BLOG CARNIVAL: "The Webs We Weave"

Peanut butterrrrrrrrrr.

On toast, it's one of my favorite breakfast meals.

Though I don't understand the loose peanuts next to the PB toast. Do you?

With just a little bit of heat, the peanut butter gets all ooey gooey and WONDERFUL. Of course, you can't eat peanut butter toast without a glass of milk, which I really didn't start drinking until I became a vegetarian, which was...good lord, years ago now. 4 years? 5 years? Gosh, that brings me back...

...to my junior and senior years in college when I was living with my friend Mary who was a vegetarian (shout out, you yogurt-eater!). We lived in a 5 bedroom apartment named "The Abode," which was more than half the reason we all moved there.

not exactly a "stunner," per se...

Milwaukee, folks. I went to college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mil-town. Brew City. Though, I admit, we all frequented the smaller microbreweries like Lakefront more than we frequented Miller. I must've gone on that Lakefront tour a hundred times.

What kind of cool place looks over the Milwaukee River? LAKEFRONT BREWERY!

I remember Lakefront hosted a polka party once. It really just looked like a lot of hopping around, so I tipsily joined in, only to get sweaty in 2.2 seconds, whereupon I left the dance floor in search of the nearest bathroom so that I could wipe myself dry with paper towels while a bunch of middle-aged Czech women eyed my suspiciously, looking from my pink face to my wet hair to each other and then back to my face again. Yes, wonderful memories...

Speaking of Czech women...at Marquette, I had a Czech nun for an English teacher. I wanted to put her adorable, pocket-sized self in my backpack...

...until she asked me if I'd plagiarized my paper on Heart of Darkness.

Which reminds me of my high school teacher, Mr. Hilbert. Thanks to him, I had already read Heart of Darkness by the time I got to college and so was able to blow away that Czech nun's mind :-)

Aw, that Mr. Hilbert. He was an intimidating one. With a white handlebar mustache that he twisted in between his fingers whenever you were boring him...say with your interpretation of Madame Bovary, for example. More than once his mustache-twirling made me lose my train of thought. He'd look at me with my arm raised, squint his eyes to make sure it was indeed me who had her hand raised, bring his fingers to his mustache, and then call on me to speak. I'd immediately get distracted by his fingers twisting, twisting, twisting, his mouth pursing to make the mustache hairs stand out just a little bit more, always twisting (said in the voice of that kid from The Sandlot, "lotioning, lotioning, always lotioning"). And then POOF! I'd lose my train of thought. He'd say, "Yes, Erin?" And, unable to look away from the yellowing tips of his mustache, I'd answer, "I forgot." To which he would open his eyes wide, remove his fingers from his mustache, and look around the room again. I'd just look down at my desk, shake my head, and wonder What the hell just happened? Wicked whiskers...

gross dramatization

Lucky for me, Mr. Hilbert shaved off his mustache later that year. His upper lip was so pronounced without the distraction of his curled white hairs that he looked cartoonish. He'd lost his intimidating facade. Which meant that I could raise my hand and speak to him as I would speak to any other cartoon character--with superior intelligence (Superior to a cartoon character's intelligence, that is. Which really isn't worth bragging about, is it?)

High school. Man, that seems like forever ago, doesn't it? Eating lunch at "your group's table" and lockers (and locker-filchers) and god-forsaken PE class and hall passes and paperbag book covers and "shadow students" and that ice patch outside the front doors where the senior boys sat, waiting for people to slip and fall...

Which reminds me! The ice has melted! The ground has thawed! Spring is here! All I can think about are the flowering crab-apple trees and their soury-sweet smell. And birds flying low with grass and twigs in their beaks (Birds I've had to honk at a few times, by the by. A flattened sparrow is NOT my idea of a cool grill ornament).

Speaking of grills, A and I have already grilled out a few times this Spring! Aaahhh, the gloriousness that is a porch, no? A and I are thinking of stringing twinkle lights above ours to make it some sort of sanctuary for summer soirees (Sorry, alliteration is like a drug to me! More, More, MORE!).

