Hello JeriO

Why Can't I Still Get Snow Days?

2010-01-28T21:01:00.003-06:00

While the threat of heavy snow sends panicked Ozarks residents to clear out supermarket shelves, I tend to think back on memories of big snow storms when I was growing up in Pennsylvania.

My dad was a teacher in our school district, so if there was a snow day, my dad, brother and I would all have the day off together. And since my grandparents lived a little way out in the country, Dad would have us get all bundled up and take us over to sled down the big hills and Gram & Pap's house.

Now, Gram & Pap may have had amazing hills at their place, but they also had giant evergreen trees. On one particular snow day, my brother and I were having the time of our lives. I'd sled down and as I was climbing back up the hill, Danny would sled down and so on.

This went on for quite a while, but as I approached the top of the hill for my next turn on the sled, I turned to watch Danny as he went flying down the hill. He picked up speed as he neared the bottom of the course, but at the last second the sled favored one side and took him over a bluff - straight into the heart of an evergreen tree.

As I watched my brother disappear into the branches of the enormous tree, my first reaction - like any good sister - was to break down into hysterical laughter. You'd think I'd be concerned for my little brother's safety, right? Well, once he finally emerged from the depths of the tree, I knew everything was going to be alright. Unfortunately Danny's flight of the evergreen put a damper on the day and signaled the end of our sledding adventure. Oh well...plenty more snow days where that came from!

Why I Love My Hometown

2010-01-14T17:45:00.002-06:00

Over the holidays I had the chance to get reacquainted with my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I hadn't been home for an extended stay in close to a year and a half, so I was prepared to make every one of my nine days count. Along the way, though, I was reminded of so many reasons why I love my hometown. Please note that seeing my family and friends is always a major reason I love going home, but this list is intended to highlight the best of the 'Burgh.

8. Nothing says 'home' like emerging from the Fort Pitt tunnels to see this.
7. Primanti Bros. Sandwiches served on Italian bread with the cole slaw and french fries piled right on top of the meat.
6. Sidney 'Sid the Kid' Crosby. Just because he's nice to look at.
5. The hills. Oh how I miss the hills! Yes, they're a pain when slippy, but the landscape is just gorgeous, especially with a fresh blanket of snow.
4. Italian hoagies!
3. Pittsburghese. A language unique to the city, it's distinct words, phrases and inflections are one thing I absolutely love about going home. I guess you could say it's comforting to hear a lot of yinz, n'at, dahntahn, and 30 mile an arr thrown into conversation.
2. Sports. Pittsburgh has been home to some of the greatest names in professional sports, including Roberto Clemente, Mario Lemieux, and Bill Mazeroski. To date, Pittsburgh is proud of it's six-time Super Bowl Champions, three-time Stanley Cup Champions, and five-time World Series Champions.
1. You can talk about how the Stillers are doing and everyone knows exactly who you're talking about.

Why I'm Extra Thankful This Holiday Season

2009-12-06T16:56:00.002-06:00

It seems like only yesterday, but two years ago my husband and I were preparing to begin a new phase of our lives. Nick was getting ready to go back to school to become a nurse. We had revisited the discussion about going to school countless times, but he had finally decided to change careers.

I won't lie - we were as scared about this journey as we were excited. Would we be able to afford our monthly expenses on reduced income? How would we find time to spend together with his class and study group schedules?

But we soon realized something that we knew all along - God was going to take care of us. The month before Nick started classes, I got a new job with a raise. Soon after classes started, Nick was awarded a scholarship that covered all of his tuition. In addition to that, Nick's employer agreed to let him continue to work, but with reduced hours. Family and friends stepped up in ways we can't even begin to properly thank them or repay them for. Nick even developed friendships with classmates that we can't even imagine not having in our lives now.

While it wasn't always a walk in the park, I wouldn't trade these past two years for anything. And in a couple of weeks I can't wait to watch as he graduates from nursing school. I'm so proud of him and can't wait to see where this next phase in our lives together will lead us.

Guilt Trip at the Gym

2009-06-17T18:22:00.002-05:00

Earlier this year Nick and I signed up for a gym membership and I have to say I really enjoy going. Even on my most sluggish days, I still feel a great sense of accomplishment just for going.

But one thing I've noticed lately is the guilt trip I get when I'm working out. Is it from trainers or other gym members? Not even close. It's from the elliptical machine I'm using! You see, when you press the button to increase the intensity of your workout, it makes a quiet, dainty little beeping sound. But when you decrease the intensity - BEEP!!!! A noise loud enough to let people two miles away know that you've decided to tone done your workout.

I'm being shamed into more intense exercising by a machine. What's worse? Um...it definitely works. Don't judge me.

Prepare thyself...

2009-05-28T19:24:00.002-05:00

One of the great things about spring and summer is that outdoor festivals and activities go into full swing. And Waxahachie, Texas, is no exception. In town on a recent business trip, my friend Eliza and I discovered two things: 1) cell phones only work in the center of the conference center parking lot and, 2) the amazingly popular Scarborough Renaissance Fair. Now, I normally wouldn't give a renaissance fair a second look. They're not my cup of tea. But with a sign like this it just couldn't be ignored:
That's right, my friends - Prepare Thyself For Merriment!

Super Bowl Recap

2009-02-22T13:52:00.010-06:00

Word on the street is that there are some people anxiously awaiting a recap of our very exciting Super Bowl party. Well, this post is for you.
Some would say I got a little bit carried away with the menu. We had enough food to feed about 20 people...but there were only eight of us. I didn't care - when the Steelers are in the Super Bowl, of course it's time to go all out!
Our menu included Italian sausage sandwiches, sweet & spicy meatballs, queso dip, veggies & dip, pepperoni loaf, and the all-important Oreos.
After we filled our plates, it was time to get down to business. Here we are as James Harrison made a 100-yard return just before halftime. Pardon my scary red demonic eyes.
My friend Mary doesn't really care about football, but that night we definitely converted her into a Steeler fan.
With only a few minutes left in the game, when the Cardinals scored and things definitely weren't looking good for us, Nick donned his rally cap.
Finally, with 35 seconds remaining, Santonio Holmes made a miraculous catch that pushed the Steelers ahead. Everyone in our living room erupted with cheers.
The rally cap worked! Here's Danny showing his appreciation for the hat.
By the end of the night, Oliver had had enough. Becoming six-time Super Bowl Champions really takes it out of a dog.

