dear sausage…

when Craig and I were thinking about what we wanted for dinner on date night, I came up with this strange craving for sausage. strange because I’ve been saying “I don’t like sausage” for about, oh, 23 years now. I pick it off pizzas and turn it down at breakfast buffets. not interested I say. and yet, there it was. clear as crystal. and so we had baked sausage pasta.

but that’s not really the point here. don’t get me wrong; the pasta was tasty. but as I wrapped up the remaining two sausage links, Craig asked “what are you going to make with those?” (no doubt hoping that, whatever it was, some of it would find its way to his belly too). “I don’t know,” I said. “something delicious,” I said.

I was so so right.

it was this recipe that started it all. every bit of it sounded oh-so-right to me. and so I dove right in. nevermind that I had cornmeal and not polenta. nevermind that I had diced tomatoes and not crushed ones. nevermind the complete lack of mozzerella. I’ve nearly mastered the fine art of substitution. and, of course, the end result wasn’t quite what elise had in mind, but it was exactly what I was looking for. and I don’t think I’ll ever say dear sausage, I don’t like you again.

biker boy

this is my biker boy. my rebel without a cause. my hell on wheels.

(please note the very tough nikes and khaki shorts.)

oh–and the license plate? J4TUN; a “tom goes to the mayor” reference.  I just smile and think you are so special.

best weekend ever?

a couple days ago I got a call from the besties to say they’re coming to CoMo for a little visit this weekend. we’re planning a night of kabobs, games, and (as always) a bit o’ dancing fun.

tomorrow = 79° + my green dress + the farmers’ market + date night with Craig

I do hope you have such a delightful weekend in store.

shoe love+hate

a few days ago, as I stood staring at my shabby shoe collection and rubbing my sore arches, I made a little pact with my feet that I wouldn’t buy any more cheap shoes. quality over quantity, I said. timelessness over trendiness, I said. foot-love over pretty-love, I said.

then I went to target to get mr.cat a scratching post (which he has yet to use, of course) and saw these

and these

and these

*sigh*

busy lady

sometimes I do things that bug mr.cat (who, by the way, has been officially renamed mr.e.e.cat). like turn him upside down. or chase him with a sheet. or try to trick him by moving his favorite blanket (which just-so-happens to be my favorite blanket) to a new location.

then he looks at me like this:

I feel like you must be looking at me like that sometimes too. I mean, here’s a post, there’s a post. now-you-see-her, now-you-don’t. I mean, how about a little consistency, right? geez.

it’s not that I don’t like being here with you.

honest.

I’ve just been so busy (and you know that seldom happens)

busy with night-long-goodbyes to someone who entered my life just long enough to make me sad as she steps out of it

busy with two performances of children running around in fat, orange pumpkin suits and mice costumes with pink tummies

busy with celebrating having the best mom ever

busy with trying to fill up as many minutes as I can find with that boy who’s busy with a new job and finals

busy with picking out a new(er?) car that I just might be able to almost afford

busy with thoughts of hopes+tries

but I’ll make time for you this week. you betcha.

economic stimulation

so…did you get yours?

because I got mine yesterday. I was checking out my bank account status last night and there it was waiting for me to snatch it up and stimulate the economy. $300. like magic.

so I just want to say thanks to g.w. for sponsoring my treat of bell’s stout + gruyere last night.
(thanks for the recommendation, alyson–’tis fab-o)

and again tonight (+ strawberries).

and, hell, maybe even tomorrow for breakfast. just because it’s friday.

my mental-brown-bag

I really wanted to share something with you tonight. I wanted to reach inside, pull out a tiny bit of me, blow off the dust, and bring it into the light for you.

but I couldn’t.

because I couldn’t find it.

as I drove home from Craig’s tonight, I scanned through the observations that I’d packed away in my mental-brown-bag like the mangoes ripening on top of my refrigerator. (because sometimes you see/hear something and, right away, you know it’s there somewhere in that moment, but you need a little time to mull it over, to swish it around in your glass and think about it’s shade and smell.)

I thought about the brand new headlight in my car and how happy I was to be able to see all that I’d been missing on the left side of the lane.

I thought about last night’s episode of House and holding onto hope instead of taking a risk and Amy’s thoughts on meanings and goals.

I thought about the time I compared myself to my dad’s work boots, the ones that have the best of intentions but can’t help but leave little messes every now and then.

I thought about sweet sweet Claudia and how I hope someday we can meet and I can hug her and she can make rancho gordo beans for me.

I thought about “It’s time to start living the life you’ve imagined” (henry james) & “The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become” (charles du bois).

and after all that sifting-through and shuffling-around, I still couldn’t quite latch onto it. so I’ve brought to you a muddled, blurry heap of my parts instead of a shiny, sparkling facet. and I hope you’ll accept that tonight. for what it’s worth.

it is good because…

today was a good day…

because organic strawberries, the organic herb salad mix, and kashi crunch were all on sale at Hy-vee…

because the little girl who runs up&down and up&down the balcony and stares in my windows is m-m-m-movin’ out…

because we used our “new” grill for the first time tonight (and because Craig’s hair smelled of charcoal for the remainder of the night)…

because my apartment is squeaky clean (minus the windows)…

because I (impulsively) ordered the most adorable and perfect-for-my-kitchen salt&pepper shakers…

because we got to trek through the park in the sun for a bit (slowly, and with kleenexes in my pocket)…

because mr.cat let me trim his claws without too much of a fuss…

hope your day was sunny and warm and charcoal-scented.

netflixing

Craig&I have been talking about a Netflix membership for about a month now. yesterday, we took the plunge and we are veeeery excited. we kicked off our membership with an instant viewing of Unforgiven last night which, despite 3 “your internet connection has slowed down. we have to adjust stuff” pauses and a very late-for-me starting time of 9:30, I somehow managed to stay awake for. (and thus understand Craig’s admiration of Clint Eastwood.)

we both agreed that, even though we’ve already seen Juno, we cannot.wait. to see it again. thus, top of the queue. (this is why we get along so well.)

p.s. am feeling muchly better but still ill. thanks bunches for the well wishes. am quite sure they (along with much-needed Craig-induced laughter) have assisted in my betterment.

illness

2 days of over-working + not-enough-sleeping + no-vitamin-taking + improper eating habits = sicky

am hoping to shake this runny-nose-scratchy-throat-super-fatigue before the weekend. dear friends have donated “wellness formula” pills to assist in the healing process. wish me luck.