Imagine this scaled down 99% and you've got our porch!

Maybe y'all could come over some time soon and hang out with us? Cheers a couple chilled beverages? Watch our neighbors back in and out of their garages? That's the view from our townhome's back porch, by the way. Before you judge, know that A and I have found the view quite entertaining. Donna chasing her daughter around on a tricycle; our motorcycle-afficionado neighbors hosting BBQ pit party after BBQ pit party; the little boy who sweeps out the garage every week...after asking if you've gotten anything good in the mail lately. I'm telling you--good stuff. So yeah, see you soon, I guess.
I leave you all wondering how the hell we got here from "peanut butter"...

I'm good. Real good ;)

P.S. Go see my newest Daily Dose of Dillies!

Now go check out the other Blog Carnival participants!

Instinctively Woman

The Ontic Blue Stocking
Red Bubble

Bit-o-Pep!

awww :)

Though it's Thursday, this isn't EXACTLY theoretical...

Just a few days ago, A started rotations. I'm already feeling lonely :( He says goodbye to me when it's still dark out, so I can barely recall his face when I wake up hours later. I'd gotten used to having him around in the morning, so now it's almost too quiet.

And when we get home from work in the evening, he has to study-up for the next day, only to go to bed a few hours later. There's so little "us" time now.

But instead of dwelling on that fact, I'm gonna pep-talk myself out of this. I need to figure out how to make the most of our 3-4 hours a night together, and I need ways to stay positive the rest of the day. Perhaps my pep-talk will drag you out of your funks too? Now that would make me happy :) Here I go...

1) Make the most of the time you share with people. On a coffee-date with friends, in the break room at work, or sitting down to dinner with your work-a-holic husband, really listen to the person talking. Get outside of yourself and focus your attention on them. That way, when you're alone, you have all those wonderful conversations to keep you company. In particular, I need to make the most of my time with A. Even when he's studying and it's "quiet time," I can make a point to focus on him. Touch him (foot massage?). Look up from my magazine every once in a while and really see his face. Otherwise, without these catalogued memories, I'll feel like I never saw him.

2) Get creative. When I'm drawing, coloring, cutting, or pasting, I foreget I'm alone. It's just me and what's in my hands. It's like an entirely different part of my brain--that has nothing to do with analyzing, over-thinking, or stressing--is functioning. And if I play some music or TV in the background, I go even further outside of my head. Perhaps something wildly beautiful will come out of your creative activity. Frame it? Display it? Pass it on as a gift?

3) Clean house. I've said it before and I'll say it again--go about cleaning as if it's a meditation. Put on some relaxing music, and try not to think about anything other than the activity itself. It's a quiet kind of work, cleaning, but it's productive work. In just a few hours time, you've got yourself a sparkling house and a peaceful state of mind.

4) Bake. A few days ago, I baked a quiche, and it made me so happy! I made it so that A would have easily microwavable leftovers, and seriously, the entire time I was chopping up vegetables and whisking eggs, I was thinking about him. I was with A the entire time it took to bake that quiche. And it felt good. Something about having a nutritious creation to show for myself made me feel nurturing. And capable. Like, I can do this. I can be happy so long as I'm taking care of A. (You think this cake is too challenging? Would I be making this for A or for me? Hmmm...)


5) This is related to #4: Do thoughtful things for your loved ones. In regards to A, I don't wanna lose touch with him. With him gone so much, I realize I'm going to have to build my life outside of him. BUT! I don't want to grow away from him, either. So taking time to think about him and do something small for him every day will prevent any distancing. Love messages on Post-It notes? Yummy baked and/or cooked meals? Waking up with him some mornings? Bringing home dessert from the restaurant I went to with my girlfriend? I want him to know that I'm thinking about him even when we're apart.