We are the champions!

2009-02-01T21:36:00.002-06:00

The Steelers did it! They won their sixth Super Bowl title, making NFL history as the first team to do so. It was a stressful night in our living room - lots of weeping and gnashing of teeth, followed by cheers and shouting.
We're still celebrating at our house, so I'll post pictures of the food & fun tomorrow night.
Until then... here we go Steelers, here we go!!!!

Super Bowl Fever

2009-01-24T15:27:00.002-06:00

I am beyond excited right now because the Steelers have made it into the Super Bowl! As the final minutes of the game against the Baltimore Ravens ticked away, I sat preparing the menu for my Super Bowl party. More on that in a future post.
But one of the biggest things that got me into the Super Bowl spirit was a little care package from my mom. What was in it? None other than Eat 'n Park's famous smiley face cookies done in black and gold in honor of the Steelers. Ahh, there's nothing like a little taste of home.
So now we're just gathering our party supplies and getting ready for the big game. Check back on Super Bowl Sunday to get a look at our Pittsburgh-inspired menu.

Resolutions...a few days late

2009-01-05T19:50:00.005-06:00

I realize that everyone else on the planet made their resolutions several days ago. But instead of jumping on the typical resolution bandwagon (you know - exercise every day, no junk food, and publishing one's memoirs) I've decided to go for the realistic goals. So, I present to you my very doable resolutions for 2009:

1. I will not hit snooze more than three times each morning.
2. I will not consider clothes laying on the floor of my closet as 'put away'.
3. I won't drink coffee after 7pm (totally screws up my bedtime routine).
4. I will not be ashamed of eating cold leftovers for breakfast (hey, at least I'm eating something).
5. In an effort to break out of a rut, I'll listen to a new music artist every month. Who knows what new tunes I'll find out that I like?
6. Find one new publication to submit my writing to.
7. To preserve my marriage I will not go on snowy hikes, like the Jenny Lake Hike we went on following this photo op:
8. I'll stay better connected to my friends.
9. Watch more Food Network, HGTV, and E!
10. Have a major celebration when Nick graduates in December!

Some highlights...

2008-12-10T17:33:00.009-06:00

Yes, I am fully aware that it's been over two months since I've posted anything. So, i thought I'd show you some highlights of what's been going on at our house.
First of all, Oliver had his third birthday. We celebrated by getting him a little cookie from the pet store. He was so excited about it.

Around mid-October I got adventurous with fall flavors and decided to make pumpkin cheesecake. Thanks to Nick and a few of his classmates, the entire cheesecake was polished off within just a few days of me making it.

Next came Thanksgiving weekend complete with - you guessed it - the Flaming Turkey. No, not that kind of flaming...there's real fire around this bird!

On Black Friday my brother & I ventured out around noon to see if he could snag an HDTV. Thankfully Sam's Club had exactly what he was looking for and he spent the rest of the day admiring his TV. Possibly admiring it a bit too closely...

And in early December I began making my holiday cookies. I was lucky enough to have my friend, Mary, join me for an afternoon filled with baking and fun. Here's Mary showing off her caramel-melting skills while chatting on the phone with her friend. Is there no limit to this woman's talent???

I know what you're thinking, 'did only good things happen to you for the past two months?' Well, there was one low light. Nick, along with one of his classmates, decided to adopt the Fu Manchu for 24 hours. It was horrifying. Luckily he shaved it off the next afternoon.

That about sums it up. Have a good night.

One of these things is not like the other...

2008-09-25T23:28:00.003-05:00

This week magician David Blaine set out to do another one of his stunts - this time hanging upside down from trussing for 60 hours in the middle of New York City's central park. I've stayed quiet during his previous, ahem, death-defying stunts - hibernating inside of a giant block of ice, sitting inside of a clear box above a river, and who could forget camping out underwater in a giant bubble for a week - but this time I have to speak up.
While each of these stunts were, uh, classics, there is one thing that keeps sending up a big red flag in my mind: none of these are magic!!!!
I've seen him do magic tricks and, in fact, I was impressed. He ripped up a dollar bill, chewed up half of it, then spit it back out only to have it reattach itself to the rest of the bill. Totally blew my mind! But hanging upside down for 60 hours straight? Yawn. He didn't even stay upside down the whole time! This was partly due to the fact that doctors pretty much told him that his brain could explode and his eyes would burst out of his head if he stayed that way for 60 consecutive hours. So, once every hour he turned himself right side up, let the blood flow back into his extremities, and went back to hanging like a bat in central park.
Then, when he went to make his dramatic 'dive of death' as they called it, it turned out to be a total flop. Yet gobs of fans, who had missed school or work to see him hang upside down, still cheered him on.
What am I not getting here??? Anyone?

A Sunday night well spent

2008-09-16T22:33:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was perfect in so many ways. I got to spend time with my fabulous husband, the fall weather was amazing, and I got to enjoy a Steelers game complete with proper football food - pierogies and Italian hot sausage sandwiches. I was especially thankful for the pierogies because we almost didn't get them. Nick and I went on a tri-store search before Dillons finally came through for us. One worker even asked if they were some type of organic food...uh, hardly. Here's a little glimpse of what proper football game food looks like:

But I digress. The game against the Cleveland Browns was great - especially because we came out with a win. The funniest thing, though, was that it was so windy in Cleveland that night that food wrappers and other garbage were flying around the field during every play. It was nasty.
Anyway, the important thing is that we came out with the W (despite some lame plays and half-hearted attempts on our part). The good news is that we've got a whole season to keep improving and working our way toward Superbowl ring #6.

Merman!

2008-08-19T21:38:00.006-05:00

Alright this is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time and I just had to share. I've been watching the Olympics and especially got caught up in the excitement of Michael Phelps and his eight gold medals. Well, I found out today that he agreed to do a photo shoot with the famous photog Annie Leibovitz (famous for, shall we say, interesting shots). I'm all about creativity and thinking outside the box, but at no point in time would I think that it's a good idea to dress up like this:

It just screams Zoolander: "Merman! MerMAN!"

