and inevitably, my dad somehow always wins.

Last fall, our ancient washing machine finally crapped out, so we bought new front loaders.  Harry and I literally sat in front of them and watched our towels spin around in the soapy water, in awe of the new appliances.

This past summer, we discovered the new trails along Cypress Creek.  We rode our bikes through the forest to the Y, and walked around the lake.

How about just a couple of weeks ago: our house got struck by lightning.  White light seemed to engulf the house, raining down from the clouds, and the power flicked out.  The house shook, and the pipes in the attic banged and rattled.  Just a few minutes later, we heard sirens and saw flashing lights as our street flooded with 5 or 6 firetrucks.  As it turns out, two of our neighbors' homes were struck at the same time.  Luckily, every one was safe - and we only lost one shingle off our roof.

This is not the first place we lived together, but it is the first place we chose together.  It is where we lived when we celebrated our marriage and the beginning of our family.  If these walls could talk they could share with you the stories that have built us into the couple and the family that we are today.  I know there are other houses to be made into homes, but this is the house that built us.

Symmetrical Cemetery

With everything going on these days, I really haven't had time to read - one of my favorite pastimes.  I decided I wouldn't have a chance to settle down with a good book for a while, so I went to the used book store and picked up one on cd that I can listen to on the way to and from work.  It's called Her Fearful Symmetry and is by Audrey Niffenegger (the fabulous author who also wrote The Time Traveler's Wife - one of my favorites).  The story plot is not really relevant to this post, other than the fact that the story begins with the death of a twin, and subsequently how the people in her life deal with her death, including reminiscing, longing, mourning, anger, trying to piece together the mysteries of her life, and sorting out her estate.  The audio book is narrated by a British actress, with whom I am unfamiliar.  I'm not far enough into the book to know if it's relevant to the story or not, but she happens to pronounce "symmetry" and "cemetery" the same way, treating the final "e" in "cemetery" as if it's invisible.

A character in the story works at a cemetery, giving guided tours of the statues and graves of famous people.  He seems so at ease, even comforted by the cemetery.  It reminded me of my own ease with graveyards.

I really like cemeteries.  If they feel right.  I usually can't describe why they feel right or wrong, but I can tell at first sight.  I don't know where this fascination with graveyards came from.  I remember playing night games in junior high around the cemetery in Rock Springs and trying to be freaked out, but never really feeling scared.  Maybe it started then?  Or maybe it goes way back to my first funeral.  I think I was probably about 3.  I can remember my mom holding me during the graveside service for my baby cousin who was taken away from this world before we ever got to meet him.  Perhaps it's fast-forwarded to 11th grade when most of our high school stood in the cold wind as a classmate was buried.

Whatever or why-ever started my love affair with graveyards is a mystery.  I can't explain it, but I feel some sort of peace when I am in them.  I could sit at my mom's graveside for hours listening to the Wyoming wind thrashing the leaves of the Aspen trees.  I imagine her laying there with me, watching the leaves quiver and shine in the sunlight.  My dad picked a wonderful gravesite, if I do say so.

Harry's family has plots in a small cemetery in east Texas.  It's an old community graveyard and looks as though it is cared for only by the families of those buried there, but it has a homey, almost cozy feel.  It's surrounded by forest and has several old hardwoods shading the headstones.  Egypt Cemetery, it's called.  The name is peculiar to me since, in my mind, East Texas and Egypt really have nothing in common, but that is neither here nor there.

While a student at the University of Houston, I took a class for my sociology minor called The Sociology of Death and Dying.  This was probably my most favorite class of my entire college career.  Weird, right? Our final project was essentially to "put our affairs in order".  Since I won't be around and probably won't care much at that point, I said I could be cremated and my ashes spread between the Rock Springs cemetery and Egypt cemetery with a headstone for people to visit at both, though I left the final decision on this up to Harry; he might have different ideas about this, and that's okay with me.

Sometimes when we drive past cemeteries, I make comments about how I like them, or if I dislike them.  I feel confident Harry would put me in my category of a "good" cemetery.

Her Fearful Symmetry got me thinking about how maybe cemeteries add symmetry to my life.  As if I need some sort of balance between this life and the next.  Perhaps I am an old soul, and have been six feet under before; or maybe above it in a mausoleum - I really love those.  Either way, I feel content with cemeteries and the balance they seem to bring to my life.

waiting

Most of life is spent waiting.  Waiting in line.  Waiting in traffic.  Waiting for the next big thing.  After so much waiting, there comes a time in life when you stop waiting for the next big thing and eventually come to the realization that maybe all the big things are done.  Maybe all the fun and excitement has passed you by and it's time to accept the mundane.  Is this what adulthood is?  Because I have to say, if so, that's pretty lame.

I had kind of settled in on the notion that maybe all my "next big things" were done.  Now, I'm not so sure.  I think there are definitely some more adventures to come.  I think the adult part of it is no longer waiting for that big thing to happen.  It's figuring out a way to make it happen and then relishing in the moment that it does.