6) Exercise. Besides the good that comes of getting in shape, exercise is a positive way to kill time. And it requires your full attention. There ain't no time for loneliness when you're sweating buckets! Not to mention, the endorphins make you feel good about yourself. They're "the happy drug," which means that you'll be nothing but positive energy. And there's a lot to be said for your effect on people--happy breeds happy. Because I don't wanna further stress A out with my down-in-the-dumps, a happy front is necessary. Therefore, Erin, meet your new friend, Exercise.

7) Drink more caffeine! Just this morning, I was in a bad mood because of the aforementioned reasons and because it's dark and rainy outside and because I'm hormonal. (I'm just a can of worms, aren't I? You'd think it was Terrible Tuesday what with all this complaining, huh? Lemme turn this thing around...) So, I got to work, drank my usual one cup of coffee, and started to feel better...but not great. So I poured myself a second cup of coffee, whereupon things started to look up! Even when my boss said it was now SNOWING outside, I thought to myself, "How lucky that I'll be inside all day, with my hot cup of coffee and space heater!" Whaaa?! Atypical reaction, I tell you. And one I owe to caffeine. Perhaps I owe my dear ol' friend a thank you note? "Dear caffeine, thank you for perking me up!" (Pun intended. Hard).

Aaaand, that's all I've got at the moment.

Pray pass on YOUR positive ponderings (Alliteration is always awesome!).

Eating My Way Through the Week Like the Hungry Caterpillar...

One of my childhood faves: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

This is what I saw, walking into work today...

I know it's Terrible Tuesday, but I never got around to yesterday's Monday Mash-up. So, if you don't mind,  I'm gonna take a quick second and rewind to yesterday, when Tuesday wasn't even a thought in my pretty little head...

This past weekend was chock-full of food fancies--a regular chock-food-full fancy, a fanci-chock-full-food. I ate sushi at Cherry Creek's Kona Grill, fried burritos at Denver's Las Margaritas, and oatmeal pancakes (with honey!) at my very own house! (*recipe below) With NO stomach ache to speak of! Woot woot! That's gotta be some kind of miracle. A first, at the very least. To eat and not be ill afterward? To not reap the repercussions of strange dietary ingestions? Clearly, this weekend awed me to my core (which is my stomach, obviously). Paunch, pooch, muffin-top, it don't matter what you call it--it's a friend of food.

On a related note, until last night, our kitchen was entirely food-less (Though, as you can tell, A and I didn't starve last weekend). Now our kitchen is STOCKED! Isn't that a good feeling? Like how a full tank of gas makes you feel. It's like, with this much food, we could do anything, go anywhere! But we don't HAVE to do anything or go anywhere, you know? We can sit on the couch, eating breakfast burritos while watching The Office if we want to (which we did).

And this morning? I haven't been this excited to pack my lunch for work in a loooooong time. Banana? Frozen entree? Nuts? Granola bar? I brought it all, people.

Despite Tuesday's best efforts, I'm pretty excited about today :)

Oo! Oo! I've got a Blog Carnival update! Another round is scheduled for this Friday, April 30th. The theme is "The Webs We Weave," an experiment in mind-mapping. Our jumping-off point is peanut butter, which EVERYONE loves (except you peanut-allergics), so don't miss out! Should be mighty interesting, as is everything else with a bunch of Erins ;)

And lastly, for shits and giggles, here's a pic of A and I on our wedding day, courtesy of my Uncle Mike...

* Oatmeal Pancakes Recipe

I love the recipe from the Joy of Cooking, but I don't remember it off the top of my head. So here's the closest thing to it that I could find online...

1 and 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal

1 cup milk/buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
 
Combine all wet ingredients and then stir in dry ingredients. Mixture will be lumpy, but do not fear! Deliciousness is here!

Slug Talk

*image from http://weheartit.com/entry/2010279

Please excuse my intermittent postings :-/ (Blame Tuesday, if you must!)