Obsession

2008-07-12T20:59:00.003-05:00

Obsession might seem like a strong word, but as my Ozarkian husband would say "we sure do love us some coffee". Now we're taking it to the next level. Thanks to our friends Nate & Jessica we've been introduced to the world of at-home coffee roasting. We bought our coffee roaster and green coffee beans almost two months ago, and now, seven weeks and four pounds of freshly-roasted coffee later, we're hooked. Currently our latest shipment of green coffee beans is sitting in our kitchen just begging to be roasted to perfection by Nick, our roast master.
Some may say that roasting your own beans is unnecessary, but for a true coffee lover there's nothing like drinking a mug full of fresh java and knowing that it hasn't been sitting in a bin at a chain coffee shop for weeks and weeks. Plus, when those beans are roasting, my whole house smells like coffee! It's better than any air freshener that Bath & Body Works could ever offer.

Thelma's Beans

2008-06-12T20:36:00.003-05:00

I've been lucky to have a lot of wonderful people in my life. The bonus is when they also happen to be wonderful cooks. This is the case with my Aunt Thelma. Affectionately known as 'Grandma #3', Aunt Thelma is my mom's best friend's mom. Have I lost you yet?
Growing up I have a lot of great memories of time spent with Aunt Thelma. My brother and I would go to her house and she'd paint my nails, let us do endless arts & crafts, and, of course, feed us amazing food. From pasta fagioli to caramelitas, Aunt Thelma served up a variety of tasty treats, but one thing was always consistent - everything tasted amazing.
We spent this past Christmas in Pittsburgh and I was reintroduced to a Thelma classic: bean casserole. It was so yummy that I had to get the recipe and share it with you:

- 2 cans of baked beans
- 2 cans of green beans (drained)
- 1 can of kidney beans
- 1 can of lima beans (drained)
- 6 oz. can of tomato paste (plus one can of water)
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 8 slices of bacon
- 1 diced onion

1. Brown the bacon and onion together.
2. Mix tomato paste, water and sugar together before mixing with the beans.
3. Combine all ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish and bake for one hour @ 350 degrees.

This recipe makes a ton, so it's a perfect dish for a picnic or potluck. Enjoy!

Up next - a recap of our amazing road trip.

Hermione the Wonder Dog's Amazing Kill

2008-05-12T20:49:00.004-05:00

This is Hermione. She belongs to our friends Nate & Jessica. Yes, she's cute and cuddly-looking, but would you believe that she's a ferocious predator? Well, believe it. Allow me to reconstruct the scene.
On an average fall day, Nate and Jessica came home from work and settled into their evening routine - feeding their daughter and putting her to bed, making dinner for themselves, and relaxing. During the aforementioned activities, Nate let their little dog Hermione out in the back yard. Just as a little background, Nate and Jessica live out in the country and they've got quite a bit of wide open space behind their house.
A little later they went to let Hermione back inside and this is what they discovered:

It would appear that Hermione had gone head to head with local wildlife - and won. According to Jessica, Hermione started out just bringing tiny mice onto the porch, but it quickly progressed to larger mice, moles, bones of other animals, and finally a deer leg!
It's now time for you, fair readers, to decide - cute and cuddly or ferocious predator?

Medical Adventures...

2008-04-18T23:11:00.003-05:00

First, let me bring everyone else up to speed. One week ago my right eye started bothering me. Nick noticed that it was red, but I just chalked it up to dry eyes/allergies. If only I was that lucky.
Since then, my eyeball has become bright red, my eyelid has practically swollen shut, and a stye was discovered over near my tear duct. Basically, my eye was starting to look like Sloth's from The Goonies...only one eye wasn't halfway down my face.

Anyway...despite the fact that a stye might not seem that funny, there have been a few things that have happened that I can't help but laugh at.
1. I gave in and went to the doctor on Tuesday. While I sat in the waiting room, a unique-looking man walked up to the counter. When the girl asked what they would be seeing him for he replied "They told me to come back when I wasn't on something." Uhhh...yeah.
2. When my mother-in-law found out about my problem, the first thing she said was, "I would LOVE to see that!" Seriously??
3. The fluorescent lights in my office are irritating for my eye, so I kept them off today. A man walked into my office and asked what was wrong and I told him about my eye. He proceeds to tell me that he's had styes so severe that the doctor has had to CUT THEM OUT OF HIS EYELID!!! "Yeah, it's no big deal. They just roll up your eyelid and cut 'em on out." No big deal?!?!??! That was the least comforting news I've heard all week.

Here's hoping that my new eye drops will make me good as new by the end of the weekend! I'm tired of looking like a freak at work.

Stuck in an airport

2008-04-04T13:29:00.003-05:00

Today we started out on a journey to Norfolk, Virginia, to attend my cousin's wedding. Little did we know that NOTHING would end up going according to plan. For a recap of our ill-fated travels, check out Nick's adventure blog by clicking here.

As for me, I'm going to continue to sit here at the airport in our nation's capital, waiting and hoping to see if our flight will actually take off for Norfolk on time while listening to an older gentleman screaming Russian phrases into his cell phone.

Mmmm....bread

2008-03-16T16:49:00.005-05:00

This weekend has been pretty busy in my kitchen with two family dinners in one day. For Sunday's lunch our menu featured Italian food. I was asked to bring the bread, so I decided on some herb focaccia bread. It's pretty easy and super tasty, so I thought I'd share the recipe.
Here's what you'll need:
4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. rosemary
coarse salt

- You'll need to start this the night before you need it. Combine 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup warm water, and the yeast. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let this stand overnight at room temperature to ferment.
- Stir in 1 cup warm water, 2 tsp salt, rosemary, and just enough of the remaining flour so that the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enoguh of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. lace dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (approx. 1 hour).
- Turn dough out onto a well-floured baking sheet. Place an extra large bowl upside down over the dought to cover it; let rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven and a bread stone to 475 degrees. Shape dough on the baking sheet into a circle about 11 inches in diameter by puling and pressing with your fingertips.
- Make 1/2 inch deep indentations in the dough. Brush it with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Carefully slide focaccia onto the preheated bread stone.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden, checking after 8 minutes and popping any large air bubbles with a sharp knife. Remove focaccia from bread stone with large spatulas. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.
This bread makes your whole house smell amazing while it's baking. You'll love it.
More on the second meal later!