There's no room for waiting anymore.  There's a whole lotta doing to be done around here.  Time to roll up the sleeves and get to work creating that wow factor of life.  Challenge accepted.  It won't be easy, but when we've got our feet up, soaking up the majestic Rocky Mountains some day, it'll all be worth it.  

Keep calm and carry on.
-E

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese

I had this grilled cheese through hotel room service at a Hilton a few years back and made up my own recipe for it.  Though it's not as quick as slapping a slice of American cheese between two pieces of Wonder bread, it's really easy and sooooo delicious!

All ingredients should be fresh for best taste.  If you live in Texas, you can get all of it fresh at H.E.B.

* Mozzarella cheese (sliced or sliceable - it comes in little balls sometimes, or shredded - don't get either of those)
* Provolone cheese
* Asiago cheese, shredded
* Romano cheese, shredded
* Butter or margarine
* Sourdough bread, sliced for sandwiches

Heat skillet or griddle on medium-medium high heat.  Pair two slices of bread for each sandwich.  Butter the outsides of the bread and then sprinkle lightly with Asiago cheese.  Asiago has a very strong taste, so don't go too heavy with it.  Using the back side of a fork, lightly press the Asiago into the buttered bread to keep it from falling off.  Open your sandwiches, with the buttered sides down.  Cover one piece of bread with slices of mozzarella.  Layer it on thickly - if slicing it yourself, use about 1/4 inch slices; if you are using pre-sliced cheese, you may need a few layers.  Add a few thin slices of provolone on top of the mozzarella.  Sprinkle Romano on top - again this cheese has a strong flavor, so make sure to use a thin layer.  Finish your sandwich with your naked piece of bread, making sure to keep the buttered side out.  Place your sandwich in your skillet or on your griddle and press firmly (but don't smash it!) with the back side of a spatula.  Cook a few minutes, or until the cheese in the middle starts to melt and the outside turns golden brown.  Flip and repeat on other side of sandwich.  Remove from heat source, and cut in half.  Serve immediately.  Goes great with tomato soup, french fries, chips, or fresh veggies.

Blogger's Block

I've been wanting to write a new blog for some time now.  I have about 5 half written blogs that I have yet to finish.  It's not that I don't have plenty to write about - I do.  It's just that I don't know what anyone will want to read so I am having a hard time finalizing any thoughts.  Maybe I have blogger's block.  Is that a real thing?

I wonder if other people get blocks, too?  Like DJs?  They must get play block, with all those requests they take.  I guess this blogger should start taking requests.  What should I write about?  Anyone have suggestions?  Come on, anyone?

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I got home from work tonight to find everyone in my house feeling sickly.  This recipe is my favorite "sick" comfort food, so I thought I'd share the recipe with others.  One problem: I always just make it from memory and season to taste, so today I had to measure out how much of each seasoning I put in.

These measurements are approximate - if you want to add more or less, that's fine.  Taste as you go to make sure you have the broth you want.  If your broth is bland, add a few turns of your salt and pepper grinders, taste, and repeat if necessary.  If your broth is salty enough, but still bland, try a few dashes of onion powder, taste, repeat if necessary.  If you want a spicier soup (good for those with colds or sinus issues) add more Tony's.  Keep in mind Tony's seems to get spicier with time, and with re-heating, so don't make it too spicy to begin with.

2 large boxes chicken broth

1 lb. chicken, diced into 3/4 inch pieces

1/2 T Italian seasoning

1/2 T oregano

1 T onion powder

1 t thyme

1 T rosemary

fresh ground sea salt (about 20 turns of the grinder, to taste)

fresh ground pepper (about 20 turns of the grinder, to taste)

2 T garlic salt

2 T Tony Chachere's seasoning

1 bay leaf

4 to 5 medium carrots 

3 celery stalks

1 bag No Yolks noodles

Pour broth into a large soup pot, add all seasonings, except 1 T of Tony's (you will add that at the end) and bring to a boil.  After the broth reaches boiling, reduce heat to simmer.  Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil.  Add chopped chicken to boiling water, and reduce heat to medium-high.  Cook approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  While chicken is cooking, chop celery and carrots.  Discard leaves and the wide, white base of the celery stalks, and tops of carrots.  Add chopped vegetables to broth.  Using a slotted spoon, scoop cooked chicken out of the water, allowing water to drain back into the water pot.  Add chicken, spoonful at a time, to the broth.  Cook on simmer for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours until vegetables are tender, but firm.  After broth is fully cooked, boil 6 cups of water in a separate pot.  Add noodles to boiling water, turn burner down to medium high, and cook until noodles are tender, but firm.  Do not overcook.  Strain noodles and add to soup.  Mix well.  Add more salt and pepper and Tony's to taste.  Remove bay leaf.  Serve with saltine crackers, biscuits, or bread sticks.