A's been on break and we've been making the most of our time together :-)

Granted, I'm POOPED! But no worries--"Operation Figure Out the Cause of Erin's Sluggishness" has come to a close. And the search dug up some interesting discoveries, such as: talking a lot, imbibing alcohol, and staying up late make Erin tired. I know--surprising, right? I was shocked, too. Well, as shocked as an exhausted person could be. Which means that my thought process pretty much went something like this, "Tired. Much fun. How keep fun? No more tired." (Apparently my tired thought process is like that of an ape whose first language isn't English). So yeah, that spawned a new operation which is now underway--"Operation Erin Take the Necessary Steps to Become UN-Sluggish." Which basically means I am sleeping more and drinking less (Some could argue that sleep is still in line with sluggishness and to that I respond, you're right. But I don't care. You can't keep me from sleep. It's my bestie (I know my brother's vomiting in his mouth as I'm typing this) and besties stick together (Go grab a trash can if you must, brother)). I'm still talking though. There's only so much a girl can change, you know. Or is willing to change, I should say. And I have plenty to say. Which is great, right? I know you're all getting darn bored out there without my posts keeping your lives interesting.

So, here I am to save you from boredom!

How about I tell you that I hated the first Twilight book? And then! And then! And then! (so all you die-hard Twilight fans out there don't suddenly hate my guts), I'll tell you how I LOVED and AM LOVING the other books of the series.

A bit of background to set up my logic...Apparently Stephenie Meyer's older sister found out that Meyer had written this story about vampires, but had no intention of getting it published. With just a little urging, however, Meyer submitted it to various publishers. Little, Brown picked it up and bada-bing, bada-boom, Meyer got herself a book deal! Not to mention, a book that hit #5 on the New York Times Bestseller List. So, what's to hate, right?

Well, I have a theory as to why I hated the first Twilight book but loved the others. I believe that after the first book hit it big, Little, Brown got Meyer a bigger and better editor. I mean, Twilight reeked of adverbs and over-writing (Writing that you can't exactly lose yourself in, because the writing itself is so distracting). My English teachers would've kicked some serious Twilight a**. Red ink? Meet Meyer's manuscript). But the other books? Complete page-turners. The writing becomes invisible and voila! I'm left with visions of Bella and Edward and Jacob dancing in my head (Well, none of those characters actually dance, per se. They more just walk around and talk in my head. And no, I'm not crazy. Sheesh, don't be so judgmental. Er...) I'm telling you, the difference is night and day. Something changed between the first and second book. And I don't think it was Meyer. In which case, Mrs. Meyer, please GO THANK YOUR EDITOR! HE/SHE IS THE ONE WHO MADE ME BELIEVE IN YOU! Was that harsh? I didn't mean it to be. I just meant to forewarn all you writerly/readerly people out there that Twilight is a rough read, but that the others make up for it (See? I can dish out a little sugar with my salt). Reading the Twilight series has been yet another reason why I've been M.I.A. lately. I'm too busy imagining Jacob as my book-world soulmate. Fer reals :-)

OH! I forgot to tell you guys that I'm allergic to all of Colorado's native grasses and trees, as well as dogs and cats. I've not gone a day without sneezing for MONTHS. As I type this, I'm sniffing, my eyes are watering, and I think there's a rash of some kind on my neck. How dare you, body? Seriously. Or shall I say, how dare YOU, Tuesday? Brat.

Though beautiful, my skin itches just looking at this picture.

*image from http://weheartit.com/entry/1510331

Missed you guys. I promise I'll visit more often. With or without allergic reactions :-)

LV, NV.

"Las Vegas is sort of like how God would do it if he had money."

~Steve Wynn (owner of my favorite Las Vegas casino/resort).

"Las Vegas looks the way you'd imagine heaven must look at night."

~Chuck Palahniuk

(I find it funny that all of the above quotes reference godliness
when Las Vegas is known as "Sin City.")

Vegas, Vegas, Vegas...you either love it, or you hate it. Me? I loooooove it. Why? Let me tell you...