Good viewing

2008-02-25T20:08:00.005-06:00

Clearly trying to fill the gap caused by the writer's strike, NBC has come up with yet another winner. My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad is like American Gladiators starring the average dad...with a few exceptions. To start the show, the dads came out in unitards for an event called 'Alphabet Soup'. The goal of the game is for them to crawl into a bowl of green sludge to search for letters to spell out a key word. Falling repeatedly on the slippery surface, their perseverance was put to the test - especially when their bratty child is screaming "Come on, daddy! Hurry up!"
If you thought that there wouldn't be trash talking because little kids are involved...you would be wrong. In fact, most of it was done by the kids. To the parent of a competitor, one snotty kid yelled "You're gonna lose!" I was really hoping that the other kids would gang up on her and take her out, but they just watched respectively.
Now for those of you thinking that it's not fair to go by athletic ability alone, never fear. There was a quizzing lightning round that asked the tough questions like 'what temperature does water freeze at?' and 'who is Spongebob Squarepants' girlfriend?' Remarkably, the dads knew the answer to the Spongebob question and not the one about freezing water.
The best part of the show was when they brought out a van with 'The Scorpion Kings' painted on the side. It was highly entertaining watching the tough Navy Seal dad squeal like a little girl when he had to carry scorpions from a conveyor belt over to an aquarium.
All in all it was a fairly entertaining show, but I have to say that I am so thankful that the writer's strike is over and great programs are going to return to television soon.

John "Pap" Ungerman 1927-2008

2008-02-20T21:13:00.006-06:00

Last Thursday was a bittersweet day in our family. My Pappy, who had been suffering from various health challenges, left us and went to be with the Lord. We realized that his home going was for the best - he isn't in pain anymore, he's rejoicing in Heaven, and he was reunited with his sweetheart on Valentine's Day (my grandmother passed away 20 years ago). But there is still that very human part of us that still wants him to be here with us. And with good reason - my Pappy was one of a kind.
Greeting everyone with a smile and an emphatic "Hey Duke" or "Hi Dear", Pap never met a soul he didn't like.
One of his greatest joys in life was spending time with his family. Looking back, I can't remember a sporting event, school play, or concert that Pap wasn't there for. You couldn't wipe the smile or look of pride off of his face when he was watching his grandkids on the soccer field, basketball court, or stage.
And when it came to traveling, all you had to do was say the word and Pap was game for a trip to Disney World, the beach, Atlantic City, and especially Vegas.
Always a connoisseur of the finer things in life, Pap loved old movies, musicals, episodes of Seinfeld ("Ahh, great show!"), and let's not forget The Three Stooges (nyuk, nyuk, nyuk).
With too many memories and great stories to write about, suffice it to say that Pap was loved, will be greatly missed, and will never be forgotten.

American Gladiators - the return of a classic

2008-01-07T20:56:00.000-06:00

Back in September I read a news story online and thought I was dreaming. The headline read: 'American Gladiators Returns to NBC'. My heart skipped a beat. Could this be true? Immediately my mind was flooded with childhood memories of Saturday afternoons watching the original gladiators. It was almost too great to hope for. Commercials later confirmed it and the good news got even better - Hulk Hogan would host it!
The premiere was set for January 6, 2008, and we were ready for it. Surrounded by friends and tasty snacks, we geared up to view some gladiator action in hi-def.
The line-up of American Gladiators didn't disappoint. The guys were beefy and the ladies looked 'corn fed', as my friend Jessica said.
Whoever did the naming & wardrobe for the gladiators should get an award of some kind. A hoss-like girl, complete with braided pigtails, named Hellga? Nice job.
And kudos to the genius who casted Toa and gave him a little skirt and fringy armbands to wear while doing a rain dance. It was captivating.

My two favorite gladiators are polar opposites. The first would be Titan. He looks like a Greek god with his blonde hair and ginormous muscles. Well done, God.

My second favorite is Wolf, whose tag line should be "And now I'll open your throat and feast on your blood". (It was funny when my brother said it - guess you had to be there.) Anyway, Wolf's got some nasty long hair and howls, but is oddly likable. Nick thinks he looks like Ben Stiller's character in Dodgeball. You be the judge.

To wrap up, I'll leave you with a list of highlights from last night and maybe some ways they can improve for next week.

Highlights:
- Bonnie the Marine splitting her face open but still completing the eliminator round.
- Hulk Hogan's handlebar mustache.
- Hulk Hogan asking a female contender what it was like to have the female gladiator's legs wrapped around her head. (Our living room went silent at that point.)
- Wolf howling...during every competition.
- Titan (the Greek god)...just because.
- The uber-cocky male competitor breaking down in tears when he loses to a contestant who deemed himself 'Spider Monkey'.

Ways to Improve for Next Week:
- When the American Gladiators come out, have them strike a pose to 'Eye of the Tiger'.
- More spandex!
- During the joust, have defeated competitors fall into a pool of boiling hot lava.
- Hulk Hogan tears his shirt off and joins the competition.
- More people making complete fools of themselves on the 45 degree angle treadmill. The look of total defeat on their faces is priceless.
- Lose the stinkin' tornadoes in Missouri, Ron Hearst, so that I can actually watch night two!!

Alright, that's about it. I need to go take shelter from the impending tornadoes.

Fondue Night!

2007-12-23T12:40:00.000-06:00

Christmas is coming up and we wanted to find a special way to celebrate with our closest friends without just doing a gift exchange. The six of us put our heads together and came up with fondue night. I know - nothing says Christmas like dipping bread into a bubbling vat of cheese. But we had fun with it. Each couple was responsible for a different type of fondue and the appropriate dippers to go with it.
I attempted a cheddar ranch fondue. It was actually very simple. This is all you need to do:
4 Tbsp. butter
15 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 (1 oz.) package of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine

- In a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the tomatoes and saute, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Add the package of Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix and stir gently to dissolve the seasoning mix.
- While the tomatoes are cooking, combine the flour and cheese in a bowl and toss to coat the cheese.
- Add the wine to the tomato mixture, stir once, and then add the cheese, a handful at a time. Heat and stir until the cheese is completely melted. Transfer to a fondue pot set over an alcohol or sterno flame to keep it warm. Serve immediately.

To make sure we had some variety, Annie brought a marinara-based fondue, and Tara (our true chocolate lover) supplied a to-die-for chocolate fondue.

You might wonder what kinds of food to dip in all of these different fondues. We had everything from vegetables to garlic bread, chunks of mozzarella to slices of pepperoni, and marshmallows & fruit (for the chocolate, of course).

Before we ate, Tara filled us in on some fondue-etiquette. Apparently, if your dipper drops into the fondue, you're supposed to kiss the person to your left. The guys really thought this was funny and, Tyler, with Nick on his left, was heard saying 'Oops!' quite a few times.
Our evening wasn't complete until we had a viewing of a Christmas classic - A Christmas Story. Good food, good movie, and good company. If you ask me, it was the perfect way to celebrate the season with the people you love.