A and I arrived a little after 8AM, and though we had to wait 2 hours for the Forum Shops to open, we did NOT have to wait for the bars. Morning martinis anyone? These sweet little gin, grapefruit juice, and orange juice cocktails supplied us just enough oomph to sustain our all-day shopping spree. All-day? Well, yes, see, I was looking for a dress to wear to my friends' wedding (shout-out, Mary and Joe!), as I love buying clothes on vacation because of the memories attached to them, but alas, no luck. Though I did buy a non-wedding-appropriate dress, a skirt, and some earrings. (Take note--don't shop whilst imbibing. And also, carry a backpack for your goodies, for blood blisters on the fingers WILL appear otherwise. True story).

Come lunch time, A and I walked straight into The Palm Restaurant  for a piece of their multi-layered, fudgey chocolate cake. I believe I've spoken about this cake before. Sinful. When in Vegas, right? It took us all 3 days in Vegas to finish it. No joke.

Most of the time we nibbled on it while watching the Bellagio fountain from our hotel room window. Best View. Ever! We watched approximately 4 shows a day...

Speaking of which, can someone relay to the Bellagio that they've been playing Faith Hill's "This Kiss" for much too long now? Thank you kindly.

Here's A and I in the Bellagio's Spring-themed garden. Look at that monster ant behind us...

Do we look like tourists or what? Big time.
We also toured the new casino Aria. Starting with its attached mall that looks like the Denver Art Museum's new addition (you know, all metalic and angular)...there were lots of artsy touches inside, like wooden, tubular staircases and plastic tubes with water tornadoes funneling around. Very cool. Granted, there was absolutely no seating to be found. Damn you, Aria mall. So we went into the casino, figuring if we wanted to sit down, we'd have to gamble. The casino had lots of earthy touches--wood and metal work with leafy patterns--and yet modern, space-age touches, too--brushed aluminum and flourescent lighting. It was a high-contrast, though beautiful, combination. Very cool.

Staying on the topic of cool, A and I went to see Blue Man Group at the Venetian. Here's me pre-show with Humpty Dumpty...

Sweet little egg.

Asa got jealous (not really), so we took a "couple" picture of us, too...

Aaaanywho, we knew we were in for it when we got to the 4th row of the theater and found plastic ponchos slung over our seats...

After we got over the ridiculousness of our plastic capes, we really enjoyed the show! There was lots of drumming and paint-splashing, black lights and neon/glow-in-the-dark colors, PVC pipe instruments, and crepe paper. It was musical, funny, and interactive (a little something for everyone), so if you're looking for downright silly entertainment, this show's your new best friend.

You know what's not my best friend? The Wheel of Fortune game. We lost some serious money at that table. Number 2, you really let us down this time. Boo for 2.

So, many blisters and a bad hip later, we're home. My stomach is still hasn't come back around to cereal and fruit (How dare you spoil me with your dessert and booze breakfasts, Las Vegas!), but it's good to be home. Finally, we get to sleep in our own bed and watch something other than PG movies. Granted, "Cheaper by the Dozen" was pretty precious. Go Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt.

On another note, it's official--I know the intro to Lady GaGa's "Bad Romance" song. "Rah rah, ah, ah, ah. Roma, roma, ma. Gaga, oo la la..." High-five me now or later?

For good measure, here's some pics of the Palazzo's umbrella decor...

Mind Travel

It's snowing outside. Cold, wet, and icky. Which means no afternoon walk for me :(

So I'm mind-travelling instead!  :)  On Flickr and WeHeartIt.

A few favorite places that I've been to today...

*image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/reuver/4496688548/

*image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/yvestown/4493201560/

*image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanesantillana/4481774224/

*image from http://weheartit.com/entry/1882625

*image from http://weheartit.com/entry/1882429

*image from http://weheartit.com/entry/1881812

*image from http://weheartit.com/entry/1881650

I'll bring you some travelling pics from my real life next Tuesday, when A and I get back from Vegas, baby!

BLOG CARNIVAL: "Scenic Scribbles: The Environment of Writing"

"In my room, the world is beyond my understanding; 

But when I walk, 

I see that it consists of 

three or four hills and a cloud."

--Wallace Stevens

I. Noon

The wind is blowing. Hard. I find myself leaning into the wind just as the trees bend, my red hair flying all over the place, wild (which, I imagine, makes me look like somewhat like Medusa).

I'm in the midst of something powerful here.

The wind's throwing itself against windows--thump thump thump, thump thump thump--and pushing me to dance across the earth.

So I walk. And with each step I take, I feel more and more the solidity of my body, the heaviness of my feet hitting the ground. It feels fantastic. Like I have a purpose! Like I finally know what I'm born to do here on Earth--WALK! And so I walk faster, face-forward into the wind, looking to the trees, remembering how their branches shivered in the winter. Now, their limbs are shaking off the chill, using the wind to twist and turn, wishing the sun on every inch of their skin.

I wish it on mine, too. And the pink that it leaves behind.

"Walking is nearly as natural as breathing. 

Most of us don't remember learning how--

it's just something that happens. 

And when it does

--one foot in front of the other, 

one foot in front of the other--

thoughts are free to go skipping over the landscape 

like thistledown on the wind."

--Cathy Johnson

II. Haiku

The thorny branches
of the bush--purple-red--clasp
a small white feather.


III. When running...


...I imagine the wind is my breath, so that I'm never short on supply.
...I mentally note the point on my path where I can't smell exhaust anymore (near the corner of Beeler and Colorado).
...I watch a Jack Russell terrier chase 3 rabbits out of his yard in just one sprint.
...I listen to the many twittering and whistling bird-songs, awaiting the moment when they merge in my ears, becoming one big, bird chorus (not to be confused with Big Bird chorus).
...I notice the way untamed plants grow together into one big tangle, their natural instinct to latch onto each other.
...I smell the cold--like how the freezer smells, only smokier. And planty...er.
...I see that the grass is greening again, and the buds are back.
...I see rabbits nibbling on grass, squirrels scampering up tree trunks, and robins fluffing their feathers. I like to pretend these animals' actions are testament to their manners. Which would mean that rabbits are rude and skittish, and that squirrels are also skittish, though they make good eye contact. And robins? They're cocky, but with beautiful voices. Which means that I love them AND their red, heart-shaped bellies.

"Everybody who's anybody longs to be a tree."

--Rita Dove 

IV. Morning Drive


7:28AM. There are two geese walking across the Parker/Havana intersection. Why don't they fly?


V. The Redheads

I take pleasure in the fact that the two cherry blossoms in our front yard are home to red-headed sparrows.

If I sit very still on the porch, they collect on the braches in bunches, shouting out single chirps to each other.

Now and then, they turn their bitty beaks to look at me, and I nod in return. Redhead to redhead.

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy 

is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. 

Some see nature all ridicule and deformity...

and some scarce see nature at all. 

But to the eyes of the man of imagination, 

nature is imagination itself."

--William Blake

VI. The Parting

Branches. They really do resemble limbs, don't they? Like hands and arms, all reaching out to be held.

"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. 

May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poets' towers into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across the white sand beaches, where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon the high crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you--beyond that next turning of the canyon walls."

--Edward Abbey

Now go read the other Blog Carnival participants!

http://theonticbluestocking.blogspot.com/

http://erinbery.blogspot.com/

OMG, TGIF.

Because it's been a few days since I last wrote, I wanted to explain myself. In preparation for Monday's Blog Carnival, I've been spending more time than usual outdoors--walking during lunch breaks, running after work, walking to the mailbox, etc, etc.

So if y'all could just excuse my absense for another couple days, I be gettin' my nature on :)

HAPPY EASTER TO YOU!

Why didn't my parents ever tie a million eggs in a tree? Slackers.