Thanksgiving-a recap of the weekend's events

2007-11-27T22:30:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays...mainly because I like to eat and that's what that day is all about. Over the past few years, though, I've really come to enjoy it even more. I think that's in large part due to the company during that weekend. Nick's family comes into town from all over the country and converge on his grandparents' house for the feast of a lifetime. They've got everything from rutabagas to flaming turkeys and so much more. Does it sound weird yet? You have no idea. Here's a rundown of the day's events.

We arrive at Nick's grandparents' house where the usual hugs and hellos are exchanged, followed by the distribution of the Thanksgiving costumes. No, we don't have our holidays confused, we truly get into the spirit by donning the apparel worn at the first Thanksgiving...sort of. Nick's Grandma thinks this is so fantastic. The guys can wear either Indian headdresses or pilgrim hats with the little white collar and the ladies either wear a headband with a single feather in the back or a lady pilgrim's bonnet and collar. Nick and I scored complimentary outfits this year - check it out.

Next it's time for everyone (all 25 of us) to gather in the living room for the presentation of the Flaming Turkey. Here's the deal - before Nick's grandparents will carve up the turkey, they slice oranges in half and douse sugar cubes in cooking liquor. Then the place the sugar cubes firmly in the orange halves and light them on fire. The result - a turkey surrounded by mini flames. It's truly a sight to behold and my only regret is that I don't have a picture of it.
It's almost time to dig in as we bow our heads as Nick's grandfather gives thanks for the 'bountiful harvest' as he likes to say.
Then everyone digs in, eats way too much, passes out on the couch and then wakes up to have pie.

This year, though, Nick and I decided that wasn't enough excitement, so we joined the crazy people and braved the cold in hopes of scoring a great deal on an HDTV. We camped out at Circuit City starting at 8:30 Thursday night and waited until 5am to rush the store. I had a good time, but I can't say I'd do it again. I'm just happy Nick got his TV. So that's it for our Thanksgiving weekend!

Next up - either chicken cheese chowder or Hermione the wonder dog's amazing kill. We'll see.

Worst Halloween Ever

2007-10-31T21:05:00.000-05:00

Even though it's not my favorite holiday, I still get excited when Halloween comes around. It's just fun to see what costumes kids pick, how excited they get over some candy, and how exhausted their parents look from walking all over the neighborhood. Last year on Halloween, we had an exceptional amount of trick-or-treater traffic at our door. We hadn't been home from work for more than 20 minutes and there were already little goblins and princesses asking for candy. Since it was supposed to be a nice night, this year we were prepared. Here's how the evening started:
5:30-
Jerilyn: Hey, maybe we should only give one piece per kid so we don't run out.
Nick: Yeah, that's a good idea until we see how many come by.
6:30-
Nick: Oh, I see some trick-or-treaters walking down the street.
Jerilyn: Cool. Maybe they'll stop here next.
7:15-
Nick: Are these stinkin' kids gonna stop here or what?
Jerilyn: I know. We've got the porch light on. What more do they need?
Nick: I don't know, but I'm going to have some candy.
Jerilyn: Me, too. Toss me a box of Nerds.
7:45-
Two boys dressed as Spider Man come to the door. Our attack dog, Oliver, donning his snappy red bandana, greeted them.
Boys: Twick-or-Tweat.
We hand out two pieces of candy to each of them.
8:15-
Jerilyn on the phone with Kim: How many kids have you had?
Kim: About 50.
Jerilyn: 50?!?!?! We've had 3.
Kim: One of them was dressed like a box of popcorn.
Jerilyn talking to Nick: Have we had any interesting costumes?
Nick: We've had THREE kids, Jerilyn!
Kim: Well, I'm sure more will come. It's only...oh, it's already 8:30!
8:30-
Giant suburban full of candy-seeking kids pulls up and unloads directly in front of our front door.
Jerilyn: Hey, there's a ton of kids getting out of that car. I bet they're coming over here.
Kids take off down the road and they and their vehicle are never to be seen again all evening. Nick & Jerilyn each devour a box of Junior Mints.
8:45-
Nick walks outside to scope out the situation. He returns with a grim report.
Nick: There are no kids to be found ANYWHERE! They've disappeared.
At this point, Drunk Dave, who lives diagonal to our house and decorates more for Halloween than Christmas, has blown out the candles in his jack-o-lanterns and called it a night. Nick and I take that as the signal that trick-or-treating has officially ended.

In the infamous words of Homestar Runner, "This is the worst Decemberween ever."

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

2007-10-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

Last week was Boss' Day, so me and the girls in the office decided to fix up a breakfast feast for our fearless leaders. We covered all the flavors, from savory to sweet. My contribution used a favorite fall flavor - pumpkin. So I present to you, fair readers, a recipe for pumpkin pie biscotti.
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup canned pumpkin, not pie mix
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

- Combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl and stir well.
- Combine the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla, stirring well with a wire whisk.
- Slowly add pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. The mixture will be very crumbly.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add nuts.
- Cook, constantly stirring, until nuts are browned.
- Remove from heat and cool completely. Gently knead nuts into dough.
- Place dough on lightly floured surface and divide into four portions.
- With lightly floured hands, shape each portion into a 1" x 15" log.
- Place logs 3" apart on a cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes.
- Cool for 15 minutes.
- Reduce oven to 300 degrees. Cut each log crosswise in 1" slices.
- Place slices on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Cool completely on wire racks.
Yes, there are a lot of steps to this recipe, but don't be put off by that. When they come out of the oven you'll find that the effort was totally worth it. These are great with your morning cup of coffee or hot tea. Enjoy!

Indy07 - the week in review

2007-10-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

Yes, it has taken me over two months to finally get this posted, but I was waiting on pictures, so it's not entirely my fault. This August, over 12,000 students attended national youth convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. With so many events to participate in, such as Fine Arts Festival, AIM outreach, Campus Tour, and evening services, you'd think that students would be worn out at the end of the day...but you would be wrong. It seemed as if their energy only increased as the week passed.
The week started out with a road trip. My car buddies were Kim and Mary and we came prepared for the eight hour trek. We had sing-a-longs and, of course, the snack food of champions - Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
On Monday we headed to the convention center to start setting up our store and exhibit booths. Unfortunately, the convention center policy is to not turn on the air conditioning until the actual convention begins. We spent over 10 hours setting up in the 90+ degree heat. We were not happy campers.
Tuesday was the official kick-off for Fine Arts and youth convention. The crowds were crazy and the excitement level was through the roof. The atmosphere in the exhibit hall was electric. Since the Campus Tour didn't start until the next day, Mary and I spent some time in the nym store helping out. Mary had the chance to lead some games and we had an amazing time.
Wednesday was the start of the Campus Tour. There were workshops in the morning for students and youth leaders who were interested in being campus missionaries and making an impact on their schools. The turnout was impressive and it was really exciting to watch teens get motivated to reach their unsaved classmates.
Thursday was full of more Campus Tour workshops and afternoon concerts. That night, after the evening service, was the annual PK Party for pastor's kids. This year's music was provided by a great band called Group 1 Crew. Their sound is kind of like the Black Eyed Peas. Their performances were so fun to watch and get into. They even took some time after the party to hang out with our staff and get some pictures.
Friday was definitely the highlight of the week. During the evening service, over 7,000 students made a commitment to become campus missionaries to their schools and reach out to unsaved classmates. They were even commissioned with the all-new FIRE BIBLE Student Edition. It was a powerful sight to watch a sea of students on the main floor of the RCA Dome - definitely a moment that I won't soon forget.
Over all, Indy07 was a huge success, but it was all because of God's favor and the hard work of so many people at nym. I have so many more stories that I could tell about the incredible ways that God worked, so if you want to hear them just let me know.

Fall is finally here!

2007-09-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

When temperatures finally cool down for fall, I always get the itch to do three things: cook fall foods, get out my winter clothes, and decorate my house. Well, I got impatient this year and already started on the fall foods, but winter clothes and decorating have yet to be checked off my list. Needing to choose between the remaining two, I picked the one that's more fun - decorating!
Wreaths have always struck me as very welcoming on a front door, so I set out on a mission to find the perfect one for fall. Determined not to spend much, I turned to an old friend for help - Hobby Lobby. It's the place where all of your decorating and crafting dreams come true. In a matter of minutes I found everything I needed to create a gorgeous wreath for my door - and the best part is that it only cost me $10.
Here's what you need:
- One grape vine wreath
- Six sprigs with leaves and berries attached
Just weave five of the berry sprigs into the wreath and use the remaining sprig to fill in the bare spots. And voila! In only 20 minutes you have an inexpensive decoration that's handmade! As Nick would say, "At last - we have a fall wreath. Finally our lives are complete."

Next up - FINALLY a summary of Indy07 events!

Another reason to celebrate

2007-09-23T16:02:00.000-05:00

Today we're celebrating the birthday of someone very important - our dog Oliver. He turned 2 today. Now we're not going crazy and baking him a cake and throwing a doggy birthday party for him...that was last year.
This year we celebrated Oliver's big day with a new toy, some gourmet puppy treats, and a brand new storm door for our house. We didn't say all of the gifts were for him. Besides, he loves watching for squirrels from a new vantage point.

Next up - inexpensive fall decor.

Great Fall Food

2007-09-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

We've got the comfort food, now all we need are the cooler temps. As another tribute to Nick's love of beans, we've cooked up white bean and roasted garlic soup with a side of beer bread (the beer bread is not a tribute to a love for beer). It takes a little while to put together, but the end result is worth it. Plus, it makes a motherload of soup, so you'll have leftovers to freeze.

The soup:
2 cups Great Northern beans, picked over, soaked 8 hours (or overnight), drained & rinsed
8 cups (64 ounces) water
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
10 to 15 garlic cloves, separated but unpeeled
8 ounces potatoes (about one medium), peeled & coarsely chopped
1 pound onions (about 3 medium), peeled & coarsley chopped
1 pound carrots (about 6 medium), scrubbed & coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh parsley
Salt & pepper to taste

- Place first five ingredients in a 6-quart (or larger) pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil and simmer, with the lid cracked, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Meanwhile, place garlic cloves in a small oven-proof dish, sprinkle with water, cover with foil, and roast at 350F for 30 minutes. Let cool; peel.
- Add potatoes, onions, and carrots to bean mixture, return to a boil, and simmer, with the lid cracked, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. (NOTE: You may think the soup is going to be too thick and that it needs more water. Don't worry about it. Lots of liquid will cook out of the vegetables. After simmering, remove bay leaf.
- Carefully puree the roasted garlic and 2/3 of soup mixture in blender (in batches) on low speed until still slightly chunky. Return to pot of remaining soup.
- Stir in parsley and simmer, with the lid cracked, stirring occasionally, for another 30 minutes, or until beans are completely tender. We found that a little Old Bay Seasoning added a nice kick to the final product.
The bread:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
12 ounces beer

- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, dill, and cheddar in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Even though I would have been satisfied eating only the bread for dinner, combining it with the soup was a perfect match.
More fall food and fun to come!

It's official - I'm an auntie!

2007-09-10T21:54:00.000-05:00

Nobody panic - the kid isn't mine. Today my little niece Joslyn was born. I'm not a huge fan of babies in general, but as the proud auntie, I must say she is a beautiful baby. Plus, she didn't even cry when I held her! That never happens!!!!
So a new era has started in our family, filled with pacifiers, diapers, and basically everything in miniature. As for me & Nick, we're very excited to be the doting aunt & uncle while little Joslyn does her first everything this year.

Beans, beans, they're good for the heart...

2007-09-02T23:15:00.000-05:00

Nick is absolutely crazy about black beans...well, beans in general, so he's always encouraging me to find recipes that include as many beans as possible. I did a little search on the internet and found a few recipes to try out. This particular one is very tasty and has tons of protein, not to mention it has the right stuff to help ward off colon cancer. So if you're looking for ways to add protein to your diet, try this seven layer tortilla pie. All you need to get started:
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup salsa, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
7 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mash pinto beans and stir in 3/4 cup of salsa and the garlic.
- In a separate bowl, mix together 1/4 cup salsa, cilantro, black beans and tomatoes.
- Place one tortilla in a pie plate. Spread 3/4 cup pinto bean mixture over tortilla to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top with 1/4 cup cheese, and cover with another tortilla.
- Spread with 2/3 cup black bean mixture and top with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering twice.
- Cover with remaining tortilla and spread with remaining pinto bean mixture & cheese.
- Cover with foil, and bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa & sour cream.

Even though this dish has a lot going for it, beans aren't called the musical fruit for nothing. Before digging in, be sure to down some Beano to prevent the post-dinner symphony.

Sad day in Steeler history...

2007-08-18T18:55:00.000-05:00

I've always viewed NFL teams who have mascots or cheerleaders as somewhat less of a football team. Take the Dallas Cowboys, for example. It's always been my opinion that they need cheerleaders on the sidelines to keep their fans from realizing that their glory days are long gone.
Or the Patriots. I mean, who hasn't cringed at the sight of that guy with a regular sized body & enormous head prancing along the sidelines? I'm embarrassed for them.

For so long I've taken pride in the fact that my hometown team never needed stupid gimmicks like that...they were a solid team with a rich history and that's all that mattered.
Today I was rocked to the core when I discovered that the Steelers organization had stooped to an all-time low. Pittsburgh now has a mascot - and he's not even cool!!! He somewhat resembles former coach Bill Cowher, is dressed like a member of the Village People, and has eyebrows the size of caterpillars. As if all that wasn't bad enough, they let the fans submit possible names for him. Out of 70,000 entries, THIS is what they chose (I can hardly bring myself to type it): Steely McBeam. Here's a look at the whole package:

I feel betrayed as a fan. Nobody asked the fans if we wanted some ridiculous mascot. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by thepittsburghchannel.com, over 80% of people polled said that they hate the idea of a mascot and hate the name even more!!!!!

Here's my wish list for what I hope will happen to Steely McBeam, in order of mildest option to most severe:
1. He will be booed out of the stadium before halftime of the first regular season home game.
2. Disgruntled fans will pummel him into a heap of disfigured foam as he tries to get the crowd to cheer.
3. He'll 'accidentally' be standing in front of the Steelers tunnel and be trampled as they run out onto the field.
I've never considered myself a gambler, but I'd put money on option #2 being the way it all goes down.

I hereby declare this week a tragedy in Steelers history. Until further notice, Terrible Towels are to be waved at shoulder height rather than up in the air.
I'm going to go drown my sorrows in pierogies & Italian sausage...

Pistachio Coffee Cake

2007-08-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

The day before I left for Indianapolis, Nick and I spent the day together. One of the things he really wanted to do was bake something. He really likes cakes made in our bundt pan, so I grabbed my trusty recipe for pistachio coffee cake. It's easy to make and is so yummy. Here's what you do:
18 ounce box of Duncan Hines golden butter cake mix
3 ounces of instant pistachio pudding mix
4 eggs
8 ounces of sour cream (Nick substituted plain yogurt and it worked out great)
1/2 cup veggie oil
1 cup pecans, chopped
6 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
Mix the first five ingredients in a large bowl - beat well.
Mix last three ingredients in small bowl and set aside.
In a greased & floured bundt pan, pour 1/3 of the nut mixture followed by 1/3 of the batter.
Repeat twice.
Bake for one hour at 350 degrees, but check it with a toothpick at 50 minutes.
Cool completely before removing from pan.
Dust with powdered sugar.
This is one of our favorite desserts now. I love cinnamon, so the swirls in the middle of the cake provide an awesome burst of flavor. Enjoy!

Cuban Black Beans & Rice

2007-08-14T18:34:00.000-05:00

One of the great loves in Nick's life is black beans, so when he found this recipe, he knew we had to try it. This dish is super easy, very tasty, and best of all, cheap.
1 pound dried black beans, sorted & rinsed
1 large onion, choppped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups of water
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno chilies
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot cooked rice
Mix all ingredients (except for rice) in 3.5-6 quart slow cooker.
Cover & cook on high heat setting for 6-8 hours or until beans ae tender & most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove bay leaves.
Serve beans over rice.
I'm not the biggest fan of black beans, but this was so yummy. It kinda tasted like meatless chili. I sprinkled some cheese on top and that made it even better.
By the way, it makes a ton, so you'll have plenty of leftovers to take for lunch the next day!

I've upgraded to semi-outdoorsy!

2007-07-31T20:52:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, Nick and I, along with three other couples, stayed at a cabin on Table Rock Lake. That's right - three whole days to swim, kayak, and generally be outdoors. Now, I'm really not the outdoorsy type and right now pretty much anyone who really knows me is probably thinking that I was most likely bored out of my mind all weekend. But you would be wrong. I had a blast!
The girls all got in the water and we joined our rafts together to create a party barge. We floated around and at one point Nick even tied a rope onto his kayak and dragged all four of our rafts around the cove. I wish I had a picture of that one, but I don't.
One thing that I really loved was kayaking. Nick and I spent a good amount of time paddling along the shoreline and exploring the coves. It was incredible! (A quick side note: I went kayaking for the first time back in April and by the time we were done, my arms and shoulders were killing me. Since then I've started doing yoga on a regular basis and I'll tell you what - paddling was a piece of cake this time! In fact, I even kayaked mulitple times in one day.)
We even took our sweet little Oliver with us. He didn't like swimming, but he definitely liked floating on the rafts, riding in Nick's kayak, and playing with Dave & Randi's son, Ben.
I know that some of you are probably still in shock that I willingly participated in outdoor activities and, yes, enjoyed them. Others are wondering who I am and what happened to the real Jerilyn. Well, I did manage to stay true to Jerilyn form this weekend - I finished the final 80% of a book I was reading (I am SO my mother's daughter).
So there you have it...to the shock and surprise of many (including myself) I have officially upgraded to being semi-outdoorsy!

Chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot pie...

2007-07-30T20:42:00.000-05:00

My blog isn't as focused on food as my sister-in-law foodierachel, but I had a victory in experiemental cooking tonight and I just have to share. I don't know many people who don't enjoy a homemade chicken pot pie, but some versions of the recipe are so time consuming that this classic dish falls to the wayside during the week. But not this one, friends!
This is all you need:
2 cups of cooked chicken breast, shredded
18 oz. of mixed veggies
2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
2 packages of crescent rolls

Piece together an entire package of crescent rolls in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate (grease it first!!).
Mix the shredded chicken, veggies, and soup and pour into the prepared pie plate.
Take the second package of crescent rolls and piece them together to form the top crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and you've got a super tasty dinner. How easy is that??

This was a quick post, but there are more to come, including pics of our weekend at the lake and highlights from Indy07!!!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2007-07-23T20:32:00.000-05:00

No, it's not Christmas - it's even better. It's the start of Pittsburgh Steelers' training camp!
Growing up, training camp wasn't just this little event we saw clips of on the news. For Steelers fans, it's the start of four months worth of football, tailgate parties, and the hope of yet another Superbowl Championship.
Training camp is something most Pittsburgher's have experienced. I took tons of trips up to St. Vincent College in Latrobe to sit on a steep hillside and watch the team practice. We had no idea who anyone was since they didn't have names on their jerseys, but by golly we were hot stuff going to watch training camp. And if you timed it right and could wiggle your way up to the front of the line, you might just get to shake the hand of a player as they walked to or from the dorms they were staying in (which, by the way, weren't too shabby. The news always showed extensive clips of players moving in to training camp, unloading their big screen tvs, stereos, and all of the luxuries they could possibly fit into a dorm room).
Some of the best memories from my childhood include Sunday afternoons in the fall when we'd come home from church to tune in to the Steelers game and listen to Myron Cope do the play by play. Who's Myron Cope? Only the creator of the Terrible Towel and classic phrases known to every Pittsburgher, such as "double yoi", "hmmm hah", and the "Cincinnatti Bungals".
A lot of times we'd even eat some Pittsburgh classics like pierogies and Italian hot sausage while we watched the game. (In a future post I'll include recipes in honor of the first regular season Steeler game).
Some people don't understand the dedication of Steelers fans. Anybody can root for a team, but Steelers fans bleed black & gold. We don't have fight songs - we have Superbowl songs. We don't wave towels - we wave Terrible Towels. We don't have good plays, we have plays that have gone down in NFL history, like the famous Immaculate Reception and the more recent Divine Interbention. Ridiculous? Not to a Steeler fan.
But really, the most amazing thing about Steelers football is how it unites an entire city. Regardless of individual religion or politics, there's one thing everyone can agree on - there's no one better than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If you don't hold an allegiance to a certain team, I'd invite you to become a fan of the greatest team around. And if you do have a team that you root for...well, it's only a matter of time before I convert you to the black & gold.
Here we go, Steelers, here we go! Pittsburgh's goin' to the Superbowl...

You're tall... (A Public Service Announcement)

2007-07-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

Over the course of my life I've come to find that any sentence that starts out with these two little words 'You're tall' can only end with me left irritated, offended, or amazed at the ignorance of others.

Today I went to Walmart with my friend Mary. As we stood in an aisle looking for an item, a woman who was about 5'6" turns to me and, in her ignorance, says "You're tall. Can you grab that bag off the top shelf for me?" I can't tell you how much I hate that question. She might as well have said, "Since you're freakishly tall for a woman, why don't you use your go-go gadget arms and grab the items that we mere mortals could never even hope to reach." To her credit, my good friend Mary (who stands a respectable 5'5") jumped in and provided a much needed joke, saying "Yes, I am tall and I'd be happy to get that for you."
In case you're wondering, I did help the woman, but it took everything in my power to keep from saying, "Sure I'll help you, but since you're so short would you mind grabbing something for me on the bottom shelf?"

Even though I really dislike when people say stuff like that, it's the completely inconsiderate comments that blow me away. A few weeks ago I was at Walmart (I don't know if rude people are just drawn to this place or what) and as I started down one of the aisles, this guy started backing away from me like he'd just seen a Sasquatch or something. He stood next to his girlfriend and I happened to inch closer to them in my search for the Great Value peanut butter fudge cookies. What does this guy do? He jumps back and goes "Ahhhh!!! I'm scared of tall women. They freak me out!!" As I gave him the look of death, I couldn't help but wonder why a person would find it OK to talk about another person's stature as if it was a hideous deformity.

While I normally take these happenings in stride (yes, an insanely long stride), I would like to take this opportunity to answer some questions for those of you who are vertically challenged.
1. The weather up here is rainy and overcast.
2. Yes, I am very tall. Good catch on that one.
3. I buy my clothes at Amazon Women Outfitters.
4. To achieve my height my parents fed me a steady diet of high protein shakes and, of course, the gene-altering shots that my doctor gave me throughout adolescence helped, too.
5. Being tall is great. I wouldn't have it any other way...or should I say, I can't have it any other way.

So if you ever find yourself tempted to make a potentially offensive/completely ignorant statement about one's height, just remember that we tall people are able to see your bald spot and we're not afraid to comment.

(Note: Despite the sarcastic nature of this entry, I absolutely LOVE being tall. It's awesome and I would highly recommend it to anyone.)

The value of good friends and a greasy burger

2007-07-12T21:37:00.000-05:00

I know that this sounds like a fairly serious subject for a first post, but it's going somewhere, I promise. Yesterday afternoon was probably one of the crummiest days of my life, second only to today. I suffered a big disappointment and just felt overwhelmingly defeated in life. As it clearly states in the girls' handbook, when you face a situation like this, there's only one way to treat it: self-medicate with incredibly unhealthy food and, if possible, ice cream.
I followed the handbook's advice and headed straight for Burger King. A BK Stacker and half a container of french fries later, my mood had improved a bit. A dose of ice cream followed, but I still had that lingering feeling of disappointment in the back of my mind.
Ready to face a new day, I went off to work this morning and was surprised to find myself getting teary not once, but twice in my 6 minute drive to the office! Still nursing my wounds, I put on a brave face and attempted to get on with my work, but not without first asking for help from the person who I know has always been there for me: my mom. If there was ever a person you want to go to when you're feeling low, she's the one. She lets me be angry and frustrated about my situation and then gives me the BEST pep talks in the entire world. I told her that I'd need an extra dose of prayer to get through the day and she came through. Shaking off those nagging feelings of self-doubt, I plowed ahead with my work. After all, Indy07 is only three and a half weeks away!
You've got to know that I don't just have co-workers at my office, I've got incredible friends. We're talking fabulous friend jackpot. After explaining my situation, I was flooded with words of encouragement - not false compliments or well wishes, but truly uplifting words. Things were definitely looking up and my mood had seriously improved.
It still amazes me to think that even in what would appear to me to be setbacks, God still has a plan. And not only that, He provides the encouragement and support that I need in those times in the form of family and friends.
This morning, in our staff devotions, the verse we focused on was Isaiah 40:31. It says, "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." It's funny how the most appropriate verse can hit you at just the right time. This was a huge encouragement to me today, and maybe it can be for you, too.
I promise my next post will be on the lighter side!!!